WASHINGTON -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is scheduled to meet U.S. President George W. Bush June 30 at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. Most likely Koizumi will receive an enthusiastic welcome amid expectations that Japan will change.
Two months into his administration, Koizumi continues to enjoy high popularity as he pushes structural reform in the face of resistance from within his Liberal Democratic Party. Of course the Bush administration hopes the Koizumi campaign will succeed.
Moreover, the Bush administration, trying to shift the focus of its global strategy from Europe to Asia, wants to bolster the Japan-U.S. alliance and secure Japanese support for its missile-defense program.