Bush To Discuss Trade With Asian Leaders At APEC

Bush is traveling to Sydney following the resignation of his attorney general, confidant Alberto Gonzales, and he'll leave the APEC conference a day before its formal end to prepare for his administration's delivery of a status report on the war in Iraq. Bush disputed the notion that the Iraq conflict has drawn attention away from U.S. interests in Asia. ``The relations with the United States and the Asian Pacific region have never been better,'' Bush said in an interview with reporters from the region yesterday in Washington. ``For those who argue that, they really haven't -- frankly haven't followed how engaged we have been.'' APEC Agenda The agenda for the APEC forum, whose members include the U.S., Japan, China, Russia and Australia, is focused this year on reducing emissions linked to global warming and intensifying efforts to restart six-year-old World Trade Organization talks that collapsed last year. The Pacific Rim economies represented at the meetings account for about 60 percent of the world's economic output and about half of world trade. For Bush, the off-stage events are what matter. The president plans to hold individual sessions with leaders of Australia, South Korea and Japan, among others, where issues such as improving the safety of products imported from China and continuing efforts to end North Korea's nuclear program will be discussed. Bush also intends to give thanks to his host, Prime Minister John Howard, for Australia's support of more than 2,500 troops to help in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ``The sideshow is actually much more important than the main event,'' said Grant Aldonas, a former undersecretary for international trade at the Commerce Department and a veteran of APEC summits. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aU9bpZLz.4tc&refer=australia# [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on August 31, 2007]

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