China: China's leaders worked hard to convince Condoleezza Rice yesterday of their peaceful intentions on Taiwan, during the US secretary of state's first visit to Beijing in her new job.
But Beijing stood firm on its policy of zero tolerance for pro-independence moves on the island.
Soon after arriving in the Chinese capital on the penultimate stop of her north Asian tour, the preacher's daughter attended the evening Palm Sunday service at Gangwashi Christian Church.
But after the service, it was straight down to business as Beijing's leadership gave her the hard sell on Taiwan.
President Hu Jintao told Dr Rice he hoped the US would "see clearly the nature and harms of Taiwan independence secessionist forces". Mr Hu said he hoped the US would stick to its commitments on the one-China policy and "understand and support all the efforts to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and realise a peaceful reunification".
Relations between Washington and Beijing are increasingly warm these days, particularly on matters of trade and China's efforts to broker a deal in the North Korean nuclear stand-off.
China freed one of its highest-profile political prisoners and Washington decided not to seek a UN rebuke of Beijing's human rights record.
However, there are still major issues outstanding not least of them Washington's irritation at a new anti-secession law aimed at stopping independence, by force if necessary, which China's annual parliament passed last week. And human rights and intellectual property issues still complicate relations.
Prime minister Wen Jiabao urged Washington to show understanding, respect and support for the anti-secession legislation.
That is not likely to happen. Dr Rice has described the law as unhelpful in reducing tensions between the mainland and Taiwan.
Given the presence of 700 missiles pointed across the Strait of Taiwan at the island formerly known as Formosa, the law has cranked up tensions in the region.
During her visit to Seoul, Dr Rice said the possibility of heightened tensions in the Taiwan strait should make the EU rethink its plan to lift an arms embargo on China, imposed after the deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
She reiterated that European governments were irresponsible if they sold sophisticated weaponry to China that might one day be used against US forces in the Pacific. The US is Taiwan's biggest supplier of arms.
Turning to the other major issues on her visit, she warned North Korea that Washington's patience was not endless and would not allow a stalemate over Pyongyang's refusal to return to nuclear arms negotiations to go on forever.
Kim Jong Il's government announced last month it had built at least one nuclear weapon.
The US, Russia, Japan, South Korea and China have been holding so-far fruitless talks with North Korea aimed at persuading the country to give up its nuclear programme.
A rather bizarre incident occurred during a news conference in Seoul, which was meant to be a showcase for free communication in democracy but ended up in the realm of the farcical.
A German doctor, former aid worker and peace activist, Norbert Vollertsen, started shouting slogans as the conference got under way.
"Ms Rice, the North Korean people are dying and they are crying for your help," Mr Vollertsen shouted, holding up a poster which was ripped in half by a State Department official.
Security officers wrestled him to the floor and took him out of the room. Dr Rice then went on to assert that in a true democracy you can "say what you wish . . . "