Bush reassures Asia allies after election blow

SINGAPORE – President George W Bush tried to reassure nervous Asian allies yesterday that he remains committed to opening up global trade markets despite humiliating losses in US elections that could weaken his hand.

Bush flew to Singapore at the start of a three-nation trip trying to shore up his international standing a week after his Republicans lost control of Congress to Democrats, traditional critics of his trade liberalisation policies. “We hear voices calling for us to retreat from the world,” Bush said, taking a veiled swipe at Democratic opponents, in a speech at Singapore’s National University.”These are the old temptations of isolationism and protectionism and America must reject them.”The centrepiece of his trip will be a Pacific Rim economic summit hosted by Vietnam, a former foe turned trading partner.Bush on Friday begins his first visit to Hanoi, where he will try to bolster a fragile coalition pressing North Korea to curb its nuclear programme.Seeking to ease concerns that political weakness will prevent him from delivering on free trade, Bush said: “America will remain engaged in Asia because our interests depend on the expansion of freedom and opportunity in this region.”Bush’s path could be rocky in his final two years in office.He has only until mid-2007 to make trade deals under ‘fast-track’ authority that a new Democrat-controlled Congress is almost certain to let expire.Bush already suffered an embarrassing blow when a historic bill to normalise trade with communist Vietnam failed to win enough votes in the US House of Representatives this week.Nampa-Reuters”We hear voices calling for us to retreat from the world,” Bush said, taking a veiled swipe at Democratic opponents, in a speech at Singapore’s National University.”These are the old temptations of isolationism and protectionism and America must reject them.”The centrepiece of his trip will be a Pacific Rim economic summit hosted by Vietnam, a former foe turned trading partner.Bush on Friday begins his first visit to Hanoi, where he will try to bolster a fragile coalition pressing North Korea to curb its nuclear programme.Seeking to ease concerns that political weakness will prevent him from delivering on free trade, Bush said: “America will remain engaged in Asia because our interests depend on the expansion of freedom and opportunity in this region.”Bush’s path could be rocky in his final two years in office.He has only until mid-2007 to make trade deals under ‘fast-track’ authority that a new Democrat-controlled Congress is almost certain to let expire.Bush already suffered an embarrassing blow when a historic bill to normalise trade with communist Vietnam failed to win enough votes in the US House of Representatives this week.Nampa-Reuters