Posted on 10/17/2003 10:00:55 PM PDT by Brian S
US President George W. Bush flew out of Japan for the Philippines, the second leg of a whirlwind six-nation tour of Asia and Australia, an airport official said.
The presidential plane, Air Force One, took off at 9:16 am Saturday (0016 GMT) from Tokyo's Haneda airport, the official said.
Bush held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Friday, warmly praising Tokyo's contribution of 1.5 billion dollars in aid for the reconstruction of Iraq.
The president also raised the nettlesome issue of Japan's foreign exchange policy, and urged Koizumi to let market forces decide the yen's value, according to a US official Friday.
US manufacturers, backed by the White House, have said Tokyo's policy of keeping the yen weak against the dollar costs US jobs -- a headache for Bush as he ramps up his 2004 reelection bid.
On North Korea's nuclear arms program, Bush and Koizumi agreed on the need for "a peaceful resolution" through six-party talks grouping the United States, Japan, Russia, China, and North and South Korea.
It was his second visit to Japan since taking office in 2001.
The president, accompanying First Lady Laura Bush and White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, is to make an eight-hour state visit in the Philippines Saturday, then head to Thailand for a state visit anchored on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
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