Addressing Japan's parliament yesterday before leaving for South Korea, President Bush promised to develop a missile defence system to protect Washington's allies in the region.
"We stand more committed than ever to a forward presence in this region," he said.
A tough-talking Mr Bush vowed to use "American power" to support Australia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as South Korea. "We will deter aggression against the Republic of Korea," he said. "And to help protect the people of this region, and our friends and allies in every region, we will press on with an effective programme of missile defences."
US forces are already training the Philippine military to fight Muslim rebels. The Philippine militants are suspected of having links with the accused September 11th mastermind, Osama bin Laden.
Meanwhile in Brussels yesterday the EU foreign policy representative, Mr Javier Solana, sought to calm a transatlantic storm over growing criticism in Europe of US foreign policy. And he urged a more constructive tone in dialogue.
Mr Solana's conciliatory tone contrasted with last week's scathing remarks by several EU foreign ministers and the External Affairs Commissioner, Mr Chris Patten, who cautioned Washington against a "unilateralist overdrive" in its war on terrorism.
Mr Patten also reined in his rhetoric yesterday, taking pains to praise Washington for what it was doing right rather than spotlight what in European eyes it was doing wrong.
He lauded the US policy of engagement with China and urged the same flexible approach towards Iran, which - much to European dismay - President Bush bracketed with Iraq and North Korea in his "axis of evil" speech last month.
The French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Védrine, derided the US approach as "simplistic" while the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, suggested Washington was driven by domestic electioneering considerations. The German Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, warned Mr Bush not to treat his allies like satellites.
However, the US president dismissed concerns among allies and Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell shrugged off the qualms as a case of the "vapours".