The
Editor,

Sydney Morning
Herald.                                                    March 16, 2006.

Made to order!
(‘Rice jets into Sydney’, Herald, March 16)

Indonesian satay; Indian curry & US beef; with Chinese tea &
homemade yellow cake to go.

From the ABC
Three arrested in Rice protest
Sydney police have arrested five people outside the Conservatorium of Music during a protest against an appearance by the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.

About 40 protesters tried to block guests' entry to the venue and scuffles broke out when police forced the students back.

Paddy Gibson, from the Student's Council at Sydney University, says the protest is against the Iraq war and the university campus being used as a host venue for Dr Rice.

"They're saying, 'Come here, you've got Sydney uni's support to stand up and peddle your murderous hate speeches', which is what we see it," he said.

"You've got 180,000 people killed as we said for no other reason other than strategic control of the region's oil resources and the anti-Muslim racism that's been whipped up to justify this war is being felt by Sydney University students."

The five students are due to face Downing Centre Local Court on the April 3 charged with hindering police.

From the NY Times

U.S. and Australia Take Different Tones on China's Rising Power

By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
Published: March 16, 2006
SYDNEY, March 16 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the foreign minister of Australia struck markedly different tones today over the rising power of China, with Ms. Rice criticizing its military expansion and the Australian warning against trying to "contain" Chinese ambitions.

The varied comments of Ms. Rice and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer underscored the uneasiness that Ms. Rice has found this week in Asia and Australia, a region that the United States once dominated as a superpower but now has to navigate uneasily with China's spreading influence.
Ms. Rice's criticism of China was unusually tough, especially since she was speaking in China's front yard and was planning to meet here later in the week with Mr. Downer and the foreign minister of Japan, Taro Aso, to discuss security issues. Mr. Aso has angered leaders in Beijing with his own criticism of China's military buildup.

Gus cooks: Chinese Noodle soup with Rice and a dash of Clowner powder...