Morning Walkthrough March 23

Morning Walk-through with Journalists – Six-Party Talks

Christopher R. Hill

Asst. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

St. Regis Hotel, Beijing, China

March 23, 2007 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I’m heading off to Washington.  We talked to the Chinese, of course, about, as soon as we get this bank transfer done, we probably will put our heads together and decide whether we need to have another Six-Party meeting. 

QUESTION:  Ambassador, yesterday in Washington, Sean McCormick said he expects a heads of delegation meeting will take place in the next week or two.  Can you confirm that? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I think that’s quite possible, because there are a couple of things we want to get done.  For example, we still need to have a discussion of the nuclear program that will eventually become the declaration.  I think we’re prepared to have a meeting as necessary.   

This is very different from a while ago, when we were facing boycotts all the time.  I don’t think we have that problem now. 

QUESTION:  Will you try to do something to help solve the problem from Washington? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  Solve a problem in Washington? 

QUESTION:  When you get back, are you going to do something to solve this problem? 

EMBASSY PRESS OFFICER:  Will you try to solve this problem from Washington? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I think it’s really a problem for bank people to be working on.  I’m not sure there’s much we can do.  I think the Bank of China, the Chinese Government, the Macau authorities are working as hard as they can.  So I don’t think there’s really much else we can do.  But if there is, we’ll certainly want to facilitate it. 

QUESTION:  When you get back to Washington, there’s probably going to be voice mail waiting for you from some of your critics saying “I told you so” about this entire week, which has been delayed because of this bank dispute.  What are you going to say to those criticisms that this something – 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  What is the criticism?  That I shouldn’t have taken their advice about something? 

QUESTION:  That North Korea isn’t serious about pushing forward with this deal, and that this bank dispute and the way they handled it demonstrates that? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL:  I think it certainly demonstrates that they have trouble, that they have to think one step at a time.  The stuff they’re on is to get the frozen accounts from Macau.  But I don’t think there’s a broader point here about whether they’re committed to the nuclear deal.  I think they are, and throughout the week they reiterated that.  I think the problem is they’re under pretty strict instructions to close the Macau issue.  So we’ll have to see.   

As I’ve said, we’re on a step-by-step basis.  We’ve got 50,000 tons of fuel oil (inaudible) for this step, so we’ll see what they want to do.   

QUESTION: Do you think you need to hold another session of the U.S.-DPRK working group before the next round of bilaterals? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I don’t have any plans on that group.  As I said in New York, we had some good conversations.  So I don’t think there’s a need to have another session of that.  I personally would like to see another denuclearization session to discuss this list of nuclear programs.  Whether that’s done in a Six-Party meeting or denuclearization session, I think we would have to talk about that.  We don’t have any immediate plans to have another bilateral session. 

EMBASSY PRESS OFFICER: Okay, last question. 

QUESTION: The State Department announced that Mr. Glaser is coming to China.  If BDA is not a U.S. issue any more, why is he coming?  When is he coming? 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: First of all, I saw that report; I haven’t heard any confirmation of it.  I assume it’s something being discussed in Washington, so I’d refer you to Washington on that.  We have made very clear where we stand on the issue when was Mr. Glaser was here just a few days ago.  I think everyone wants to get that issue behind us.   

The issue does not really absolve the North Koreans of the need to move ahead on denuclearization, and that’s certainly what I’m focused on.   

Okay.  I’ll see you all later.