Bush off on trip

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 8

Bush off on trip

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Bush, making the first overseas trip of his presidency, left yesterday on an Asian tour to attend the funeral of Japanese Emperor Hirohito, the leader of the nation he fought in World War 11.

Mr Bush, who will also visit China and South Korea during the five-day trip, will meet privately more than a dozen world leaders attending the rites in Tokyo for the Emperor, whose forces shot Mr Bush down when he was a United States Navy bomber pilot.

United States officials lid the trip was intended

to reaffirm the current United States alliances with Japan and South Korea and signalled Mr Bush’s interest in friendly relations with the communist Government in Peking, where he served as United States envoy in 1974-75.

United States-Japanese ties have been strained in recent years by the massive American trade deficit with Japan and demands that Tokyo shoulder more of the burden for joint defence.

A “Washington Post”ABC News survey says a majority of Americans regard Japan as the world’s

strongest economic power and many believe its success has hurt the United States.

The National Security Adviser, Brent Scowcroft, said the chance to talk with world leaders including the French President, Francois Mitterrand, the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, and Jordan’s King Hussein was a valuable benefit of attending the funeral.

Before leaving Washington Mr Bush joined other Western leaders in condemning Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny’s death threat against the British author, Salman Rushdie.