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TOKYO - President Bush, a $1.5-billion pledge from Japan in hand, is pressing other world leaders to be generous toward war-damaged Iraq even as the White House battles demands at home that Baghdad repay some proposed American reconstruction aid.
For Japan's contribution, Bush delivered personal thanks - and a political boost - to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at Tokyo's Akasaka Palace on Friday. On a less agreeable subject concerning economic relations, Bush made clear his opposition to Japan's intervention in currency markets.
"He's a good friend, a very strong leader," Bush said after dinner at a palace annex. In traditional Japanese fashion, the guests sat on the floor, dining on a four-course meal featuring beef steak, miso soup, rice and pickles.
"Beef man," Koizumi joked about Bush. The president, usually the one dishing out nicknames, chuckled in agreement. "Beef man," he repeated.
From his brief stay in Japan, the first stop of an Asian trip, Bush was heading today to the Philippines, where terrorism threats present major security concerns. The president will move through the formalities of his state visit in just eight hours, dashing off after a formal dinner at Malacanang Palace to spend the night in Thailand.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a U.S.-educated economist, has turned to the United States for troops and spy planes to battle the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group.
In Tokyo, a few dozen protesters demonstrated against Bush's visit in front of the U.S. Embassy, where the president and his wife, Laura, stayed. The protesters carried antinuclear messages, and also condemned the U.S.-led war in Iraq and Japan's plans to help with the aftermath.