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

U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 24, 2008

11:30 a.m. EDT

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

QUESTION: Can we switch to Tibet, please? Can you tell us whether there's been any progress on the U.S. request from the Embassy in Beijing to have American diplomats go to Lhasa?

MR. MCCORMACK: Has not been, no.

QUESTION: It has not been?

MR. MCCORMACK: No.

QUESTION: And has the Secretary or anyone else raised it again as opposed to just the first time last week?

MR. MCCORMACK: She did in her phone call last week with Foreign Minister Yang. Our Embassy has continued to raise it. And there may have been some other representations, but I'll let others talk about this, not here at the State Department.

Yeah.

QUESTION: The Secretary said this morning she wants China to engage with the Dalai Lama. Would the U.S. ever consider facilitating this -- these talks or would they play any direct role in this?

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't know that anybody has suggested that. I'm not sure that that's a role that we would properly play. I think the best way to do this is the direct engagement between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama. We have -- we along with others have encouraged that engagement, and you just heard from the Secretary this morning some of the reasons why we think that's important.

QUESTION: And what's the level of your concern at the moment about the current situation? And have there been any other high-level calls or is she planning any more calls?

MR. MCCORMACK: Not from here at the State Department. In terms of the situation, it is still quite concerning. We don't have any new reports of violence from that region in China, from Tibet, from Lhasa. I don't -- I haven't seen any other news reports either coming out of there. But the situation is still quite concerning and also concerning for -- understanding what happened looking back, not only the current situation but looking back as well.

Yeah, Lachlan.

QUESTION: Do you have any indications that the Chinese would consider a dialogue with the Dalai Lama in any of these conversations either through the Embassy or?

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't think you've -- certainly in public, you haven't seen any indication of that to date.

QUESTION: Do you have any cause for hope privately?

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, we can rely on their public comments and we talk to them about it, but I don't think you've seen anything in public about it.

Yeah, Libby.

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QUESTION: On Tibet, I know the Secretary spoke a little bit earlier this morning, but there's been a lot of talk about the Olympics and whether there should be some kind of boycotting because of China's actions towards Tibet. Do you think that the U.S. is sending the wrong message to China by attending the Olympics at such a high level?

MR. MCCORMACK: No.

QUESTION: President Bush is supposed to be attending.

MR. MCCORMACK: No. We've made our views clear on this. We believe that the Olympics is an important international sporting event. We're going to treat it as such. And we have consistently and will consistently urge China to put its best face forward, to allow expansion of basic human freedoms, whether that's the ability to report on events in China or to speak out in a peaceful manner to voice one's own opinion in China, whether or not to be able to worship as an individual sees fit.

So we will -- we have done that. We'll continue to do that. And we would only counsel China that, given the fact that the Olympics is such a high-profile international sporting event, that there will be the world's attention on China for those couple of weeks in August when they host the Olympics, and that that is an important opportunity for China and that they should take up the opportunity to put their best face forward to the world.

QUESTION: Do you think that Tibetans should be allowed to attend the Olympics?

MR. MCCORMACK: Tibetans -- you know, I suppose that anybody who wants to attend the Olympics who, you know, can buy a ticket or whomever, should be allowed to go the Olympics.

Yes.

QUESTION: May I ask Taiwan issue?

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: Do you think the results of Taiwan election has defused the potential crisis that United States worries about before the election? And also, what's your expectation for the administration transferring from Ma to -- President Chen to Ma in the next two months?

MR. MCCORMACK: I think you should look at the statement that the President issued this weekend and that I issued on the results of the election and the referendum.

Yes.

QUESTION: Also two questions on Taiwan. The newly elected president, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, is -- said -- he said that he's planning to visit Washington, D.C. and he also expressed his willingness to Mr. Stephen Young, the director of the AIT Taipei office. I'm wondering -- because, you know, the rule and the policy of the United States is not allow the Taiwan's president to visit here in Washington, D.C. So I'm wondering, is there any response or what's the policy of the State Department on Mr. Ma's request.

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't have any information concerning his travel plans. You might check with his office about those.

QUESTION: Yeah, and the second issue is that President Bush expressed in his statement that the election provides a fresh opportunity for both sides to reach out. And I think lots of media and observers said that Mr. Ma may adopt a more moderate approach to deal with China. And observers also mentioned that -- how does Beijing react to the future Ma Ying-jeou's administration, may result in quite different pictures and though -- is there any suggestion that you may get -- or the United States may express to the Beijing how to interact with the future Ma Ying-jeou's government?

MR. MCCORMACK: I think that you should look at the statements that were issued over the weekend.

Yes, ma'am, in the back.

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(The briefing was concluded at 12:15 p.m.)