Heads of state travel either to get a respite from domestic problems or to get photo opportunities that make them look like leaders. By those standards, U.S. President George W. Bush must be frustrated by his recently concluded eight-day Asia tour. He neither escaped increasingly contentious and bitter Washington politics, nor did he have opportunities to demonstrate the vigorous leadership upon which he prides himself. Coming on the heels of his trip to South America, Mr. Bush must be wondering how he can recapture the dynamism that animated his first term in office.
The trip began on a high note in Kyoto, where Mr. Bush applauded the strong ties that have developed between the United States and Japan during his presidency. In his public remarks, the president held Japan up as proof of what freedom and democracy offer a country. He celebrated the bilateral relationship as a pillar of U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region and a powerful instrument to create a better world.
That fine rhetoric is no substitute for concrete action, however, and two items topped the president's wish list: a resumption of U.S. beef imports and assurances from the Tokyo government that it would implement the agreement on the redeployment of U.S. forces that was reached a month ago. On both counts, Mr. Bush got less than firm commitments: Given the history of both issues, Mr. Koizumi's promise that there would be progress is unlikely to allay U.S. concerns.