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CNN Live Sunday
Bush Travels to Bangkok for APEC Summit
Aired October 19, 2003 - 10:01 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.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin in Thailand, where President Bush and other world leaders have gathered for the Asian- Pacific Economic Forum. When it starts just hours from now, the war on terror and North Korea's nuclear plans are expected to be high on the agenda.
CNN senior White House correspondent John King is with us now from the Thai capital -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, President Bush advancing a new diplomatic proposal today that he hopes helps break the stalemate over North Korea's nuclear program. Mr. Bush has steadfastly refused to give North Korea what it wants, a one-on-one bilateral treaty in which the United States promises it will not invade North Korea. But Mr. Bush said today he would be willing to put such a promise in writing. Mr. Bush says, though, only if North Korea promises to dismantle permanently its nuclear weapons program and if other key nations, including China and Russia, join the United States in such a declaration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We would like to see the Korean Peninsula without any nuclear weapons. And we would also be willing to discuss with the Chinese and our other partners how to move the process forward, which is precisely what I'm going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Mr. Bush did discuss it later this afternoon with the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, here. He will meet with South Korea's president in the morning trying to reach an agreement among his partners to put this proposal to North Korea; a key development for the Bush administration's standpoint here in Asia.
Not all work today, though, here, as Mr. Bush prepares for the annual APEC summit. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush did take some time out this afternoon to visit a stunning sight here in Bangkok, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Mr. Bush, as he emerged, had to slip back into his shoes, told reporters he found it quite intriguing -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, John King.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 19, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin in Thailand, where President Bush and other world leaders have gathered for the Asian- Pacific Economic Forum. When it starts just hours from now, the war on terror and North Korea's nuclear plans are expected to be high on the agenda.
CNN senior White House correspondent John King is with us now from the Thai capital -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, President Bush advancing a new diplomatic proposal today that he hopes helps break the stalemate over North Korea's nuclear program. Mr. Bush has steadfastly refused to give North Korea what it wants, a one-on-one bilateral treaty in which the United States promises it will not invade North Korea. But Mr. Bush said today he would be willing to put such a promise in writing. Mr. Bush says, though, only if North Korea promises to dismantle permanently its nuclear weapons program and if other key nations, including China and Russia, join the United States in such a declaration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We would like to see the Korean Peninsula without any nuclear weapons. And we would also be willing to discuss with the Chinese and our other partners how to move the process forward, which is precisely what I'm going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Mr. Bush did discuss it later this afternoon with the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, here. He will meet with South Korea's president in the morning trying to reach an agreement among his partners to put this proposal to North Korea; a key development for the Bush administration's standpoint here in Asia.
Not all work today, though, here, as Mr. Bush prepares for the annual APEC summit. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush did take some time out this afternoon to visit a stunning sight here in Bangkok, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Mr. Bush, as he emerged, had to slip back into his shoes, told reporters he found it quite intriguing -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, John King.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
