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| Bush in Vietnam for Apec summit | Bush in Vietnam for Apec summit |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| US President George W Bush has arrived in Vietnam for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit, expected to focus on trade relations. | US President George W Bush has arrived in Vietnam for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit, expected to focus on trade relations. |
| Mr Bush has called on the 21-nation forum to put stalled world trade talks back on track. North Korea's nuclear activities will also be discussed. | Mr Bush has called on the 21-nation forum to put stalled world trade talks back on track. North Korea's nuclear activities will also be discussed. |
| Mr Bush later held talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, thought to have focused on Iraq. | |
| And he will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao, also in Vietnam for the summit. | And he will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao, also in Vietnam for the summit. |
| An official opening ceremony will take place in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on Friday. | An official opening ceremony will take place in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on Friday. |
| Apec's trade and foreign ministers have agreed to press their leaders to issue a statement on trade in the course of the conference. | Apec's trade and foreign ministers have agreed to press their leaders to issue a statement on trade in the course of the conference. |
| World Trade Organization talks on free trade have been stalled since July, after countries failed to reach agreement on subsidies in the so-called Doha round. | World Trade Organization talks on free trade have been stalled since July, after countries failed to reach agreement on subsidies in the so-called Doha round. |
| Democratic reforms | Democratic reforms |
| Speaking in Singapore on Thursday, Mr Bush vowed to maintain strong US engagement in Asia and said a regional free trade area must be "seriously considered". | Speaking in Singapore on Thursday, Mr Bush vowed to maintain strong US engagement in Asia and said a regional free trade area must be "seriously considered". |
| href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6157116.stm" class="">Hanoi gets set for big day href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6150406.stm" class="">China challenges US at forum | |
| He called on North Korea to seek "a peaceful path" in the nuclear crisis and warned that any proliferation of its nuclear weapons technology would not be tolerated. | He called on North Korea to seek "a peaceful path" in the nuclear crisis and warned that any proliferation of its nuclear weapons technology would not be tolerated. |
| The US president is also expected to promote democratic reforms among the Apec nations. | The US president is also expected to promote democratic reforms among the Apec nations. |
| He will hold bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, among others. | He will hold bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, among others. |
| Mr Bush suffered a setback ahead of his trip when a historic bill to normalise trade with communist Vietnam failed in the House of Representatives. | Mr Bush suffered a setback ahead of his trip when a historic bill to normalise trade with communist Vietnam failed in the House of Representatives. |
| That has disappointed his Vietnamese hosts, says the BBC's Bill Hayton in Hanoi, since American companies are now the biggest investors in Vietnam. | That has disappointed his Vietnamese hosts, says the BBC's Bill Hayton in Hanoi, since American companies are now the biggest investors in Vietnam. |
| Hanoi is also seeking to develop its ties with other Asian countries, our correspondent says, particularly with China to the north. | Hanoi is also seeking to develop its ties with other Asian countries, our correspondent says, particularly with China to the north. |
| Vietnam's strong economic growth mean competition for its affections is becoming more intense, he adds. | Vietnam's strong economic growth mean competition for its affections is becoming more intense, he adds. |
| Mr Bush has said he expects the bill to pass eventually. | Mr Bush has said he expects the bill to pass eventually. |
| He is only the second US president to visit Vietnam since the conflict between the two countries ended. | He is only the second US president to visit Vietnam since the conflict between the two countries ended. |