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Rice brings warm front to ice rink
By Jiao Qize (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-22 07:32
US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, after a busy schedule on a visit to
China, brought warm smiles to a Beijing ice rink, where she admired skaters as
they manipulated the slippery stuff for a career.
With the diplomatic necessities out of the way for a while, Rice, a big fan
of figure skating, met with a group of young skaters from the Chinese Skating
Association yesterday afternoon before she finished the last leg of her Asian
tour.
US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice chats with world figure skating champions Shen Xue
and Zhao Hongbo in Beijing March 21, 2005.
[newsphoto] | Looking relaxed, she appeared less
like the revered "iron-lady" who controls America's foreign affairs.
"Figure skating is the most beautiful sport, but it is very, very hard,"
acknowledged the most important woman in the current US administration.
Rice, born in 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, said she had no idea of what
skating was until her family moved to the snowy mountains of Denver, Colorado.
Figure skating turned out to be her passion of a lifetime.
From the age of 12, she skated seriously for six years, she said.
But her busy schedule as a top diplomat has prevented her from skating, even
as a hobby.
"I have not skated for the past six or seven years," she lamented.
But she appeared delighted to meet with Chinese world skating champions Shen
Xue and Zhao Hongbo yesterday.
US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice poses for a photo with Peking University
students in Beijing March 21, 2005. Rice had an in-depth discussion with
Peking University students and faculties about China-US relations.
[newsphoto] | "She's such a fantastic woman. She
is capable of dealing with foreign policy stuff while knowing how to enjoy the
nice things in life," said Peng Xinyao, who happened to pass by the skating
court.
Although she had to give up skating, Rice has kept her other hobby piano
playing.
"I started to play the piano at three and I still play twice or three times a
week now," she revealed.
When young, Rice had a dream of becoming a concert pianist but now her career
has taken her not to Carnage Hall, but to the White House.
Before meeting the skaters, Rice held a forum with students in Peking
University. She elaborated on topics ranging from China-US relations to reform
inside the US.
"She used to be working behind the scene as the national security adviser,
but now she's at the centre of the diplomatic arena. I'd love to watch her up
close," said a young woman, who was kept outside the forum hall by heavy
security. The media was also barred from entering.
"My home is in Fujian Province, which is across the Straits from Taiwan. I'm
concerned with US policies on Taiwan and their reaction towards our new
anti-secession legislation," said Chen Yun, another student waiting to see Rice
outside the forum hall.
"But I found Rice's rhetoric on Taiwan ambiguous as usual," added Chen.
Chinese
Vice-Premier Wu Yi (L) meets U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
(L) at the Zhongnanhai in Beijing March 21, 2005.
[newsphoto] | "She's somewhat of a mystery and has
the charisma of a pop star," said Wang Pei, a graduate student of economics at
Peking University.
Whirlwind trip
Away from the skaters, revelations about piano playing and student Q and As,
the main purpose of Rice's trip to China was to seek help to break the deadlock
of the nuclear-related negotiations on the Korean Peninsula.
"We are committed to the Six-Party Talks because we believe it is the best
way to solve the issue," she said at a news conference before her departure.
The Six-Party Talks, which also involve the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK), Russia, Japan and the Republic of Korea, provide "a framework in
which we can bring the neighbours together," she said, adding the mechanism is
"potentially effective."
She also said "the United States has no intention to invade the DPRK," and
called on Pyongyang to return to the negotiation table.
Xu Zhihong,
president of Peking University, presents a gift to US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice March 21, 2005.
[newsphoto] | During her two-day visit to Beijing, Rice held separated meetings with
President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice-Premier Wu Yi, State Councillor
Tang Jiaxuan and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.
Presidents may meet this year
While committing to keeping up high-level contacts with China, she hinted
yesterday that President Hu Jintao would meet US President George W. Bush later
this year.
Rice said the US Congress and the American people pay great attention to the
US trade deficit with China. Vice-Premier Wu Yi responded, saying China attaches
importance to the issue and vowed to make joint efforts with the US, which will
include the promotion of US exports of high technologies and related products to
China so that a further trade balance can be attained.
Wu said the two economies are complementary rather than competitive. She
stressed Sino-US economic and trade co-operation is a strong driving force for
the steady growth of bilateral relations and conforms with the common interests
of both sides.
"Ninety per cent of US imports from China do not compete with locally made
products," said Wang Yusheng, a former senior APEC official.
"China's exports to the United States are mainly labour-intensive products
which American firms have transferred production overseas years ago," he said.
Rice said yesterday during talks with Wu Yi the US side also expects to
continuously expand bilateral economic and trade relations through concrete
measures taken by the two sides.
"China's economy, with its soaring growth, expanding scale and every country
hoping to benefit from it, has increasing impact on the world economy," Rice
said.
In her talks with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Rice said the two countries
should cope with their disputes in compliance with the principle of mutual
respect.
On the Taiwan question, Li said China hopes the US side will avoid any words
or deeds that may aggravate the existing tension in the cross-Straits situation.
Expressing US concern on the issue, Rice maintained the Taiwan question
should deserve a peaceful solution and she said the US Government will not
change its stance of pursuing a one-China policy and will abide by the three
US-China joint communiques.
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