Remarks On Board Plane En Route Beijing

He expects to discuss how the Security Council can stand by its resolutions to disarm Iraq. He will consult with the Chinese on the new UN resolution that we expect to present to the Council early this week.

On North Korea, based on our common view that the Korean Peninsula must be free of nuclear weapons, he will discuss how to move forward in pursuing a peaceful solution to the problems created by North Korea’s nuclear programs. He looks forward to considering with the Chinese how to build on their existing efforts with North Korea and on their supportive vote in the IAEA as the issue moves to the Security Council.

There are a number of important bilateral issues on the agenda as well: upcoming exchanges and visits, trade issues and the need for continuing progress on human rights.

US-China cooperation can do much to enhance peace and security in the region and the world. Secretary Powell’s visit will add to recent high-level exchanges, including President Jiang’s visit to Crawford last October.