Rice plans 2nd visit

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday she was encouraged by her talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials this week and a US official said she planned to return to the region in about two weeks.

The US official, who declined to be named, said White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley planned to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories next week to prepare for a US-hosted peace conference to be held later this year.

The upcoming trip by Rice would be her eighth to the region this year.

(China Daily 10/19/2007 page12)