U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2008)

U.S. Department of State

Interview With Sean Hannity of Fox News Hannity & Colmes

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
New York City
September 24, 2008

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QUESTION: What about this issue – now, this is – I'm bringing you a little bit into a political arena, and I know you will resist a little bit here. But it's come up as an issue in principle. Is it wise to negotiate with the leaders of these rogue nations? Is it – should we do so? Should we do so without preconditions?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I think you always have to have the right conditions. I cannot imagine walking into a room with an adversary when you don't have some leverage that you've developed over time, or walking into a room with an adversary when you don't have plenty of help. When we walk into the room with North Korea, we have plenty of help at the table – China, Japan, Russia, South Korea.

QUESTION: You had multilateral talks and that served us well up until maybe this last week.

SECRETARY RICE: Yes, but as the North Koreans have done things that, frankly, we would prefer they didn't do, I have been consulting with the Chinese, with the South Koreans. I talked with my Russian counterpart just a little while ago. And in doing so, we are able to mobilize the entire neighborhood, if you will, all of the states of Northeast Asia, to tell the North Koreans stop this reversal, get back to the table, agree to verification principles. That's why it's important to have conditions, if you will, that are ripe before you talk to an adversary.

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QUESTION: We've lost confidence in their ability to accomplish things of substance. You know, there has been much anti-American sentiment expressed there, anti-Semitic sentiment expressed at the United Nations. You know, and I'm thinking the United States, we're about, what, 5 percent of the world's population, we bear the burden of securing liberty and freedom for the other 95 percent. Has it lost its effectiveness and its ability to accomplish the task of peace and stability and the advancement of freedom in the world?

SECRETARY RICE: You know, Sean, the President spoke to that in his speech to the General Assembly, and he was really quite blunt about it, that multilateralism is important, and we believe that the UN is a critically important institution. But it can't be about process and bureaucracy; it has to be about outcomes.

We've had some good outcomes. I think that the three resolutions on Iran – good outcomes; resolutions on North Korea in 2006 that China joined for the first time – good outcomes. Democracy Fund in the UN – can you imagine several years ago a democracy fund in the UN?

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