CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that China, eager for strong U.S. relations, wants to keep tensions over Taiwan at a minimum and also to avoid a repeat of the April 1 spy plane incident.
Arriving in the Australian capital after talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing, Powell said China has cut back on aggressive pursuit tactics that led to the midair collision four months ago off the Chinese coast. The incident severely strained U.S. relations with China for months.
Powell is on the last leg of a five-nation tour of Asia-Pacific countries that concludes Monday with talks on security issues. Joining him in Australia is Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. (Read photo caption below).
While the two sides are supposed to hold annual discussions, there were no meetings in 2000, and Powell said it was doubly important that they take place this year. Australia has been a defense treaty ally for 50 years.
On Saturday, Powell met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other top leaders. The two sides agreed to hold consultations on trade, human rights and China's exports of sensitive technology, among other issues.
PHOTO CAPTION:
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, left, and Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, right, shake hands with Australia's Prime Minister John Howard at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, July 30, 2001. Powell and Rumsfeld are in Australia to attend the 2001 Australia-United States Ministerial talks on defence and security (AUSMIN 2001). (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)