CHINA: UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE MEETS WITH TOP CHINESE LEADERS FOR TALKS
Record ID:
223055
CHINA: UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE MEETS WITH TOP CHINESE LEADERS FOR TALKS
- Title: CHINA: UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE MEETS WITH TOP CHINESE LEADERS FOR TALKS
- Date: 22nd March 2005
- Summary: (W2) BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 21, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. MV CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER LI ZHAOXING GREETING U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE; MV WIDE OF LI AND RICE SHAKING HANDS; CLOSE OF SHAKING HANDS (3 SHOTS) 0.20 2. MV RICE AND LI SITTING DOWN IN SMALL ROOM PRIOR TO TALKS FOR CHAT; MV RICE AND LI SHAKING HANDS; SCU RICE SMILING; CLOSE OF LI (3 SHOTS) 0.40 3. WIDE OF DELEGATION SITTING DOWN FOR TALKS; SCU LI SPEAKING; MV RICE LISTENING AND TALKING; CLOSE OF RICE TALKING; WIDE OF TALKS (5 SHOTS) 1.11 4. CLOSE OF U.S. AND CHINESE FLAGS ON TABLE; MV U.S. AND CHINESE DELEGATIONS IN MEETING; SLV EXTERIOR OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS AT ZHONGNANHAI (3 SHOTS) 1.25 5. MV RICE WALKING IN GREETING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH STATE COUNSELOR TANG JIAXUAN; MV MEDIA LOOKING ON; MV DELEGATIONS SITTING DOWN FOR TALKS (3 SHOTS) 1.50 6. MV AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA CLARK RANDT LOOKING ON 1.55 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICE, SAYING: "We are working with many challenges of course and we are doing so in the spirit of respect and cooperation. Even though there are differences I think we can work on those differences in an atmosphere of respect." 2.09 8. SLV EXTERIOR OF ZHONGNANHAI; MV RICE WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE; MV JOURNALISTS FILMING; WIDE NEWS CONFERENCE 2.28 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICE, SAYING: "It goes without saying that to the degree that a nuclear free Korean Penninsula gets more difficult to achieve if the North does not recognise that it needs to do that, and of course we will have to look at other options. This is an issue of considerable concern for the United States and not just for the United States but for every other state in this region." 2.53 10. JOURNALISTS 2.58 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICE, SAYING: "The anti-secession law was not a welcome development because anything that is unilateral and that increases tension which clearly the anti-secession law did increase tensions, is not good. China and Taiwan are not going to be able to resolve this alone. They are going to eventually need each other to resolve this. And so while we remain absolutely committed to a "One China" policy, we also recognise that the most useful path ahead at this point would be to have means that reduce tension between the two sides." 3.37 12. RICE SPEAKING 3.42 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICE, SAYING: "The lifting of an arms embargo at this time, continuing human rights concerns but also continuing concerns about the military balance, would not be the right signal. And perhaps more importantly it might actually serve to alter the military balance in a place where the United States in particular has very strong security interests, because after all it is American forces here in the Pacific that have played the role of security guarantor." 4.14 14. MEDIA 4.17 15. RICE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE 4.24 16. WIDE OF ICE SKATING RINK WITH CHILDREN SKATING; CLOSE OF GIRL TWIRLING; SLV RICE WALKING ON ICE SKATING RINK RED CARPET; MV RICE SHAKING HANDS WITH ICE SKATERS; SLV CHILDREN ICE SKATING; MV RICE TALKING TO ICE SKATERS (7 SHOTS) 5.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA5PH1JP8BQBBOAGRFBQCQXEXIZ
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets
China's top leaders for talks and warns that the U.S. will
look at other options to resolve N. Korea's nuclear weapons
programme if six-party talks fail.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with
top Chinese officials in Beijing on Monday (March 21, 2005).
On the second day of her visit to China with North
Korea on the main agenda, Rice shook hands with Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing (pron: lee djah-ow hseeng) before
delegates went into meetings.
She also met with state counselor Tang Jiaxuan (pron:
tahng djee-ah hsoo-ehn).
Rice said she was confident that the U.S. and China
would be able to iron out any differences.
"We are working with many challenges of course and we
are doing so in the spirit of respect and cooperation. Even
though there are differences I think we can work on those
differences in an atmosphere of respect," Rice said during
her meeting with Tang.
With U.S. impatience rising over the six-party
negotiations, Rice has prodded China, North Korea's biggest
benefactor, to use more of its leverage to get Pyongyang
back to the talks that have been on hold since June.
The Bush administration wants China to do more to force
North Korea to halt its nuclear programme and come back to
the negotiating table.
But China says it has limited influence and the US
should be more flexible.
At a news conference later on Monday Rice said the
parties involved in six-nation talks would have to find new
ways of dealing with the threat if Pyongyang stays away
from the negotiations.
"It goes without saying that to the degree that a
nuclear free Korean Penninsula gets more difficult to
achieve if the North does not recognise that it needs to do
that, and of course we will have to look at other options.
This is an issue of considerable concern for the United
States and not just for the United States but for every
other state in this region," Rice told reporters at a news
conference in Beijing.
With U.S. impatience rising over the talks that have
been on hold since June, Rice's remarks exposed a split
between the United States and its partners in the
negotiations.
While U.S. officials have declined to specify what
steps were under consideration, hardliners in the Bush
administration want to call off the talks and report North
Korea to the United Nations for possible sanctions.
Rice's trip to Beijing comes a week after China's
rubber-stamp parliament passed an anti-secession law that
authorises the use of force against Taiwan if it moves
toward independence.
The Bush administration, which has said it would do
whatever it took to help the island defend itself, fears
the new law will ratchet up tensions in the region.
"The anti-secession law was not a welcome development
because anything that is unilateral and that increases
tension which clearly the anti-secession law did increase
tensions - is not good. China and Taiwan are not going to
be able to resolve this alone. They are going to eventually
need each other to resolve this. And so while we remain
absolutely committed to a "One China" policy, we also
recognise that the most useful path ahead at this point
would be to have means that reduce tension between the two
sides," said Rice.
Beijing considers the island democracy of 23 million
people a part of Chinese territory and has vowed to bring
it back to the fold, by force if necessary.
Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing
from Taipei in 1979, but the Taiwan Relations Act mandates
that the United States supply the island with defensive weapons.
Rice also said a European Union plan to lift an embargo
on arms sales to China might alter the military balance in
Asia, where the United States stations armed forces.
"The lifting of an arms embargo at this time -
continuing human rights concerns but also continuing
concerns about the military balance - would not be the
right signal. And perhaps more importantly it might
actually serve to alter the military balance in a place
where the United States in particular has very strong
security interests, because after all it is American forces
here in the Pacific that have played the role of security
guarantor," said Rice.
Rice's remarks intensified a campaign she has been
pressing in Asia to stop the EU going ahead with its plan.
Rice said it was the wrong time for the EU to end its
ban because of tensions between China and Taiwan.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Sunday
(March 20) lifting the ban had become more difficult since
China passed the anti-secession law last week.
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