U.S. and Hong Kong (1999)

U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

DPB #138

Briefer: JAMES P. RUBIN
Wednesday, November 10, 1999, 1:20 P.M.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

QUESTION: The question that you were asked the other day, you never had an answer. What response did the Cubans give to you, to your proposals, your specific proposals on improving cooperation on narcotics? This came up about two months ago. They gave you a --

MR. RUBIN: I don't have any new information to provide. Obviously, those kinds of questions are - we, when we think it's in our interest to cooperate with Cuba in counter-narcotics efforts, do so. Those discussions occur from time to time but I don't have any new information to report on that.

QUESTION: When and where are we going to get more information about the list?

MR. RUBIN: I think I just gave you an enormous amount of information.

QUESTION: But there are other countries in the world besides Cuba.

MR. RUBIN: Yes. With respect to that, let me say that 26 countries are on the majors list - Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand and Venezuela and Vietnam.

The major changes is that two - Aruba and Belize - were on last year's list and not included this year. I will try to get you additional information during the course of the day in greater detail on any of those countries.

QUESTION: Have any been added?

MR. RUBIN: I don't believe so, no.

QUESTION: Cuba wasn't on --

MR. RUBIN: No.

QUESTION: So then this is both transit points and producers, right?

MR. RUBIN: The list of majors is based on a judgment that --

QUESTION: I want to make sure. Not all these countries that you just listed are producers.

MR. RUBIN: Well, they're either an illicit drug-producing country or a major drug transit country, yes.

QUESTION: What does the being on the list do?

MR. RUBIN: It basically requires that half the foreign assistance be suspended pending a judgment as to whether there is cooperation with the United States in counter-narcotics efforts and then various determinations are made as to whether there is cooperation and, if not, whether the national interest so requires us to waive the fact that they were not certified for cooperation. So it sets up the process that ends in March of next year on the question of cooperation. First you need to decide what countries are the countries of concern and then you examine the question of cooperation.

QUESTION: What is the definition of foreign assistance? Is that all foreign aid?

MR. RUBIN: It's defined in the Foreign Assistance Act. I'll have to get you the exact wording after the briefing, but essentially what that does is countries not certified are subject to potential US vote against assistance by six multilateral development banks, in addition to direct foreign assistance, bilateral foreign assistance.

QUESTION: But right now, until that determination is made in March, these countries don't have to worry about losing anything, right?

MR. RUBIN: What happens is half the assistance is suspended on the assumption that it wouldn't be provided by March anyway pending the judgment about cooperation.

QUESTION: So I just want to make sure you'll take the question and give a full definition.

MR. RUBIN: An exact, precise definition of which multilateral development banks and what assistance. Generally speaking in these cases, it's normally things other than food aid and humanitarian assistance.

QUESTION: So the big loss to a country isn't going to come until March? That's when they --

MR. RUBIN: -- could potentially lose foreign assistance.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

QUESTION: Over the past couple of days, there has been a flurry of speculation among the exiled Tibetan community about the fate, possible - including possibly the death in Chinese custody of the Panchen Lama. I am wondering if you have any -

MR. RUBIN: We have no information indicating that the boy identified by the Dali Lama as the Panchen Lama is dead. The Chinese Government has publicly denied the story. We remain concerned that the boy is being held incommunicado by Chinese authorities. Our embassy in Beijing has made formal representations there, expressing our concern about the whereabouts and welfare of the boy.

We have raised the issue repeatedly since Secretary Koh raised the issue last January in formal human rights dialogue. We've also repeatedly urged the Chinese Government to address continued concerns about the safety and well-being of the boy by allowing the boy and his family to receive visitors if he and his family wish and to return home freely.

But we have no information indicating that the boy is dead.

QUESTION: Have there been any very recent formal representations made to the government or are these -

MR. RUBIN: I think we do this very often. I would have to get you the specific date of the last one.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

(The briefing concluded at 2:00 P.M.)

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