U.S. President George W. Bush will travel to Japan, China, South Korea, and Mongolia in November, White House spokesman Scott McClellan announced Monday. The larger regional tour will be incorporated as part of the president's trip to the November 18-19 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in the South Korean city of Busan, McClellan said. The 21-member group includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. The president will use the APEC summit as an opportunity to promote free trade and economic growth, and deepen regional security cooperation with the leaders of those countries, McClellan said. While in the region, Bush plans to hold bilateral talks with South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Mongolian President Enkhbayar. Bush has traveled to Japan, China and South Korea before, but this will be his first trip to Mongolia, McClellan said.
