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Rice Takes Another Road Trip

In her first two months as the nation's top diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already visited 17 countries. From March 14 to March 21, she took her first official trip to Asia.

Rice met with top leaders in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea and China. She also took time to greet election workers in Afghanistan, a sumo wrestler in Japan and ice skaters in China.

Rice wanted to accomplish many things on her whirlwind trip. She spoke out for freedom and encouraged democracy abroad.

While in South Korea, Rice conducted an unusual press conference with Korean journalists, held over the Internet. During the online interview, she described true, ideal democracy as being able to "say what you wish, worship as you please and educate your children--boys and girls."

Another of Rice's goals was to find a way to restart talks with North Korea, which had been aimed at stopping that country's production of nuclear weapons. In February, North Korea admitted to the world that it possessed these dangerous arms.

Last Monday, Rice asked China to help bring North Korea back into talks. Otherwise, she said, the U.S. will "have to look at other options."

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