INDEX
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1999
Briefer: JAMES B. FOLEY

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB # 77
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1999 1:25 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

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QUESTION: Who did Mr. Pickering meet in Beijing, and how was the response?

MR. FOLEY: Yes and no. He met with - or was scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Tang, perhaps other officials as well. No, because I don't have a read-out of his meeting. It's now in the wee hours in Beijing, and I personally don't have a read-out. I would expect, perhaps, to have some sense of how things went tomorrow, but not today.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. FOLEY: Yes, he was scheduled to meet with the Foreign Minister, and my understanding is that that meeting did occur.

QUESTION: There have been reports that the Chinese media didn't mention the arrival or mission of Pickering and also that the Chinese were blocking reporters from taping him in his hotel. Do you have any reaction to this or - and some sense of how the United States is trying to get it mission across to the people of China?

MR. FOLEY: We don't have any comment on the press arrangements that the Chinese authorities may or may not have permitted in relation to Ambassador Pickering's visit. That is not the purpose of his visit, to make any kind of a public splash. His purpose was a very serious one, to present a detailed explanation to the Chinese authorities about the accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. In terms of the decisions of the Chinese Government concerning press coverage of his visit or the aftermath of his visit, that's not something I care to comment on.

QUESTION: You all thought it was important that the apology that was expressed by a variety of officials up to the President, that it be relayed to the people of China. And there was some delay between when those various public apologies were made, to the point when the public-at-large in China found out about them. In a way, the Pickering mission is a part of that apology process in that you're explaining what happened. Aren't you concerned that the people of China aren't going to know that the US is making a good-faith effort to explain, well, this error was made here, and this is why the embassy was accidentally bombed?

MR. FOLEY: I can see why you're focusing on this. It looks like it's potentially an interesting story. I think it's very premature. Ambassador Pickering did not go to China to give a speech or to give press interviews. He went to have a serious meeting with Chinese authorities to present them the detailed explanation of what happened, to explain how this happened, how it was an accidental mistake. In terms of what gets conveyed to the Chinese people, we've indicated all along that we would inform the Chinese, as well as the American people, about the results of our investigation. I don't have any details at this point as to how we intend to do that. The question of what the Chinese Government itself decides to do with the report - after all, the question had to do with the coverage of his arrival, prior to his even giving his report to the Chinese authorities. That's a matter for the days to come.

Yes, we were concerned about the fact that when we apologized for the mistake - and, of course, this mission is an explanation - but when we, in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, expressed our dismay and sorrow for what had happened, that that was not conveyed in real time to the Chinese people, we were disappointed with. But it was eventually conveyed through Chinese media, or against the fact that we had regretted the incident. Now we're in a different stage, providing a detailed explanation; and we intend, ourselves, to try to inform the Chinese, as well as the American people. But it's very premature to draw any conclusions about the press coverage of Ambassador Pickering's arrival in China, as far as I'm concerned.

QUESTION: So he's not delivering an apology?

MR. FOLEY: We have apologized at the time of the bombing. The purpose of Ambassador Pickering's mission is to provide an explanation. We apologized for a mistake. Now the purpose is to explain the mistake.

QUESTION: So he's not delivering an apology? That's - this is not to do that? This is to go and explain how it happened?

MR. FOLEY: The purpose of the mission is to explain what happened.

QUESTION: What message, if any, is Mr. Pickering bringing to Beijing on any possible compensation for the bombing?

MR. FOLEY: That's a matter that he was to have addressed. I put it in that tense, because the meetings are finished. I think they're sleeping soundly in their beds and leaving Beijing tomorrow morning, Beijing time. I can't give you a read-out of the meeting. I can only tell you it was something he was going to address.

QUESTION: Was he going to raise other issues, like WTO and so forth?

MR. FOLEY: Well, the purpose of the mission is as I just described it to Sid and to Eric. I can't rule out that other issues did not come up. Certainly, when you have a high-level State Department envoy meeting with the Foreign Minister of China, a whole range of issues could have come up in that meeting. But I don't have the read-out of the meeting yet, so it's premature to comment on it.

QUESTION: Is he coming right back to Washington?

MR. FOLEY: I don't think so. My understanding is he may be going on to Europe. I believe that the political directors have a role in the summit. I'd have to check that, but that's my understanding.

QUESTION: Jim, regarding the timing of the visit, is it true that this is just the first time the Chinese were willing to accept the Ambassador, or is it timed to that the investigation was done -

MR. FOLEY: I don't know the answer to that question. Certainly, we were working on - my knowledge was that we were continuing to work on the investigation through last week. I could check that to see if that's fully accurate, but obviously, for a meeting like this to take place, you have to have the investigation, you have to have our guy ready, you have to agreement on the Chinese schedule. There are probably different factors that went into the actual timing.

QUESTION: Jim, two questions - will he be seeking an explanation, also, as to why the Chinese Government organized the violent protests at the US Embassy - a very damaging one; or will he be seeking compensation for the damage done by the protestors?

MR. FOLEY: On the issue of compensation, for the damage that our embassies and facilities occurred, that is a matter for discussion with the Chinese. Whether that came up in his meetings, I'm not in a position to say at this point. We'll have to see when I get a read-out of the meeting.

QUESTION: What do you mean as a matter for discussion? You're seeking compensation?

MR. FOLEY: We will be discussing that with the Chinese. Whether it happened in that meeting, or not, I don't know.

QUESTION: You will be discussing -

MR. FOLEY: In terms of our reaction, though, I think we made it very clear at the time how we felt about the lack of protection for our facilities that occurred in a certain period in the immediate aftermath of the bombing.

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(The briefing concluded at 2:10 P.M.)

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