Condoleeza Rice in Beijing to discuss North Korea and Taiwan

Among the issues on the table, arms sales to Taiwan and low-cost imports from China

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The complete stop to North Korea's nuclear programme and relations between Mainland China and Taiwan are the main topics in the discussions between Chinese leaders and US National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, who is in Beijing since yesterday.

Talking to Jiang Zemin and President Hu Jintao, Ms Rice tried to persuade them to back US efforts to get North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programme. Ms Rice insisted that finding a solution to this problem was "urgent."

Relations between Washington and North Korea remain tense. On the one hand, the US has made it clear, despite China's pressures, that it will assist Pyongyang only on the condition that it completely dismantle its nuclear programme. On the other, Kim Jong-il's regime, through its defence minister Kim II Chol, has accused the US of intensifying "its preparations for a war of aggression."

For its part, China remains concerned about Taiwan. In meeting Condoleeza Rice this morning, Hu Jintao asked the US to "to honour its commitments on the Taiwan issue and avoid sending wrong signals to the Taiwan authority and damage peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

Ms Rice reiterated the US's commitment to a "One-China" policy based on the principle of a peaceful reunification of Beijing and Taipei.

Behind the scenes China is asking the US not to finance the modernisation of Taiwan's weapons systems. Last June the Taiwanese government earmarked NT$ 610 billion (about US$ 20 billion) for the purchase of anti-missile weapons, submarines and anti-sub aircrafts from the US.

The spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, Zhang Qiyue, stated yesterday that "the Taiwan question is an important and delicate issue in Sino-US ties", adding that "US support to the One-China principle is the political key to the sound and stable development of [these] ties.".

Although the US remains concerned about Chinese "dumping" of low-cost imports in the US market at the expense of US competitors, no economic issue is expected to be discussed. The US Department of Commerce imposed yesterday a 113% anti-dumping duty on shrimp imports from China (worth about US$ 1 billion per year).

In addition to Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, Condoleeza Rice is scheduled to meet China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing before leaving for her next stop, Seoul, South Korea.

• china
• taiwan
• north
• korea
• taiwan
• condoleeza
• rice
• economy
• arms
• sales
• nuclear