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Rice in China for talks on N Korea, aid for Myanmar

Chinese officials show US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, collapsed buildings in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, yesterday. Rice praised China's post-earthquake recovery efforts during a visit to the disaster area. PHOTO: AP

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing yesterday for talks expected to focus on pushing forward six party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program.

Rice arrived in Beijing after touring China’s earthquake shattered Sichuan Province.

Her visit comes after North Korea handed in a key declaration last week outlining its nuclear activities and destroyed the cooling tower of its Yongbyon nuclear power plant.

In Sichuan, Rice met children who were made homeless by last month’s devastating earthquake and praised the country’s response to the disaster.

Rice offered her support to those who survived the quake, which left 88,000 people dead or missing and up to 5 million displaced.

“I’ve been tremendously impressed with the recovery, with the resilience of the people,” Rice told journalists after touring the wrecked city of Dujiangyan, near the epicenter.

Besides touring the city that has suffered up to US$7.1 billion in economic damage, Rice visited victims in a make-shift refugee camp.

When Rice dropped into a classroom, Zhou Yifan, a student living at the camp spoke to her in English, saying: “My pleasure to take a photo with you. I often see you on TV, you are a superstar.”

Rice was expected to hold talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) today.

During her talks with China’s leaders, Rice said she would discuss ways to get China’s close ally Myanmar to accept international aid following a typhoon that slammed the country last month.

“It has been sad that the Burmese authorities, instead of making possible the international community’s response to their people, that they have put up barriers to that response,” Rice said. “Many lives could have been saved, perhaps many more can still be saved if we can get that response.”
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