U.S. and Hong Kong (2004)

State Department Noon Briefing, April 26: Powell's Weekend Calls

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher briefed.

Following is the State Department transcript:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
April 26, 2004
12:35 p.m. EDT

BRIEFER: Richard Boucher, Spokesman

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

QUESTION: The high-level envoy of Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian, Mr. Chiou-I-Ren, has arrived in D.C. this morning and will have, you know, several meetings. And by this opportunity of the first face-to-face, high-level communication between Washington and Taipei after the election, what kind of concerned message will you express to Taiwan Government?

MR. BOUCHER: We're aware of the -- Mr. Chiou's visit. We would handle any request for meetings in accordance with our usual practices. One of our usual practices is not to comment on these visits, nor to try to discuss what we may discuss with the representatives of Taiwan when we meet with them.

So I'm afraid I can't give you anything on that.

Ma'am.

QUESTION: The Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Mr. Keegan, met with officials from Taiwan's Foreign Ministry Monday, and he had a comment on Taiwan's plan to write a new constitution. I wonder, is Taiwan providing clarification on the issue or has the U.S. requested one?

MR. BOUCHER: We discuss all these issues from time to time with Taiwan authorities, representatives. But really, I'm not in a position to go any farther in public at this moment.

Ma'am.

QUESTION: Can I ask -- David Keegan also said -- actually, he reiterated what Kelly -- Mr. Kelly, said last week.

MR. BOUCHER: Good for him. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Yeah, he will be safe now. And U.S.'s support for Taiwan's new constitution is limited. I don't know whether this message also passed to Mr. Chiou. And could you elaborate what does that mean that U.S. support for a new constitution is limited?

MR. BOUCHER: I really can't try to elaborate on some of these things. Assistant Secretary Kelly gave a very comprehensive speech on Taiwan only last week. Was it last week? Just about. There is really nothing to add at this moment. So I think that our view on constitutional amendments, constitutional questions, was really expressed very well there. There is nothing further to add at this moment.

Sir.

QUESTION: Is this high-level visit by the request of Taiwan?

MR. BOUCHER: I believe so. I'm not certain, though. You'd have to ask them. I think that's the way it happened.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Another follow-up. President Chen of Taiwan accused the opposition parties of initiating a coup after the election. Is there any such possibility of a coup in Taiwan?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not getting in -- I am not going to get involved in political charges in Taiwan. I'm sorry.

Sir.

QUESTION: Richard, on this, though, are you saying that you won't comment on meetings between AIT people and these visitors, or State Department meetings?

MR. BOUCHER: We have never really spoken in any detail about either.

QUESTION: Well, that's not -- I mean -- no, I mean, you have the Deputy Director of AIT in Taipei talking about his meetings.

MR. BOUCHER: They can do that in Taipei if they feel like it.

QUESTION: Yeah. So are you saying that you're not -- that you expect AIT here to say something about --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know if AIT here will say anything about their meetings or not. But I have never commented on either AIT's meetings or -- commented in detail on either AIT's meetings with people coming from Taiwan, nor on State Department people meeting with them.

QUESTION: Yeah, but in detail. So can you say if there are any meetings scheduled?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything for you at this moment.

QUESTION: Well, if there were meetings, would you be able to say that there were after the fact?

MR. BOUCHER: I might. We'll see.

Ma'am.

QUESTION: Is China's will send any special envoy recently, I mean, after Chiou-I-Ren visit? Usually, they will send somebody to talk Taiwan issue.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know if China is sending anybody or not. I don't know of anybody at this point. We just did have a (inaudible). She's talking about something else.

Ma'am.

QUESTION: Hong Kong?

MR. BOUCHER: Hong Kong.

QUESTION: Do you have anything on Hong Kong after Beijing ruled that the Hong Kong people cannot have the universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008 for the Chief Executive and the in the legislature?

MR. BOUCHER: We are disappointed by the decision, as we believe it doesn't adequately reflect the expressed wishes of the Hong Kong people for universal suffrage and for democracy.

As we've stated before, the United States supports electoral reform and universal suffrage in Hong Kong in keeping with the Basic Law's own goals. The Hong Kong people have taken to the streets three times to express their own support for these goals.

The United States believes that the Hong Kong people's aspirations should be given priority in determining the pace and the scope of democratization in Hong Kong. International confidence in Hong Kong is based on its rule of law and the high degree of autonomy. The United States will continue to watch the situation closely with the goal of supporting democracy.

Yeah.

QUESTION: A lot that -- the decision was made by the Chinese Congress and Chinese Foreign Minister said it's in accordance with the basic law. Are you -- would you say that Hong Kong -- people in Hong Kong should follow the rule of law?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I'm going to try to give you all the legal debate that's been going on back and forth about the authorities of the National People's Congress under the law, but we think that there's a basic reality in Hong Kong, and that is that the people of Hong Kong have wanted universal suffrage, wanted democracy; and that they have expressed their views very widely and through actions such as the demonstrations. We believe that the views of the people of Hong Kong should be taken into account.

QUESTION: Maybe you would suggest the Chinese Congress to make an amendment to the basic law?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not making any legal suggestions here. I'm saying that, as a matter of simple reality, the wishes of the people of Hong Kong can, should, and really must be taken into account as one talks about their future.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Are you concerned if there might be a larger protest, maybe around 1st of July in Hong Kong?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't -- I can't predict that sort of thing, but they've -- certainly people in Hong Kong have expressed their views, and we think their views need to be heard.

Yeah, ma'am.

QUESTION: Sorry. Do you think the Beijing (inaudible) is actually eroding or erosion into the high autocracy promised by the joint declaration when Hong Kong was handed back to mainland China?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any sort of sweeping characterizations at this moment. We do report on this periodically. But I really don't have any new characterizations overall. I'm speaking about a specific matter, but a very, very important matter, and that's the future of democracy for the people of Hong Kong, something that they, themselves, have expressed a desire for many times. And we believe those views need to be taken into account.

Yeah, Chris.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

QUESTION: Can I go back to North Korea for just two seconds?

It's now the 26th of April. You've got four days left in the month. You had hoped to have a working group meeting by the end of this month. Is it your understanding that because of the situation with the disaster, that that's not going to happen anymore?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know if it's because of the situation of the disaster, but we remain interested in having the working groups, as agreed at the last round of six-party talks. We had been prepared to do that in April, along with our friends, the Japanese and the South Koreans. We are still prepared to do that at an early date. And I think we're all looking to hear from the North Koreans as to when they're prepared to sit down and have discussions, as they've agreed to, and at least in general terms, it seemed their leader indicated when he was in Beijing.

QUESTION: Last week, you said early May, you hope for early May. Does that still seem realistic?

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, there's no dates yet. So I can't say when -- it's hard to predict when the North Koreans might agree to sit down and work on these important issues. But we are certainly ready to do it in early May.

Okay, go to the back.

QUESTION: Back to the question my colleague just raised on Taiwan's coup attempt. Has AIT received or reported any information on that coup attempt, and has --

MR. BOUCHER: I'll go back to the answer I just gave your colleague: I'm not going to get involved in political charges in Taiwan.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

(The briefing was concluded at 1:23 p.m.)