U.S. and Hong Kong (2005)
State Department Briefing, October 28
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack briefed the press October 28.
Following is the transcript of the State Department briefing:
(begin transcript)
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
Friday, October 28, 2005
12:45 p.m. EDT
Briefer: Sean McCormack, Spokesman
[ ...Intervening Text... ]
QUESTION: Deputy Ambassador of the DPRK to the United Nations Han Song Ryol said yesterday in Washington, North Korea must have light-water nuclear reactor before they give up nuclear program. That is totally contrary to the agreement made last six-party talks in Beijing. What do you think North Korea's true intention is?
MR. MCCORMACK: You'd have to ask the North Korean Government about that. Look, they were at the table along with the other five parties to the talks. They know what they agreed to. They agreed to return without preconditions to the six-party talks. They understand perfectly well what the sequencing is that everybody has agreed to. So we look forward to an early return to the six-party talks.
QUESTION: Because he is a high-level office in North Korea but ongoing, maybe waiting for next six-party talks. How would they affect this -- his statement in -- yesterday he made a statement in Congress.
MR. MCCORMACK: I think that everybody involved in the six-party talks is operating off of the common understanding that everybody, including North Korea, had at the most recent session of the Beijing six-party talks.
[ ...Intervening Text... ]
QUESTION: Chinese President is now -- he's visiting DPRK. How do you comment his (inaudible) next time that six-party talk will be held in Beijing next month?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, there have been -- there are, of course, numerous interactions between the Chinese Government and the North Korean Government. We certainly welcome the efforts of all parties involved in the six-party talks to encourage North Korea to return to the talks as agreed to, to engage in a constructive manner towards the goal that all share. That is a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. That was what was agreed to at the last round of the six-party talks in Beijing and that's what we look forward to negotiating at the next round of six-party talks, based on the statement of principles that was agreed to.
QUESTION: So how do you comment with, first of all, to DPRK and the Chinese President?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think I just answered your question. The Chinese President is another in a series of visitors to North Korea. I expect the issue of the six-party talks will come up. As for any comment on the visit, how they view the situation, I'd refer you to the Chinese Government or the North Korean Government.
Yes.
[ ...Intervening Text... ]
QUESTION: Do you have anything on Secretary Rice meeting this afternoon with the Hong Kong Chief Executive?
MR. MCCORMACK: She will meet this afternoon with the Chief Executive. I expect that they'll discuss a broad range of issues of interest, including our strong support for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The United States supports democratic reform in Hong Kong. And many in Hong Kong, as well as the U.S., believe that the goal of universal suffrage could have been achieved for the next round of chief executive and legislative counsel elections in 2007 and 2008. We believe it is for Hong Kong to maintain its unique and important role in China and to meet the aspiration of Hong Kong's people. The goal of universal suffrage should be achieved soon -- as soon as possible. The people of Hong Kong should determine the pace and scope of political reform and we believe this is in the interest of Hong Kong, China and the region.
QUESTION: Does Secretary Rice have any expectation of Hong Kong's role in terms of the political reform of China?
MR. MCCORMACK: I'll try to keep you updated. We'll try to do a little readout of the conversation after it takes place.
QUESTION: Because I noticed that the Deputy Secretary of State mentioned in his last news comment on U.S.-China relationship, mentioned that China needs a peaceful political transition. That's why I'm asking.
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think you can take from the Deputy Secretary's remarks, as well as from remarks by other officials our strong support for greater freedom, greater openness in all its forms in China. We think that it's important for the Chinese people to be able to think at home as well as at work. That is an important process that is underway in China, where we have differences with China in terms of the pace of opening up to its people allowance for these greater freedoms. We discuss it with them. But again, we have a broad and deep relationship with China. There are many areas in which we have agreement. There are areas where we disagree. And where we disagree, we talk to them quite clearly.
QUESTION: I also notice that originally the Guangdong Province Governor was going to participate in part of the events here with Hong Kong Chief Executive, but it turned out he was not here. And I also learned that there is a rights group appeal to ask the State Department to bar his entry, actually, because he was deeply involved in torture and persecution of Falun Gong members in his province.
And so my question is does it -- is it routine for the State Department to check on the rights record of any official that is visiting the United States?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, let's -- we'll try to find out any particular information with regard to the individual that you're talking about, and if we have anything else that we can share, we'll get it out to you.
[ ...Intervening Text... ]
(The briefing was concluded at 1:10 p.m.)
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U.S. and Hong Kong
