U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2009)

U.S. Department of State

Ian Kelly
Department Spokesman

Daily Press Briefing

Washington, DC
October 2, 2009

12:50 p.m. EDT

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QUESTION: Just to follow up on your comments about Ambassador Goldberg going to the UAE and to Cairo, can you tell us specifically what is he asking for, what -- why these two countries in particular?

MR. KELLY: Yeah.

QUESTION: Are there things that the U.S. wants seen done that --

MR. KELLY: Yeah.

QUESTION: -- you can tell us about?

MR. KELLY: Yeah.

QUESTION: What's the trip about?

MR. KELLY: Well, I think -- in order to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1874, Ambassador Goldberg has to meet with a variety of partners. He's already traveled to Malaysia, South Korea, China, Japan, Thailand and Singapore. We've long been concerned about North Korea's proliferation activities in the Middle East, so this is part of that. And this is part of his overall effort to ensure that the -- that this UN Security Council resolution and other relevant resolutions are implemented.

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QUESTION: I have two questions: one on China, one on India. China -- again, 60th anniversary of Communist China. In New York, the Empire State Building was lit. Are you celebrating the Communist China's 60th anniversary, where there is no value for human beings and Tibetans are still crying and asking for freedom?

MR. KELLY: That seems to be a very tendentious question, Goyal. (Laughter.) Well, you probably saw that the Secretary sent a congratulatory message to the people of China marking the 6th anniversary. We have a booming relationship in trade, a growing relationship in security cooperation. China is an important player in the international arena in the Security Council.

But at the same time, we've been very -- also very open about some of our concerns about human rights in China, about problems of freedom of expression and problems of the media, and -- but we continue to have a very robust bilateral agenda with China.

QUESTION: Actually, on that, it did not go unnoticed by some that the Secretary's message actually only congratulated China on the -- on half of its 60 years of nationhood, the last three decades. Does that mean that you're not really congratulating them for the first 30 years of their --

MR. KELLY: Matt, I don't recall the entire text of this message, but I believe it was on the occasion of the 60th anniversary.

QUESTION: Yes, that's what the title said, and then it said the last 30 years have been -- China has demonstrated -- anyway, I'm just interested in trying --

MR. KELLY: I appreciate --

QUESTION: Were you making the distinction --

QUESTION: You don't have it in front of you?

QUESTION: You're making the distinction between the first three decades and the second three decades in China?

MR. KELLY: I appreciate the remark.

QUESTION: Okay. Well, it's not a remark. I was just wondering if there was -- if you were making the distinction.

MR. KELLY: Well, I don't have a ready answer to that question.

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QUESTION: Do you have any update on James Steinberg's recent visit to East Asia and the output from the consultation with partners of the Six-Party Talk?

MR. KELLY: Yeah. He was in Hanoi September 26, 27, had a wide range of meetings on bilateral and regional subjects. You know that Vietnam assumes the chair of ASEAN into 2010 in Kuala Lumpur. Met with the prime minister, vice foreign minister, and defense minister.

He, of course, talked about how we are committed to a deepening of U.S. ties to Southeast Asia and the countries of ASEAN, met in Beijing with a range of senior Chinese officials, and he had a chance to build on the talks that we had with China between -- the talks between our two presidents last week in New York and Pittsburgh. And then was in Seoul September 29-30; talked about, again, a number of regional security issues, and also talked about the need to closely coordinate on policy regarding North Korea.

Similarly, in Tokyo, they talked about the need for -- to closely coordinate on North Korea and talked about a number of regional and global issues. He -- Deputy Steinberg is back in the Department today.

QUESTION: So after this consultation, has any decision been made about these bilateral talks?

MR. KELLY: No, no decision's been made yet.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. KELLY: Thanks.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:22 p.m.)