Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

30 June 1998

TRANSCRIPT: SECRETARY ALBRIGHT ON 6/28 CBS-TV "FACE THE NATION"

("A changing relationship with a changing China")  (1660)
Beijing -- The United States has a multifaceted relationship with
China, according to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
"We find that there's agreement on issues; there's disagreement on
others," she said during an interview on CBS-TV's "Face the Nation"
June 28. "But it is a changing relationship with a changing China."
It is a relationship, Albright said, "where we discuss every subject,
where we agree on many and disagree on others; one in which we are
doing everything we can to support the change in China, because we
think that China in the 21st century will be a very important force."
"I believe that what President Clinton is doing here is laying the
foundation for the appropriate relationship with this huge nation as
we move into the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century,"
she said.
Following is the official State Department transcript of the
interview:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
June 29, 1998
INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT
ON CBS-TV "FACE THE NATION"
WITH BOB SCHIEFFER
June 28, 1998
Washington, D.C.
MR. SCHIEFFER: Madame Secretary, thank you for joining us. We're
getting reports about an extraordinary news conference that the
President had. We saw parts of the news conference on television last
night where the President and the Chinese President actually debated
in open human rights, such things as the meaning of the deaths in
Tiananmen Square, freedom for the people of Tibet. But having said all
of that, what's going to change as a result of this conference?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, Bob, we are in the middle of a remarkable
trip to a changing China. I think that the news conference was
something that nobody expected, that I think will have an effect. It
was heard by almost three times the size of the US population --
somewhere between 600 million and 700 million Chinese heard that press
conference. It was kept on live the whole time, and was re-run, I
believe, a number of times.
Also, there have been interviews already of various people on the
street as well as Chinese journalists who themselves were quite amazed
by the press conference. And as you have mentioned, apparently it was
a little bit like a -- (gap in tape). It was very interesting; they
talked back and forth to each other. The President really made very
clear American values, American interests, the fact that a society
moving into the 21st century is much better off if its people are free
to explore new ideas and to bring creativity to the times of change
that's needed as we move into the technological age.
I think we'll have to see, frankly, what the reverberations are. But
if one can say this, Beijing is talking about the press conference;
that's for sure.
MR. SCHIEFFER: Well, did any of this carry over into the private
meetings? Because, of course, there were private meetings, and you
were there, between the President and President Jiang Zemin. Did you
sense any change in the atmospherics there?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that they have actually -- the two
presidents have begun a dialogue in these meetings now. They've seen
each other seven times. I was not in the first meetings, but I can
tell you in the last three or four there really has been just an
incremental increase in the kinds subjects they talk about, the
frankness with which they talk about the subjects, and the way that
they deal with each other.
Let me just make one thing I think your viewers need to understand. We
don't agree with the Chinese on everything. I mean, they are quite a
different society from ours; that is evident in these discussions.
What I find interesting is that there's not an attempt to kind of
paper over differences and just have polite discussion. What you saw
in the press conference is there in even greater strength when they
talk to each other in private and they raise these very difficult
issues. The President makes very clear what our stands are on freedom
and the need to deal with dissidents; the need to have political
expression in China, as well as, obviously, the Tibet issue.
MR. SCHIEFFER: I am told that in the past, on these particular issues,
the Chinese have often said, there's no need to talk about it; it's
none of your business. But you're telling me it was different this
time.
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Yes. I mean, in the past they've said it's an
internal issue, we don't want to talk about it -- (gap in tape) --
they say they disagree with what -- as President Jiang said, they have
a different view of it. But they listen; they talk at great length.
There's quite a lot of conversations about Tibet. That's why I find
interesting that President Jiang is the one who actually, then, came
back and said, I need to explain about Tibet; because he knew that it
was very much on the President's mind the need to have a dialogue with
the Dalai Lama.
Also, let me say, Bob, that they talk about a whole host of issues.
What I found very important and useful is that they actually had a
strategic dialogue. The Chinese are being very helpful and important
in terms of dealing with the issue of the nuclear tests in India and
Pakistan. They are very helpful when we talk about what to do on the
Korean Peninsula. We also discussed the Japanese financial crisis and
the fact that the Chinese are going to keep their money stable, their
currency stable. So it's a very broad-ranging discussion.
I think, as I've said to you previously, and others, we have a
multifaceted relationship with the Chinese. We find that there's
agreement on issues; there's disagreement on others. But it is a
changing relationship with a changing China.
MR. SCHIEFFER: Now, it's my understanding that there has been no
agreement as yet for the President to meet with dissidents. Is that
correct; or will he meet with dissidents? What can you tell us about
that?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, he is meeting with a whole host of Chinese
people. He met with villagers yesterday; tomorrow he's meeting with
students; he's going to be meeting with business people. We all went
to church today and talked to the people there. Frankly, Bob, the
President talked to several hundred million Chinese, among them many
dissidents. So he is talking to the dissidents.
MR. SCHIEFFER: But he has no meetings planned with the dissidents at
this point -- any dissidents?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that what we are doing is taking
what we consider the best approach to make clear American values and
the need for there to be freedom of expression, freedom of
association, rule of law. That is one of the initiatives that is
coming out of this summit, is the Chinese acceptance of our
initiatives on the rule of law, where judges are being trained, due
process is being discussed. Tomorrow Mrs. Clinton and I are going to
be meeting with law students and women that are involved in legal
projects. I gave a speech to a law school class when I was here six
weeks ago.
So we think that our approach of dealing with it with the President
speaking forthrightly, publicly and dealing with the issues right up
front, making clear what American values are, is the best way to
pursue this objective.
MR. SCHIEFFER: Madame Secretary, at this point, of course, the people
of Taiwan are watching carefully what's going on in Beijing right now.
What would be the Administration's message to the people of Taiwan at
this point?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, the message to the people of Taiwan is the
same as it has always been -- which is that we believe there needs to
be a peaceful dialogue. The Shanghai communiqu,'s are the governing
way that we deal with the issue. We have urged the Mainland Chinese to
have a peaceful dialogue, and our policy is the same as it has always
been, which is the one-China policy. We will carry out the law. We
have an act that defines our relationship with Taiwan, and nothing in
that has been changed nor will it be. But we urge them, as we have the
Mainland Chinese, to have a peaceful dialogue to resolve this issue.
MR. SCHIEFFER: Finally, Madame Secretary, what would you at this point
-- how would you characterize the US-China relationship at this point?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that it's, as I said, a multifaceted
relationship where we have to talk about trade -- and by the way, we
didn't do as well as we wanted to on the trade issue -- but where we
discuss every subject, where we agree on many and disagree on others;
one in which we are doing everything we can to support the change in
China, because we think that China in the 21st century will be a very
important force. They already are taking responsibility in terms of
our strategic relationship in the region. I think our relationship is
an evolving one, a complex one and one that's going to be very
important to the United States. There are already 1.2 billion Chinese
and there are more to come.
I believe that what President Clinton is doing here is laying the
foundation for the appropriate relationship with this huge nation as
we move into the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
MR. SCHIEFFER: Madame Secretary, thank you so much for joining us.
We're going to leave it there. Thanks again. Madeleine Albright,
speaking to us from Beijing.
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT:  Thanks a lot, see you, Bob, also.
(end transcript)