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

U.S. Department of State

Joint Press Availability With Director General Akitaka Saiki

Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Akitaka Saiki, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tokyo, Japan
December 2, 2008

[Note: Director General Saiki spoke in Japanese. His comments are not included except in reference to Assistant Secretary Hill's remarks.]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, first of all, let me just say that it's a great pleasure to be back here in Tokyo and to have the opportunity to consult again with my friend and colleague Aki and his team, as we get ready for what could be a very important Six-Party meeting in Beijing next week. Obviously, there are some really tough issues that we're going to have to take up in Beijing. And as we consider those difficult issues - that is verification and things like that - we want to make sure that the U.S. and Japan are very close together. And indeed based on these consultations, based on the consultations we had last week in Washington, based on the consultations we had in Lima, Peru, I think the U.S. and Japan are working very, very closely. And I think we have a very, very strong understanding of what needs to be accomplished.

Of course tomorrow we'll also be joined by our South Korean colleague Kim Sook. And I think this really helps prepare us and really helps ensure a better outcome for the Six-Party Talks next week. So after these bilateral and trilateral meetings tomorrow, I'll have the opportunity to go to Singapore as part of a bilateral trip to Singapore. But I'll also see my DPRK colleague there. And after that, we will end up in Beijing and maybe even have another trilateral meeting. I am very, very pleased - very pleased indeed - that the U.S. and ROK and Japan are working very closely together on these issues. I think our opinions are very much in sync. And so I cannot promise that everything will be successful. But what I can promise is that the U.S. and Japan will work very closely together to do all we can to try to make it a success.

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QUESTION: If you have anything to add, especially regarding sampling?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, I agree with all those points. Obviously the details of verification do need to be worked out in the six parties. And we're looking forward to an in-depth discussion of that at the meeting in Beijing.

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