Powell Says Beijing Talks Show United Opposition to Nuclear Korea
(Speech at U.S. Asia Pacific Council Symposium April 24) (1550) Secretary of State Colin Powell says the April 23-25 U.S.-China-North Korea talks in Beijing make it clear that there is united opposition to allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula. Speaking April 24 to members of the United States Asia Pacific Council Symposium in Washington, Powell said "It's the strong views of the Chinese government, of course, of the United States, of Japan, of South Korea, and of Russia, Australia, and other neighbors in the region. North Korea must come to understand this." Powell said that despite how the North Korean government would like to portray the situation, the confrontation concerning its acquisition of nuclear weapons "is not a U.S.-North Korean problem." The secretary said U.S. representatives in the Beijing talks were stressing three points: Pyongyang's possible possession of nuclear weapons is a multinational problem; the country should not fear denuclearization; and threatening behavior will not be rewarded by the international community. "We have also made it clear to North Korea that they have nothing to fear from denuclearization. The nations in the region stand willing to help," Powell said. Powell said the North Koreans "should not leave this series of discussions that have been held in Beijing with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners, and the nations in the region will be intimidated by bellicose statements, or by threats or actions they think might get them more attention, or might force us to make a concession that we would not otherwise make." "They would be very ill-advised to move in that direction," he said. The U.S. interagency delegation for the April 23-25 multilateral talks in Beijing were headed by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly. Kelly is making stops in Seoul and Tokyo April 26-27 to discuss the outcome of the talks with his counterparts. The North Korean delegation was headed by Deputy Director General Li Gun from the American Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Chinese delegation was headed by Director General for Asian Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying. Following are excerpts from Powell's April 24 speech: (begin excerpt) ... SECRETARY POWELL: As President Bush has made clear repeatedly with respect to the Korean Peninsula, we do not want to see nuclear weapons on the peninsula. We seek a peaceful solution to the international community's serious concerns about North Korea's nuclear weapons program. As the President has said repeatedly since the beginning of this situation -- I like to call it last fall -- we will pursue every diplomatic channel. And that's why, for the past two days, we have been participating in meetings in Beijing with the Chinese and with the North Koreans. This is an early meeting, no intention of resolving any issues at this meeting. It was a way of bringing three countries in a multilateral setting who had a great interest in this problem together to exchange views to hear one another. Strong views were presented. The North Koreans presented their point of view strongly; the Chinese did, as well, as did the United States. The meetings are coming to a close now. The sides will return to their capitals and assess what they heard, analyze proposals that were put down by the parties, and determine where we will go next. The one thing that is absolutely clear as a result of this meeting, once again, is that there is unity within the community that we must not allow the peninsula to become nuclear. It's the strong views of the Chinese Government, of course, of the United States, of Japan, of South Korea, and of Russia, Australia, and other neighbors in the region. North Korea must come to understand this. North Korea must also come to understand that we will not be threatened. We will not respond to threats. We look for a way forward that will eliminate this threat and put North Korea on a path to a better future, a better future that will provide a better life for its people. So we will analyze the results of this first set of discussions and see where we are going to go. The one thing we are also absolutely committed to is that there must be a multilateral approach and a multilateral solution to this problem. Nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula are a threat to every neighbor in the region, and a threat to the region, and we believe a threat to us as well. And it is for that reason we have insisted that all of the nations in the region play a role. China has stepped up; South Korea and Japan are ready to participate in future conversations, when and if those conversations are held. And I hope the North Korean delegation will return to Pyongyang with a clear understanding of our point of view, as we have listened carefully to their point of view. I am particularly impressed at China's willingness to play an active role in these discussions, and I congratulate China for playing such an active role. ... QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for your very inspiring speech, as always. I have two questions: one on Korea and the other one on the Middle East. First, Korea, as we face the nuclear issue, too many people have been emphasizing peaceful solutions. Now, obviously, there is no question that everybody prefers peaceful solution. But I think it's most important that we have a solution. Are we making it absolutely clear to North Korea that the solution has to be found, peaceful or otherwise? Because, otherwise, it tantamounts to license for him to operate any way he wants. So that's the first question. ... SECRETARY POWELL: On the first question, we have made it absolutely clear to the North Koreans, and, working with North Korea's neighbors, I think all of them with us have made it absolutely clear to North Korea that a nuclearized peninsula is unacceptable. The Chinese have said it rather clearly. They said it most clearly and most powerfully last fall when President Jiang Zemin was at Crawford visiting President Bush at his ranch, and the Chinese have been acting on that policy of theirs. And that's why they were one of the participants in the discussions of this week. So we have made it absolutely clear. As you know, we have not taken any options off the table, but the President remains convinced that a peaceful solution can be found through diplomacy and through political action. But it's going to take efforts on the part of all of North Korea's neighbors. North Korea would like to make it a U.S.-North Korean problem; it is not a U.S.-North Korean problem. That's how they tried to solve it last time and it didn't work. The Agreed Framework kept some weapons from being built for some period of time. But, at the same time, we thought we had the genie captured in one bottle, the North Koreans were building another bottle and had a genie in it dealing with enriched uranium. The solution has to be denuclearization of the peninsula. We have also made it clear to North Korea that they have nothing to fear from denuclearization. The nations in the region stand willing to help. The South Koreans have made it clear that they want to have a better relationship with North Korea, that they want people to go back and forth, they want families to be unified; they are one people. The Japanese Government, in the presence of Mr. Koizumi, Prime Minister Koizumi, when he visited last year, made it clear that Japan would like to move forward and help North Korea with development. And so there are nations in the region that want to help North Korea out of its isolation and out of the destitute circumstances in which its people live. And North Korea has to come to the understanding that all of that is there available if they behave in a more responsible way, with respect to nuclear weapons programs and with respect to other actions that they take, whether it be developing and selling missiles, or testing long-range missiles that threaten the region. We will be firm. We will continue to press for a diplomatic solution. We will remove no options from the table. And the North Koreans should not leave the meetings in Beijing, now that they have come to a conclusion, there may be some more bilateral meetings between the United States and China, and between China and North Korea. But our meetings with North Korea are in the trilateral or multilateral setting. But they should not leave this series of discussions that have been held in Beijing with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners, and the nations in the region will be intimidated by bellicose statements, or by threats or actions they think might get them more attention, or might force us to make a concession that we would not otherwise make. They would be very ill-advised to move in that direction. (end excerpt) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
