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CNN Live Sunday

Bush Will Talk With Japanese Prime Minister in a Few Hours

Aired February 17, 2002 - 17:01   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to one of our top stories. President Bush is in Tokyo at this hour, his first stop on his six-day, three-nation tour of Asia. A few hours from now, the president will be sitting down for talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, where they are expected to focus on Japan's economic woes and the global war on terrorism. CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is traveling with the president, and joins us now from Tokyo with the details.

Good evening there, Kelly -- or should I say, good afternoon.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, rather, good evening to you there, and good morning from Tokyo, actually, Monday morning here in Tokyo.

As you said, President Bush getting ready a couple of hours from now to sit down with the Japanese prime minister. With Japan being the world's second largest economy and with the country in the midst of its third recession in a decade, the economy definitely to take center stage.

Mr. Bush to praise the efforts by the Japanese leader to reform the country's economy, but also privately expected to nudge Prime Minister Koizumi along a bit, encouraging him to move and act quickly. But also, look for the president to have to provide some answers to his Japanese counterpart about exactly where he plans to go when it comes to this war on terror.

Mr. Bush and the first lady arrived in Tokyo Sunday afternoon, local time. The president coming here, saying he's looking forward to telling the leaders of Japan, South Korea and China that the U.S. will not blink when it comes to the war on terror. But as you know, the president's comments, linking North Korea, Iran and Iraq, calling these nations part of an axis of evil have definitely raised concerns here in Japan, and also in nearby South Korea. In fact, some anti-war demonstrators turned out on the street Sunday afternoon. Some calling Mr. Bush a war mongerer, others raising concerns about those axis of evil comments.

There are concerns that that tough talk directed at North Korea could lead to higher tensions in the region, and also could complicate efforts by the South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung to engage the North Koreans. But the message from the president's top advisers on this day is that President Bush is still willing to engage in talk with the North Koreans, but at the same time, he is going to spread a message around the world that the U.S. believes North Korea is selling missile technology to anyone willing to buy it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Our policy with respect to North Korea remains one of hoping they will engage. We haven't taken that off the table. We've asked North Korea, come, let's talk, anytime, any place, without any preconditions. We're waiting. Does that mean we can't identify the nature of that regime for what it is, evil? It is evil. Not to people of North Korea, but the regime itself in the way it has conducted its business for the last 50 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And that is the message Mr. Bush will certainly take to President Kim when he heads to Seoul on Tuesday.

The president wrapping up his Asian tour with a visit to Beijing. Fredricka, there, though, concerns also about weapons proliferation, concerns U.S. officials have that Chinese companies are selling dangerous weapons technologies to countries like North Korea and Iran. So look for Mr. Bush to raise that issue when he sits down President Jiang Zemin later this week -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Kelly Wallace reporting from Tokyo.

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