U.S. Relations with the People's Republic of China (2005)

U.S. Department of State

Resumption of Fourth Round of Six-party Talks: Morning Transit China World Hotel

Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Beijing, China
September 15, 2005

A/S HILL: Good morning. Anyway, I'm going to go back to the talks, so I have a meeting with the D.P.R.K. delegation at some time before noon, and we'll see where we are. As I said, yesterday was a long day. We didn't make much progress. Let's see if we can do a little better today.

QUESTION: The light water reactors are a deal breaker for the U.S.?

A/S HILL: Well, you know, I don't want to use terms like "deal breaker." That's your term, but it's - the light water reactor for us is a non-starter. We have a pretty good deal on the table. The deal consists of really a lot of what the D.P.R.K. should want: security guarantees, a recognition package, entry - or access - to international financial institutions, and a very serious energy package; an energy package that would really in a very practical way address the very difficult electrical problems in the D.P.R.K. And instead of discussing this rather comprehensive and carefully put-together package, we ended up discussing something that's not on the table: light water reactors.

QUESTION: What about patience, Mr. Hill? Is the U.S. prepared to go the distance with this?

A/S HILL: I have a lot of patience. That's not my problem. [Laughter]

QUESTION: Can you tell us what will happen if North Korea does nothing vis-a-vis this? Will there be another round with that, or just an end of the talks?

A/S HILL: Well, I don't know. I mean, our view on the talks is we're prepared to participate in the talks as long as we believe the talks are in fact useful. But for talks to be useful, it's not up to just us. It's up to other participants to make use of them. So, I would hope the D.P.R.K., would focus on what the proposal was - the fourth draft - and go through it very carefully, and determine what's in their country's interests. I do know that what is in that package is very generous, and is something, if I were a D.P.R.K. official, I would not want to see pass by.

QUESTION: What do you think of the statement by President Bush that Iran can have the right to choose the nuclear energy - saying that it's a right of a government to want to have a civilian-based program? But this is quite ...

A/S HILL: Well, I think the President's words speak for themselves, but I think the issue here with the D.P.R.K. is we have put together a comprehensive package to deal with a - with the issue here, and have chosen to focus on something not in the package. So, if their concern is electricity, there's a very generous electricity package. If their concern is something else, they ought to be clear with us and tell us what that is. Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Secretary Hill, do you expect any progress today?

A/S HILL: I don't know. Do you? [laughter] I don't know. I mean, what I expect or don't expect is really not important. I'm going to go back there and we're going to have a discussion and we'll see where we are. Thank you very ...

QUESTION: What is the schedule for another meeting with North Korea?

A/S HILL: I'm sorry?

QUESTION: What is the schedule for another meeting with North Korea?

A/S HILL: I'm going to meet with them late this morning.

QUESTION: Will there be meetings other delegations? What about other delegations? Chinese? Or Japan?

A/S HILL: You mean their meeting with the ... ?

QUESTION: No. What about delegations except the North Koreans?

A/S HILL: I'm not sure. I think I have a meeting with the Japanese delegation, and I'm sure I'm meeting with the others, but I just don't know the schedule.

QUESTION: Also, are you going to show - are you going to bring to show any concessions in [inaudible]?

A/S HILL: Well, I - again, we have a good proposal on the table. We had a good proposal on the table when we left in August. Everyone took some time to think about it: thirty-seven days, to be precise. And let's hear what the D.P.R.K. thinks about the proposal. We think it's very good, and we think the Chinese fourth draft is the basis for getting this thing solved, and moving along. You know, the D.P.R.K. has been engaged in nuclear energy now for some 25 years. They have not succeeded in turning it into electricity. They have succeeded in turning it into plutonium metal. I think one should keep that in mind when one talks about further enhancement of their nuclear programs. Thank you very much.

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