US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing this morning for a visit to China.

 

Rice is scheduled to meet respectively with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, and hold talks with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, according to the Foreign Ministry.

 

The two sides will exchange views on major international and regional issues of shared concern, including the China-US relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

 

Rice's ongoing visit is in the wake of the nuclear test conducted by North Korea on October 9.

 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao said the Chinese side hopes to have an in-depth discussion with Rice on how to ease the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and promote the realization of a nuclear-free peninsula through dialogues and negotiations.

 

This is the third leg of Rice's four-nation tour, which has taken her to Japan and South Korea. She is also scheduled to visit Russia following her China trip.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2006)