http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/international/asia/19rice.html
PAGO
PAGO, American Samoa — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held talks on
Saturday with Japan and Australia to deepen a three-way regional alliance aimed
in part at balancing the spreading presence of China.
At the same time, American officials said the United States was also looking
at the meeting of top envoys of the three countries in Sydney, Australia, as a
means to draw Japan into improving relations with neighboring countries still
suspicious of its intentions 60 years after World War II.
Heading toward the end of what aides said would be one of the longest trips
by a secretary of state, Ms. Rice joined with the foreign ministers Alexander
Downer of Australia and Taro Aso of Japan in welcoming China's "constructive
engagement" in East Asia. Australian and American officials acknowledge,
however, that the phrase understates the Chinese sphere of influence.
"The tenor of the discussion was how to make China a positive force in the
region," said Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, briefing reporters
on the secretary's plane to American Samoa for refueling. He said the discussion
was an effort to add to the web of American alliances in the area, to enhance
stability and not threaten China.
Nevertheless, in Indonesia earlier in the week and then in Australia, where
Ms. Rice spent nearly three days, she was repeatedly asked by the local news
media about American intentions toward China, which has signed an array of
economic deals with countries on its rim.
At a news conference in Sydney on Thursday, Ms. Rice reinforced those
concerns, criticizing China's military buildup, economic policies and human
rights record. Asked if China would see Ms. Rice's trip as a cause for concern,
another senior official, speaking anonymously under briefing ground rules, said,
"I think we certainly hope so."
Ms. Rice's visit to Australia, from Wednesday night to Saturday afternoon,
was long compared with other stops. But American officials said Australia, an
ally that has sent forces to Iraq and Afghanistan, had been feeling neglected,
and Australian leaders appealed for Ms. Rice to do some public diplomacy to prop
up the sagging American image.
