Feb. - Went to Mexico with Sec of State to meet with President Fox.

March: - Met with Pres. Flores of El Salvador, who requested that as many as 150,000 Salvadorans, now in U.S. illegally,  not be deported. He said the money these people earn and send back to El Salvador is vital to help rebuild the country after recent earthquakes. Pres. Bush approved the request. 

- Selected individuals to fill posts as Ambassadors to Vatican, Germany & Japan. (go to link for  Key People )

- Met with South Korean President, Kim Dae-jung. Dampened Kim's attempts to establish friendly relations with North Korea.

19th- Lunched with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. They discussed the economic problems facing both countries.

20th- Met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Pres. Bush has assured Prime Minister Sharon that the US would not impose a peace agreement on the Middle East.

(Apr. 1) - A collision between a US Navy EP-3E prop. driven reconnaissance aircraft and a Chinese F-8 jet fighter occurred over international waters off the coast of China. The fighter crashed and the pilot was reportedly lost. The US aircraft was badly damaged and made an emergency landing on the Chinese Island of Hainan. The American crew reportedly destroyed all classified material aboard the aircraft before being incarcerated by the local Chinese military. China alleged that the US plane had caused the crash and demanded an apology. Pres. Bush refused to apologize for the incident. An official letter was sent to the Chinese Government saying the US was sorry for the loss of the Chinese pilot. The US demanded the release of the 23 crew members and the return of the aircraft. The US alleged that the Chinese pilot was a "Hotdogger" who had been known to swoop close to and harass previous reconnaissance flights.  After eleven days the US crew members were released. They stated in debriefing that the Chinese pilot was at fault, and that they were not badly treated by their captors. As of Apr. 21 the Chinese still have our aircraft. Negotiations over it's return continue.

(Apr 23) - President Bush rejected Taiwan's request to buy high-tech U.S. destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat radar system, but left open the possibility of future sales if China continues to pose a military threat to the island. Bush approved the sale of four Kidd-class destroyers, which have a much less potent ship-borne radar system that Aegis radar but would still be a step forward for Taiwan's navy. The Kidd-class system could be available by 2003, providing more immediate defense than the Aegis system, which would take until 2010 to build. The Aegis system would still be available to Taiwan in 2010 if Bush decided at a later point to offer it. Bush also agreed to sell Taiwan up to eight diesel submarines and 12 P-3 aircraft, along with various helicopters, assault vehicles and other arms. Besides the Aegis, the U.S. deferred sales of Apache helicopters and tanks requested by Taiwan.

(Apr 24) - Pres. Bush announced that the government would cease the policy of holding an annual review and sale of arms to Taiwan. He said the US would henceforth rearm Taiwan on an "as needed basis." 

(April 25) - President Bush, who has approved a big arms sale to Taiwan, says he would use military force to defend the island against any attack from China. Asked in an interview aired Wednesday on ABC's ''Good Morning America, '' if the United States has an obligation to defend Taiwan, Bush replied: ''Yes, we do, and the Chinese must understand that. Bush was then asked, "With the full force of the U.S. military? " 
Bush replied without elaboration, "What ever it took to help Taiwan defend herself.''

(6 May) - President Bush took the first steps toward imposing broad restrictions on imported steel, handing a victory to American steel companies and unions.

 (June 16) - President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin began their first face-to-face meeting on Saturday in BRDO PRI KRANJU, Slovenia saying they had formed a good impression of one another. Standing side by side on a terrace of the Brdo Castle outside Ljubljana, Putin said he had a ''good first impression'' of Bush, the former Texas governor who took office five months ago.

Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002 Thomas and Ann Pickett