Clinton Heading To Australia Today

HONOLULU (AllPolitics, Nov. 18) -- President Bill Clinton heads for Australia and Asia this afternoon, on the first leg of a nine-day overseas tour that will focus on trade and regional security issues.

The highlight of the trip is a meeting in the Philippines of the 18-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Clinton also plans talks, while at the summit, with Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and South Korean President Kim Young-sam.

This is the fourth time he has met with Zemin, and the meeting comes against a backdrop of a U.S.-China relationship strained over trade issues, human rights and Taiwan. U.S. officials say Clinton's agenda also includes nuclear non-proliferation in Asia.

It won't be all diplomacy on the trip, though. Clinton also plans to play golf with Australian golf pro Greg Norman in Australia and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. The last stop on the trip will be Thailand, before Clinton returns to Washington on Nov. 27, just in time for Thanksgiving.

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