Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush Embarks on Three-Nation Tour

Aired February 16, 2002 - 09:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: A short time ago, President Bush took off for a three-nation tour of Asia. The trip, originally scheduled for October, was cut short in the aftermath of September 11.

CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us live with some of the details. Hey, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jeanne.

The first stop on the president's tour is Tokyo, Japan, and as you said, the president and the first lady, Laura Bush, just left the White House a few minutes ago. We have video proof of that right now showing them exiting the executive mansion, heading toward Marine One helicopter. They're due to arrive any minute at Andrews Air Force Base to take off aboard Air Force One for this three-nation tour.

Japan, really it's going to be about the economy, and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's attempts to reform the economy. That's high on the U.S. agenda in the stop in Tokyo.

Then it's on to South Korea, where the president will deal with Kim Dae Jung, the South Korean president, telling him he does support South Korea's efforts to begin a reconciliation process with the North, but nevertheless the United States is going to stick with its policy that North Korea remains a part of the axis of evil, that it is a weapons proliferator and a danger not only to the United States but U.S. interests around the world.

In an interview with the Korean Broadcasting System, the president said this yesterday. Let me quote the president directly. "I'm under no illusions. South Korean people are free and prosperous, North Korean people are starving and hopeless. I will make my position clear that a people who treat their people poorly are people who harbor weapons of mass destruction and sell them."

And from Seoul, South Korea, the president will travel to Beijing for his first state visit with the Chinese leadership. And while there, he will also talk about issues dealing with weapons proliferation, also expanding Chinese markets to U.S. agricultural exports and continued assistance from the Chinese on the intelligence front in the war on terrorism -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Major, it's been traditional when presidents have visited the Korean peninsula, they go up to the DMZ. President Bush planning to do that?

GARRETT: Indeed he will. He will go the demilitarized zone and peer across that very tense border separating North and South Korea. It is, as you said, a visit many presidents make, symbolic in a couple of respects. It underscores the U.S. continued military presence in South Korea, and also in this context will remind the North Koreans and the rest of the world the president is watching North Korea and its behavior now more than ever -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Major Garrett at the White House, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com