Condi's Heart of Gold

In a blaze of publicity on her first visit to Australia, the US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, remains extremely calm and focused despite the busy schedule - a class act under the antipodean sun.

In a few hours time, Condi, the American goddess of diplomacy, will be at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne; presenting a gold medal to the winner of tonight’s swimming finals.

Then, on Saturday, she will attend the tri-lateral security talks in Sydney along with the Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, and the Japanese Foreign Minister, Taro Aso.

The growing influence of China will be on top of the agenda. Condi says China needs to be more open with its military spending, pay attention to its economy, and respect intellectual property rights.