DATE=6/22/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ALBRIGHT-CHINA (L)
NUMBER=2-263649
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she
held wide-ranging talks with top Chinese leaders in
Beijing. But she said Chinese opposition to U-S
missile-defense system plans was not -in her words-
the gist of her discussions. Correspondent Roger
Wilkison reports Ms. Albright says most of the
discussion focused on Korea and Taiwan.
TEXT: Ms. Albright's aides said before she arrived in
China that she wanted to gauge what Chinese leaders
thought about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who
stepped out of the shadows at last week's inter-Korean
summit.
She says the Chinese told her the North Korean ruler
was a much different person from the image the world
had of him before he visited Beijing last month for
his first international appearance in recent years.
/// ALBRIGHT ACT ///
I think everybody is a little careful not to
make final judgments, but, clearly, he appeared
anyway to be different from the way that he had
been described. And (they said) that he was
jovial and forthcoming, and interested and
knowledgeable, and different from what we had
all been led to believe.
/// END ACT ///
China has said U-S plans to build a national missile
defense against a potential attack from North Korea is
no longer justified, following what Chinese officials
see as Pyongyang's opening up to the world. Even
though Ms. Albright says the topic was brought up
during her talks, the Chinese were not adamant about
it.
/// ALBRIGHT ACT ///
As historic as the summit is, it is not
definitive in terms of every aspect of what has
been a long and difficult relationship. And I
think that we would be rightfully termed as
naive to assume that everything has been dealt
with.
/// END ACT ///
Ms. Albright says how to deal with Taiwan's new
President Chen Shui-bian is more acutely on the minds
of Chinese leaders than any other topic.
/// ALBRIGHT ACT ///
They are questioning basically who he is, what
his motives are, how he is going to operate.
And I think that they also feel that they do not
have enough information about him.
/// END ACT ///
Despite his past advocacy of independence for Taiwan,
Mr. Chen has made several gestures toward China. He
has called for a resumption of talks, but he has
refused to sign on to Beijing's precondition that
Taiwan acknowledge that it is part of China.
Ms. Albright says she encouraged the Chinese to show
flexibility toward Taiwan, rather than try to
intimidate the island Beijing regards as a wayward
province.
Asked if she or members of her staff have any plans to
meet with Iranian President Mohammed Khatami - who is
also visiting Beijing - Ms. Albright said no, but
added cryptically - it is a pretty big hotel. Ms.
Albright is staying at a posh hotel in eastern Beijing
while the Iranian president is staying at China's
official guest house. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/RAE
22-Jun-2000 10:35 AM EDT (22-Jun-2000 1435 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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