- Title: CHINA: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN.
- Date: 28th July 2001
- Summary: (U4) BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 28, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL ENTERS GV/PAN/LV: NEWS CONFERENCE AND WALKS TOWARDS PODIUM/ WIDE VIEW NEWS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 0.12 2. MCU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL, SAYING: "My presence here today is an example of trying to let the world see that we are not enemies and we're not looking for an enemy. We're looking for ways to co-operate. We're looking for ways to move forward in a positive manner." 0.30 3. GV: JOURNALISTS 0.33 4. MCU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) POWELL, SAYING: "I didn't raise specific cases, because I think it's more important not to focus all the time on individual cases. We've seen some progress, I might say success, in three cases within the past few days. I was more interested in raising the whole issue of human rights and the rule of law and treating people properly, and that was done in every single meeting." 1.01 5. GV: JOURNALISTS 1.04 6. CU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) POWELL, SAYING: "With respect to Taiwan, we have a clear policy that has been the U.S. government policy for a number of administrations and our policy is one China and - within that policy - we also have an obligation to provide weapons to China. To Taiwan, that will be defensive in nature and conventional in nature, so that they will feel secure and thereby, in that security, have the confidence to engage with the People's Republic and, hopefully, with that confidence, they can restart the dialogue and discussion on Cross-Strait issues." 1.45 7. LV: PODIUM 1.49 8. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) POWELL, SAYING: "I told them that our plans with respect to missile defence are for a limited missile defence that will be clearly, when you see it come into being and you see the kind of systems that are developed put into place, would not threaten, not intended to threaten. I don't think they would see it in actuality threatening the strategic deterrents of either Russia or China." 2.15 9. GV: JOURNALISTS 2.18 10. CU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) POWELL, SAYING: "We went back to the agenda and he had several agenda items that he wanted to talk about and he identified my agenda items for me and he said 'I'm sure you'll want to talk about proliferation and human rights.' And I did." 2.35 11. GV: WIDE VIEW NEWS CONFERENCE 2.39 (W4) BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 28, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. GV: EXTERIOR GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE 2.45 13. GV/CU: VARIOUS SHAKING HANDS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN/ JIANG SHAKING HANDS WITH U.S. OFFICIALS (3 SHOTS) 3.06 14. GV: POWELL AND JIANG SEATED FOR TALKS 3.10 15. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN, SAYING: "You should go to these three places: Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an." 3.17 16. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) US SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL, SAYING: "But we will not call this a visit, we'll just call it a dropline, a transit and I will be back, of course, with the president this fall and I might say that the president is very much looking forward to this." 3.30 17. GV: WIDE VIEW POWELL AND JIANG, SEATED 3.32 18. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) JIANG, SAYING: "This is our first meeting but your reputation goes before you." 3.40 19. CU/GV: POWELL LAUGHING/ WIDE VIEW POWELL AND JIANG, SEATED (2 SHOTS) 3.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVADWQ968K29IBR42Q0ALFA6BHVH
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said China
and the United States have agreed to resume their dialogue on
human rights issues as well as non-proliferation. His
comments followed a day of talks with top Chinese leaders in
Beijing.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell struck a
conciliatory note with Chinese leaders on Saturday (July 28)
after a number of rancorous security and human rights spats
between the two nations in the first half of the year.
Powell, the most senior Bush administration official to
visit China, held talks with Chinese President Jiang Zemin,
Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and Premier Zhu Rongji throughout the
day.
He flew in from Seoul after Beijing removed one obstacle
to better ties by freeing three U.S. -linked Chinese scholars
convicted of spying for Taiwan.
Powell's meetings were designed to prepare for a visit to
China in October by U.S. President George W. Bush.
Bush got off to a bad start with China because of the
scholars and the April 1 collision of a U.S. spy plane and a
Chinese fighter jet, which led to an 11-day diplomatic
standoff that inflamed nationalist sentiment in both
countries.
During a news conference on Saturday, Powell said, "My
presence here today is an example of trying to let the world
see that we are not enemies and we're not looking for an
enemy".
"We're looking for ways to co-operate and ways to move
forward in a positive manner," he added.
After Powell held talks with foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan
in Hanoi on Wednesday (July 25), China said it would give
medical parole to two scholars, permanent U.S. residents
Gao Zhan and Qin Guangguang. They had been sentenced to
10 years in prison for spying for Taiwan.
The expulsions began that day when academic Li Shaomin, a
U.S. citizen convicted of spying for Taiwan, was put on a
flight to San Francisco just before the Powell-Tang talks on
the sidelines of a regional security meeting.
Powell referred to these cases during Saturday's news
conference and said he intended to focus on the issue of human
rights as a whole.
"We've seen some progress in three cases within the past
few days. I was more interested in raising the whole issue of
human rights and the rule of law and treating people properly,
and that was done in every single meeting," he said.
In April, Bush riled China when he announced a robust arms
sales package for Taipei and vowed to do "whatever it takes"
to defend the island in the event of an attack by China.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has
threatened military action against the island if it declares
independence or drags its feet on reunification talks.
Speaking about Taiwan, Powell said the Bush administration
would maintain a policy of one China, as has been the practice
of US governments in the past.
Powell said the provision of weapons to Taiwan would be
"defensive" and "conventional" in nature "..so that they will
feel secure and thereby, in that security, have the confidence
to engage with the People's Republic and, hopefully, with that
confidence, they can restart the dialogue and discussion on
Cross-Strait issues," he added.
The Hanoi meeting earlier in the week between Powell and
Tang discussed non-proliferation, but did not cover Bush's
plan to build a missile defence shield, which China stridently
opposes. At the time, Powell said this issue would come under
discussion in Beijing.
"I told them that our plans with respect to missile defence
are for a limited missile defence that will clearly, when you
see it come into being and you see the kind of systems that
are developed to be put into place, would not threaten, not
intended to threaten. I don't think they would see it in
actuality threatening the strategic deterrents of either
Russia or China," said Powell.
On a more light hearted note and expressing a sense of
achievement, Powell told journalists, "He (Jiang) identified
my agenda items for me and he said 'I'm sure you'll want to
talk about proliferation and human rights.' And I did."
Jiang warmly greeted Powell earlier in the day with
suggestions of areas the U.S. statesman should visit.
"You should go to these three places: Beijing, Shanghai,
Xi'an," said Jiang.
Powell responded by saying, "But we will not call this a
visit, we'll just call it a dropline, a transit and I will be
back, of course, with the president this fall and I might say
that the president is very much looking forward to this".
"This is our first meeting, but your reputation goes
before you," added Jiang.
One potential irritant to rebuilding relations between the
countries emerged on Friday (July 27) when the Washington Post
reported that the United States believed China continued
exports of missiles and related technology to Pakistan and
other countries in violation of a pledge it made to the United
States.
During talks in Beijing, the two sides agreed to hold
further consultations on non-proliferation and military
maritime safety.
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