9 April 2001

Today the President was a keynote speaker at the seminar "The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century", which was organized by the UN Association of China. In his address Mr. Holkeri spoke about the process of strengthening the United Nations. He stressed the role played by civil society in making the UN more relevant to the world outside. The full text of his remarks is available on the "Statements and Messages" page.

The President attended a luncheon, hosted by the All China Women's Association. During the luncheon Mr. Holkeri gave an address, in which he emphasized the role of women in China and the importance of women's human rights. Mr. Holkeri also spoke about the role of the girl child who is the woman of tomorrow. The full text of his remarks is available on the "Statements and Messages" page.

Later in the day the President met with the Foreign Minister of China, H.E. Mr. Tang Jiaxuan. The topics discussed during their meeting included the reform of the Security Council and the revitalization process of the General Assembly. Also discussed were current issues related to the United Nations Peacekeeping operations. After the meeting, Mr. Holkeri attended to a dinner, hosted by the Foreign Minister.