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 5, 2009

1:29 p.m. EDT

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

QUESTION: The Dalai Lama is in D.C. this week. Can you confirm reports that no one from this building is planning to meet with him, including the new special coordinator for Tibetan issues?

MR. KELLY: Yeah, I'll take that question. I'm not sure if I have anything for that, but I will take that question.

QUESTION: Okay, and then a follow-up. Was there any significance to the naming of that coordinator position in -- on the same day as the 60th anniversary?

MR. KELLY: No, I don't think there was any -- this was not coordinated to happen on the same day.

QUESTION: Well, was it coordinated to have someone in that job before the Dalai Lama got to Washington?

MR. KELLY: I don't think that was coordinated.

QUESTION: You were running out of time there.

MR. KELLY: I seriously --

QUESTION: Was it not the Administration --

MR. KELLY: -- don't know the answer to that question --

QUESTION: Is it not fair to say that the Administration wanted someone to be in that position before he got here?

MR. KELLY: I really -- I don't know the answer to that question. It's quite possible, though.

QUESTION: Can you talk a little bit about the diplomacy behind the decision about the President not meeting with him? You know, what was -- this time -- postponing the meeting?

MR. KELLY: Yeah. It wouldn't be proper for me to discuss the decision making going into a meeting involving the President.

QUESTION: Well, what was the State Department's feeling about this? That it was not the right time?

MR. KELLY: Well, I think --

QUESTION: It would be better to wait?

MR. KELLY: I think that the Dalai Lama is an important leader. He's a revered spiritual figure.

QUESTION: You think?

MR. KELLY: I think we think -- the U.S. Government thinks that he is an internationally revered religious and cultural figure. He's a Nobel Prize Laureate. I think you've seen that the -- we have decided -- the President has decided that he will meet with the Dalai Lama at a mutually agreeable time. I think that there was an announcement that it would be after his trip to China. But as far as further details, I really have to refer you to the White House.

QUESTION: Can I go back to the prior question about the meeting with the special envoy to Tibet here? Can you either confirm now, or will you take the question --

MR. KELLY: I will take the question.

QUESTION: -- whether there is no meeting planned?

MR. KELLY: I'll take that question and see if we can confirm it.

QUESTION: And why, if there is no meeting?

MR. KELLY: Yeah, okay. I will. Yeah.

QUESTION: Does the fact that -- does any of this signal a change in U.S. policy towards China, towards Tibet as an issue or --

MR. KELLY: I wouldn't necessarily read -- I mean, I wouldn't necessarily read this decision -- anything into the decision beyond what it is, is that we've decided to meet with the Dalai Lama because of our respect for his position, the fact that he is a revered spiritual leader. Our position regarding China is clear that we want to engage China. We think China is an important global player. We don't -- we also don't try and downplay some of the concerns that we have about China and some of our disagreements with China in the areas of human rights, religious freedom, and freedom of expression. But I think these are two separate issues: the President's decision to meet with the Dalai Lama and the path that our relationship with China is on.

QUESTION: Do you expect that Tibet would come up in the next meeting when President Obama goes to China?

MR. KELLY: Oh, I would imagine a lot of issues regarding some of these -- regarding the issues that I just mentioned -- human rights, Tibet, religious freedom, freedom of expression -- that all these issues will be covered. I mean, human rights is at the center of our relationship with China, so yes, I would imagine that it would come up.

QUESTION: Human rights is at the center of your relationship with China?

MR. KELLY: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: Is that --

MR. KELLY: It's part of what we are.

QUESTION: Since when?

MR. KELLY: This is the center of what we are, is these issues like freedom of expression, freedom of religion, human rights in general.

QUESTION: You don't think the Chinese buying treasuries and things like that, that's not the center of -- that's not at the core of the relationship right now?

MR. KELLY: Well, you can have various issues in the center of our relationship.

QUESTION: I mean, the Secretary herself when we were in Asia on her first trip said that, you know, it was an issue, but it wasn't going to be -- it wasn't going to be a dominating issue. So I'm a little surprised that you're saying it's at the center of the relationship now.

MR. KELLY: Well -- but she has said that we'll -- we're going to have frank engagements with the Chinese on these issues as well. And we have.

QUESTION: Change of topic?

MR. KELLY: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: North Korea. What is your reaction on Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il?

MR. KELLY: Yes, we've -- I mean, we've seen those reports, of course, and we've talked to the -- to our Chinese partners in the Six-Party Talks and we're -- we are conducting close coordination with China and the other partners in the talks. And we, of course, encourage any kind of dialogue that would help us lead to our ultimate goal that's shared by all the partners in the Six-Party Talks, which, of course, is the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

QUESTION: So do you think the meeting is going to lead to any changes to the Six-Party --

MR. KELLY: Well, I hope so. I mean, that is our goal that North Korea will return to the Six-Party Talks, and that's a goal we share with the Chinese.

QUESTION: Do you hear anything after the meeting?

MR. KELLY: I'm sorry?

QUESTION: Do you hear anything from the Chinese --

MR. KELLY: I don't have any readout of it.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

(The briefing was concluded at 1:54 p.m.)