By Zhao Yi
WASHINGTON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush concluded
two days of talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the presidential
retreat in Camp David, Maryland Saturday.
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U.S. President George W. Bush (R) and
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak walk towards a news conference at
Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, after private talks at the Presidential
retreat, April 19, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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The meeting looked successful by all accounts, but it might be some time
before the world sees the two allies taking any major joint action over issues
of mutual concern.
RETURN TO INTIMACY
Bush's decision to meet his South Korean counterpart at Camp David, a
casual venue reserved for his buddies, rather than at the White House, clearly
demonstrates his response to Lee's pledge to "further consolidate the
traditional friendship with the United States."
Apart from the cordial setting for the meeting, the White House has also
been very forthcoming in hailing its traditional ties with Seoul.
"(South) Korea is a strategic ally of the U.S., and we look forward to this
opportunity to advance our global agenda with (South) Korea's new leadership,"
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters on the eve of the
summit.
However, ties between the two nations were not quite as harmonious a few
years ago.
Washington-Seoul relations had cooled under Lee's predecessors Roh Moo-Hyun
and Kim Dae-jung, both of whom had expressed unconditional support for the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), raising suspicions in the U.S.
CHALLENGES ON DPRK'S NUCLEAR ISSUE REMAIN
With some nine months remaining in Bush's presidency, and with the
settlement of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue still hanging in the balance,
it might be difficult for Bush and Lee to find enough time for joint efforts to
close a diplomatic deal related to the issue.
One of the points that need to be addressed is the U.S.' reportedly
tentative deal with the DPRK, under which Pyongyang would merely acknowledge
U.S. proliferation concerns in a document that may not be made public.
It is believed that bilateral talks between Pyongyang and Washington can
facilitate diplomatic progress, but with the side-effect of drawing suspicion
and criticism from other members of the six party talks, which also involve
South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
"Success in the talks requires coordinated diplomacy between the U.S. and
the North's (DPRK's) neighbors, especially with South Korea," said Michael
Armacost, who served as the American undersecretary of state for political
affairs in the 1980s and as ambassador to Japan and the Philippines.
"Today, there is a danger that South Korean conservatives may fear that
Washington will ultimately acquiesce in North Korea's (DPRK's) nascent nuclear
status. No attempt to contain, let alone eliminate, the North Korean (DPRK's)
nuclear program can succeed unless the U.S. and the Republic of Korea
governments work closely together," he said.
TRADE BOOM ON THE CARDS
In a significant move, Seoul announced it was lifting its ban on U.S. beef
imports just hours before Bush welcomed Lee at Camp David. The friendly gesture
is likely to remove a major impediment to action in the U.S. Congress on a
free-trade deal with South Korea.
South Korea, once the world's third-largest import market for American
beef, had banned most American beef since 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow
disease in the U.S. Many U.S. lawmakers had vowed not to take up the trade pact
for discussion until the restrictions were lifted.
The lifting of the ban on U.S. beef could thus pave the way for a bilateral
trade boom.
Two-way trade between the U.S. and South Korea in 2007 totaled more than 80
billion U.S. dollars. The Wall Street Journal quoted analysts as saying that the
proposed U.S.-South Korea free trade deal could spur billions of dollars a year
in added economic activity, boosting sales abroad of American goods and also
creating new opportunities for U.S. financial services companies.
