SG

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister Tang: Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, just now I have held extensive discussion with H.E. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan on UN-related issue including the follow-up action of the Millennium Summit, reform of the UN and Security Council and UN peacekeeping operations. The two of us also exchanged in an in-depth manner our views of other global issues including some hot-spot issues. The discussion was a very good one and we managed to have very in-depth change of view. This is already the 4th trip to China by Mr.

SG: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. We are very happy to meet with you this morning. I have come to Beijing to hold discussions with the Chinese authorities on UN related issues and for us to discuss some of the crises we are dealing with and obviously we will also discuss UN reform. I had a chance to be briefed by Carolyn McAskie, as some of you may know, she has just come back from Mongolia where she had to rush there for the accident of the helicopter in which 14 people died, including one Chinese staff member who was injured and is back here in hospital.

Thank you very much. This is a very good way to start the year, and I think I have been quite impressed by what I have seen. I think those of you who have stayed in this room and didn't walk around should probably take a walk next time you are here.

SG: Happy New Year, how are you?

Q: All right. You have a meeting with Secretary of State Albright. Final days for her, is that what the meeting is about?

SG: Obviously I suspect we will talk about her final days and her plans for the future. But I would hope that we will talk about some of the issues on our plate, from the Middle East to the Iraqi situation, to some of the peace activities in Eritrea and Ethiopia, and perhaps the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] also.