Remarks by Christopher R. Hill
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Evening walk-through
Kerry Center Hotel, Beijing, China
February 18, 2007

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  Hello.  It’s nice to be back in Beijing.  Are there any questions? 

QUESTION:  Did you have any meetings today?  And, what are your plans for tomorrow?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I was over at the Foreign Ministry today, and we had a lengthy meeting on bilateral issues, in particular on preparation for Secretary Rice’s trip here next week.  And then tomorrow morning I have meeting also at the MFA with He Yafei. 

QUESTION:  So did you meet with Mr. Wu Dawei today? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  No, he is not here today.  So I’m going to meet him later in the trip -- probably in Tokyo. 

QUESTION:  Are you going to meet with the North Koreans here?  Is there still that possibility? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  Well, as is always our practice, we always let them know that I am here, and we don’t have anything set up yet.  But if it’s possible, I am here tomorrow.  But we don’t have any meetings scheduled just yet.

QUESTION:  But you would like to have a meeting?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  If the DPRK is interested, I am here.

QUESTION:  What would you say is the purpose of your trip?  Because it seems like the Six-Party Talks are kind of stalled right now, is it to sort of revive the talks?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  No, the purpose is that we have Secretary Rice coming out here for her first trip in a quite a while actually.  So I am here to discuss some of the elements of that visit.  And also to talk to Six-Party members about how we are perceiving the situation.  Just to sort of be in touch.

QUESTION:  Can you tell us how the U.S. side is perceiving the Six-Party situation right now?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I think that everyone knows we are trying to get through phase two, which involves a declaration on the part of the DPRK.  We don’t have that declaration yet.  And so we are a little stuck on the need for a complete and correct declaration.

QUESTION:  There seems to be a stalemate over a couple of [inaudible] regarding the declaration and taking North Korea off the terrorism list.  How do you plan to resolve that?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  First of all, I don’t know if things are in stalemate, because stalemate implies they cannot change.  I think the issue is, the DPRK needs to be prepared to make a complete and correct declaration.  I’m not too concerned about the sequencing of their obligations and our obligations.  I think there are ways to deal with the sequencing.  I think the real problem is they have not yet been willing to provide a complete and correct declaration.

QUESTION:  So are you willing to move simultaneously?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  Again, I don’t think sequencing is the problem.  I think the problem is, as yet, they have not been prepared to provide a complete and correct declaration.  So to talk about sequencing at this point is a little premature.

QUESTION:  Do you plan to go to Pyongyang [inaudible] --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  No –

QUESTION: -- with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  No, because I will be in Seoul for the inauguration of the new president.  It happens to be on the same day.

QUESTION:  What time [will you leave the hotel] tomorrow?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I think I go to the Foreign Ministry for a ten o’clock meeting.  So I’d probably be leaving here at nine thirty or something.

QUESTION:  [Inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I’m sorry?

QUESTION:  What time are you going to leave tomorrow?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  Go on to Seoul?  I’m not sure.  You better check with the Embassy on that.

QUESTION:  [Inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I’m sorry?

QUESTION:  Do you expect to meet someone from –

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:   I can’t hear the question, but am I expecting to --

QUESTION:  [Inaudible]

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I don’t know.  I’m here.  I know I have a ten o’clock meeting.  I know I’m going to see the American Ambassador here. And I don’t know whether there will be any other meetings scheduled.

QUESTION:  Secretary Hill, did you discuss with your Chinese counterpart about the U.S. Government position to shoot down a U.S. satellite?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  We had a broad range of bilateral discussions across many different issues of current concern.  I don’t want to get into specifically what subjects we covered, except that we discussed a broad range of issues of mutual interest.

Okay?  I’ve got to go to bed.

QUESTION:  About the U.S. Marine in Okinawa.  A U.S. Marine was arrested this morning in [inaudible] for breaking into a private house.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  This morning?  I’m sorry.  I have not heard about that story.  I just got off the plane a few hours ago.  That is news to me.  I’m not informed on that.

Okay?

QUESTION:  This is Marine [inaudible].

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I’m sorry.  This is the first I’ve heard of it, so I don’t want to respond to something I don’t know anything about.

Okay.

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