- Title: CHINA: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN ARRIVES FOR OFFICIAL VISIT
- Date: 21st January 2001
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JANUARY 20, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. MV KOFI ANNAN, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL AND HIS WIFE NENE WALKING THROUGH AIRPORT LOBBY 0.12 2. MV ANNAN AND CAROLYN MCASKIE, EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR U.N. OFFICE OF COORDINATION FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SITTING 0.15 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOFI ANNAN, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, SAYING "The Chinese are participating (in peacekeeping) but they could perhaps, I would encourage them to do more. They have military observers in quite a few operations, including in east Timor. But I think they have a capacity to do a bit more and I will encourage them to do that, because they have several million people in the army and they could do more." 0.45 4. MV ANNAN AND MCASKIE SITTING 0.51 6. MV ANNAN AND MCASKIE SITTING 1.16 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOFI ANNAN, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, SAYING "I think if the President (of the Philippines) has decided to step down, then constitutional arrangements must be allowed to play its role and what is important is that the change, if it does come should be peaceful, and the implications are for the moment that it will be a peaceful change and I think that is what we should all pray for." 1.41 8. MV ANNAN AND MCASKIE SITTING ZOOM IN (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOFI ANNAN, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, SAYING "We will definitely discuss the Korean peninsula and the developments in that area, and the relationship between the North and South. But I have no intention at this stage, anyway, I have no plans of meeting the North Korean leader." 2.03 9. MV ANNAN AND WIFE NENE LEAVING 2.11 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA58QH4D2NUYARXX0ST5LSTR69O
- Story Text: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has arrived
in China for a three-day visit to hold
meetings with President Jiang Zemin and other top level
officials.
Annan said on arrival he will urge China to make progress
on human rights and become more involved in
international peace-keeping efforts.
He also said he hoped for a peaceful transition of power
in the Philippines.
Annan said on Saturday (January 20) he will urge
Chinese leaders to become more involved in peace keeping
efforts and ratify major human rights covenants.
"The Chinese are participating (in peacekeeping), but they
could perhaps, I would encourage them to do more.
They have military observers in quite a few operations,
including in east Timor. But I think they have a capacity to
do a bit more and I will encourage them to do that, because
they have several million people in the army and they could
do more," Annan said.
"From our point of view, we are talking with the Chinese
about moving forward and working with them to
ensure that the human rights programs move forward and human
rights are respected through the land, and that
they come on board fully and sign all the covenants and we
are going to keep to that," Annan said.
"I think if the President (of the Phillipines) has decided
to step down, then constitutional arrangements
must be allowed to play its role and what is important is that
the change, if it does come should be peaceful,
and the implications are for the moment that it will be a
peaceful change and I think that is what we should all
pray for," Annan added.
"We will definitely discuss the Korean peninsula and the
developments in that area, and the relationship
between the North and South. But I have no intention at this
stage, anyway, I have no plans of meeting the North
Korean leader," Annan added.
The United Nations has continuously urged China to move
more quickly to ratify two key human rights
treatises Beijing has signed but not enacted: The
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The ratification of the U.N. rights covenants would commit
China to upholding international rights norms.
In a report condemned by China, the British parliament's
Foreign Affairs Select Committee said in
November that Beijing's human rights record had deteriorated
badly over the past two years.
The United Nations has said it will launch an
international appeal for aid to help Mongolia through a
devastating winter that is unfolding into one of the country's
worst disasters in many decades.
U.N. officials revealed the plan as Mongolia held a day of
mourning for nine people killed in a helicopter
crash while on a U.N. mission to assess how much aid was
needed to help Mongolia through its second successive
winter disaster.
Annan was accompanied by Emergency Relief Coordinator of
the U.N. office of Humanitarian Affairs
Carolyn McAskie.
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