US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing Saturday evening to discuss ways to resume the stalled six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing Saturday evening as a guest of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.
China is the first leg of rice's four-nation Asian tour aimed at finding ways to resume the stalled six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue.
During her stay, Rice is expected to confer with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan.
Besides China, Rice will also go to Thailand, Japan and South Korea.
This will be Rice's second trip to China in less than four months. Her first China visit in the capacity of US secretary of state was made on March 20.
Before leaving Washington, Rice told reporters the United States had no timetable for North Korea to return to the stalled multilateral talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons program.
She said the US would keep this door open in order to jumpstart the talks.
She expressed confidence in US-China cooperation to help restart the six-party talks.
Rice told reporters on her plane from Washington that she aimed to capitalize on recent weeks of intensive diplomacy over North Korea, in effect tying herself more personally than before to its success or failure.
"We're very focused on how to make this work. There isn't any deadline, as the president has said, no timetable about what to do next. We're going to really try to focus and take stock of where we are (with the six-party talks) and see if we can make this work," she said. Another round of talks, if held, must produce results, she said.
U.S. officials say Pyongyang may have eight or more nuclear weapons, up from one or two at the start of Bush's term.
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Foreigners in China have to pay income tax if they earn over US$592 per month.
Golf courses and gas stations in Beijing will be under close watch.
