World leaders come to town<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Presidents Bill Clinton of the United States and
\nJiang Zemin of China arrived in Jakarta yesterday as Indonesia
\nplays host, for the next two days at least, to leaders of some of
\nthe world's most powerful countries.<\/p>\n
Prime ministers Jean Chretien of Canada and Paul Keating of
\nAustralia also came in yesterday and Japanese prime minister
\nTomiichi Murayama has been in town since Saturday.<\/p>\n
They are all here for tomorrow's meeting of the Asia Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (APEC) leaders which will be hosted by
\nPresident Soeharto at the Presidential Palace in nearby Bogor.<\/p>\n
All 18 APEC leaders will be represented in Bogor. All but two
\nare represented by their heads of government or state. Taiwan and
\nHong Kong are represented by ministerial level officials.<\/p>\n
While trade and economics will be the sole items on the agenda
\nin Bogor, the leaders will have plenty of time to discuss other
\nissues, including human rights, during various bilateral meetings
\nwhich they will hold today.<\/p>\n
Tonight, Soeharto will host a banquet for all the participants
\nat the Jakarta Convention Center.<\/p>\n
It is strictly not a black coat and tie dinner as the host
\nnation is trying to keep the gathering as informal as possible.
\nThe government has ordered Indonesia's top batik designer Iwan
\nTirta to make a shirt for each of the 18 leaders, which they are
\nall expected to wear tonight.<\/p>\n
Nine leaders<\/p>\n
Nine of the leaders arrived yesterday, including Bill Clinton,
\nwhose Air Force 1 plane was the last to touch down at the Halim
\nPerdanakusuma airport at around 10 p.m.<\/p>\n
Jiang, Keating, Chretien, and Chilean President Eduardo Frei
\nRuiz-Tagle also flew on special planes.<\/p>\n
Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Papua New Guinea
\nPrime Minister Julius Chan flew on board the same commercial
\nairliner. They came through the Soekarno-Hatta airport. Thai
\nPrime Minister Chuan Leek Pai arrived a few hours later at the
\nsame airport, where the host nation has prepared an equally
\nelaborate red carpet welcome.<\/p>\n
Head of the Hong Kong delegation, Financial Secretary Hamish
\nMacLeod, also flew in yesterday.<\/p>\n
Today, New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger, Philippine
\nPresident Fidel V. Ramos, and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir
\nMohamad will arrive. The four early birds are Vincent Siew,
\nMinister of State\/Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning
\nand Development of Chinese Taipei, Brunei leader Sultan Hassanal
\nBolkiah, Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama and South
\nKorean President Kim Young-sam.<\/p>\n
The ladies<\/p>\n
It will also be a busy time for Indonesian First Lady Mrs.
\nTien Soeharto as some of the leaders have brought their spouses.<\/p>\n
The host nation has organized an equally elaborate ladies
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Clinton, Keating and Chretien were accompanied by their wives
\nwhile Ruiz-Tagle came with his wife and daughter. Murayama also
\ncame in with his 37-year old daughter.<\/p>\n
None of those who arrived yesterday were willing to talk to
\nthe press waiting to greet them at the airport, except for Jiang.<\/p>\n
In an prepared statement, Jiang, who flew in after a state
\nvisit to Malaysia, praised the government of Indonesia for its
\neconomic achievement and its increasingly important role in
\nregional and international affairs.<\/p>\n
\"I am delighted to have this opportunity to attend the second
\ninformal leadership meeting of APEC and pay a state visit to the
\nRepublic of Indonesia at the invitation of his excellency
\nPresident Soeharto,\" he said.<\/p>\n
At a press conference in Manila before flying to Jakarta,
\nClinton said he planned to raise the issue of human rights during
\nhis bilateral meetings with a number of other APEC leaders.<\/p>\n
\"Human rights has been discussed in every meeting I've had and
\nwill be discussed in these meetings,\" he said as quoted by AFP.<\/p>\n
Clinton's entourage by far is the largest among the APEC
\nleaders. Arriving from the Philippines, Clinton will also combine
\nhis APEC attendance with a state visit to Indonesia, which will
\nbegin after Bogor too.<\/p>\n
A few days before his arrival, at least three planes have
\nlanded at Halim carrying the president and his group's
\nbelongings, including several bullet-proof cars, according to an
\nairport officer. For security reasons, a U.S. Air Force fighter
\nhas reportedly been brought into the country as well.
\n(pwn\/sim\/arh)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/world-leaders-come-to-town-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }