Yes, I discussed this actually personally, one on one, with a number of the leaders. And the United States has pledged more food aid to North Korea. I am very concerned about it as an humanitarian matter, and I believe you will see more action on this front. And I'm certainly committed to doing it; I'm deeply troubled.

Some 5,460 recent Rwandan returnees were being held in detention throughout Rwanda as of 31 December 1996, according to a 6 January report from the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda (HRFOR) of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer all travel to Zaire due to the uncertain political and security situation and the potential for unrest throughout the country. The deteriorating security and political situation has led the Department to order the departure of all non-essential U.S. Embassy personnel. This ordered departure follows an earlier order to dependents of U.S. Embassy personnel to depart Zaire. The Department strongly urges U.S. citizens in Zaire to depart the country. For further information, consult the Department of State's latest Consular Information Sheet for Zaire.

The United States is concerned that continued fighting in Eastern Zaire could undermine tentative progress to date in establishing the basis for peaceful resolution of the crisis.

We've agreed on new steps to organize our nations to lay a strong foundation in the 21st century, to prepare our people and our economies for the global marketplace, to meet new transnational threats to our security, to integrate new partners into the community of free market democracies.

There are basically three things you've asked there. Let me try to—first of all, yes, the President should know. And I can tell you, if I had known about the reports—and, again, these are reports, these are allegations, we have not reached a—as far as I know, no one in the government has reached a conclusive decision about this. So it's very important not to accuse people of something that you don't know they have done. But had we known about the reports, the first thing I would have done is I would have given them to Leon Panetta and to Tony Lake and to Sandy Berger and I'd say, listen, look at these, evaluate them and make recommendations about what, if any, changes we ought to make or what should we be alert to. So it would have provoked at least to that extent a red flag on my part.

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, the following Protocols to the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects: the amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II or the amended Mines Protocol); the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III or the Incendiary Weapons Protocol); and the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV). Also transmitted for the information of the Senate is the report of the Department of State with respect to these Protocols, together with article-by-article analyses.

The following document was adopted by the States Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe on the scope and parameters of the process commissioned in paragraph 19 of the Final Document of the First CFE Treaty Review Conference. The meeting of the States Parties to the CFE Treaty took place in Lisbon, Portugal.

A year ago this week, President Clinton announced U.S. support for banning antipersonnel landmines. In our view the Conference on Disarmament should promptly agree to commence negotiations, and complete a global ban at the earliest possible time.

Good afternoon. I am very pleased to welcome Vice Premier Qian Qichen to the State Department. We are meeting again, so soon after my February trip to Beijing, and I think that that indicates the high importance that the United States and China attach to our bilateral relationship.

Good morning, everyone. Let me start with an announcement the Vice President's Office is making today. Vice President Al Gore will visit Asia this month with stops in Japan between March 23–24; China March 24–28; and Korea March 28–29. The Vice President will meet with the leaders of the three countries to discuss international, regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern. Details of the Vice President's program are still being worked out with each of the three governments. I expect the Vice President's Office will be able to give you more of an itinerary at a future date.

Governor Christopher Patten spoke with reporters following a meeting of the Hong Kong Executive Committee.

Mr. President, may I begin by congratulating you on your election as President of this Special Session.

This is my fifth international meeting in eight weeks in office. My three young children in London complain I am never at home. But if there is one Summit they would want me at, it is this one.

Secretary Warren Christopher spoke with reporters at the China World Hotel, Beijing, China.

Today, I am pleased to present the State Department's first annual Report on the Environment and Foreign Policy. The report reflects the Department's decision, initially reached by Secretary Christopher, to integrate the environment and other global concerns into American foreign policy.

Let me answer the second question first. I think the American people, since they've been hearing this for five years, took a long, hard look at it, and they measured that against what they saw in terms of the work of this administration, in terms of the people who were laboring hard to make their lives better, and in terms of the President. And I think they made their judgment that I have worked hard for them, I will keep working hard for them, and that that is my motivation for being here. And I think that they gave me their trust, and I'm going to do my best to be worthy of it.

President Richard Nixon of the United States of America visited the People’s Republic of China at the invitation of Premier Chou En-lai of the People’s Republic of China from February 21 to February 28, 1972. Accompanying the President were Mrs. Nixon, U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers, Assistant to the President Dr. Henry Kissinger, and other American officials.

I have approved the issuance of new air quality standards to provide important new health protection for all Americans by further controlling pollution from ozone and particulate matter. These new standards promise to improve the lives of millions of Americans in coming years.

Let me say, first of all, how much our congressional delegation has learned during our short time in your country. We are awed by the pace of change in your major cities. I noted in our meeting with your president that during the six hours we will be in Shanghai tomorrow, fifteen buildings will be completed. We admire the ten percent annual economic growth that China has achieved and sustained. Frankly, I wish I could go back to America and announce that we will get ten percent economic growth for the next ten years. That would solve a lot of our problems and balance our budget while letting us do everything else we want to do. So, we're trying to learn from you, not just talk to you.