TRANSCRIPT: ADVISOR FUERTH BRIEFING ON GORE-LI PENG MEETINGS
(Meetings cordial despite difficult issues discussed)

Beijing -- Vice President Gore's meetings with Chinese Premier Li Peng were cordial, notwithstanding the fact that there were sometimes some difficult things to say or to listen to, according to Leon Fuerth, the Vice President's national security advisor.

"There was a readiness to absorb an entire message and a willingness to come back in moderate terms -- on both sides," Fuerth said.

Fuerth, who briefed reporters following the meetings March 25, said the Vice President began one meeting with a general overview of the U.S.-China relationship and where it could go into the 21st century. There was, he said, "a sense of hope that if we keep on working at it we may be able to knit together something that really does connect us, really does help us ride through our disagreements and really allows us to do constructive things together."

The Vice President and Premier discussed human rights, Fuerth said. The Vice President tried to keep the discussion affirmative, he said. "Everybody is already aware that this problem has created negative consequences for the relationship and what he's trying to talk about is how to work our way into a situation where we begin to get some positive consequences for the relationship. And he would like to focus people on how to build proactively by choice and by decision, rather than have a debate defensively," Fuerth said.

Following is the official transcript of the briefing:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

For Immediate Release       March 25, 1997

BRIEFING BY THE VICE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR LEON FUERTH

SPOKESPERSON: We're going to do two phases of a briefing this evening. Leon Fuerth will brief you on for the record but not for camera. He'll give you an overview of the good day today on -- with how we wrapped up tonight at the banquet. I have the menu, Leon, if you want me to pass it out so you can tell them what you ate. And then Dr. Jack Gibbons will talk to you about the environmental symposium that the Vice President and the Premier attended today and Dr. Jack Gibbons did a series of meetings afterwards as well. That will be for the record, and obviously for camera. Leon?

MR. FUERTH: One second here. Okay, yeah.

All right. I'm sorry what I'm doing is using the briefing book that I schlep around. And it gives me an equivalent of an outline, so bear with me while I turn to the right pages. There were two meetings with Premier Li Peng -- actually, three, but two of them were back-to-back, dealing with bilateral issues. And then the third meeting was the one that Dr. Gibbons is going to talk to you about, that is on the environmental forum and the subject matter that it covered. So, let me go to the two meetings. There was a small format meeting; I think about eight people on a side. And then it rolled into a big format with about fifteen people on a side.

The mood in these meetings was cordial, notwithstanding the fact that there were sometimes some difficult things to say or to listen to. But, there was a readiness to absorb an entire message and a willingness to come back in moderate terms -- on both sides, and that's pretty good, when you think about it.

The Vice President began the small meeting with a general overview of the U.S.-China relationship, with a special reference to where one might hope it could get as we move towards and into the 21st century. And a sense of hope that if we keep on working at it we may be able to knit together something that really does connect us, really does help us ride through our disagreements and really allows us to do constructive things together.

He had a review of a few specific regional interests that are of security interest to both sides. You would probably like for me to tell you which countries, but I should not because I'm not sure that the countries concerned would feel that good about it, but the discussion was clear and constructive, in the sense that they looked at situations that are of concern and had an exchange of views.

They discussed human rights. And again, the tone of this discussion was what I gave you before. I mean this may be one of the touchiest things between the two countries. The Vice President told them what was on our mind, and they told him what was on theirs. But it was a conversation. And it left them at the end of that time in a position to take up the next agenda item in a calm and equitable frame of mind.

The Premier asked a question about what went on in Helsinki. He said they knew about things in the general terms. He wondered whether the Vice President could add some detail. And the Vice President reviewed the major results of Helsinki, and Li Peng provided some insights as to the Chinese perspective on these things. Generally speaking, he said that the Chinese side regarded anything which helped Russia find a place of respect and of security inside an international framework was a good thing. And he said that one should not underestimate Russia, despite its present difficulties. And of course, the Clinton Administration has exactly the same view: One should not underestimate Russia; one should realize that it is always inherently a great power and treat it as such, knowing that whatever it's going through now it will come out of that.

They talked about the problem of nonproliferation and explored some areas where there is the possibility of closer communication, closer coordination. They shifted to trade, and they discussed the question of China's accession to the World Trade Organization. And the Vice President made it very clear that American policy strongly favors Chinese accession to the WTO on commercially viable terms.

They talked about the trade deficit. Debated bookkeeping techniques for a time because the Chinese approach to the calculation of these things is different than our own. But, essentially had a discussion about what it takes to form a healthy trading relationship.

And the Vice President also raised the subject of the future of Hong Kong. I will anticipate, not that we don't know its future -- it will return to Chinese sovereignty as scheduled -- but the discussion turned to perceptions on both sides of what it would take to keep the city vital and in good shape. And I would like to tell you that it seems to me that there wasn't that much difference.

I'm trying to leave a lot for the Vice President to fill in for you when he next connects, but at least want to give you a flavor of how this stuff was coming out.

Okay, so that pretty much wraps this up. You'll probably want to ask me, did he talk about the question of the Embassy and the money and this that and the other and I will tell you that he'll answer your question, but I should leave it to him. I don't think it'll be too long before he'll have an opportunity to talk to you about it.

That ended the series of two bilaterals and then went on into the signing. And there were three agreements signed. I think in order they were a consular agreement that provides for the permanence of our Consulate General in Hong Kong, a General Motors agreement, and the Boeing agreement.

Now, I could go on into other meetings that occurred in the course of the day, and they were interesting and very useful, and I will if it's valuable to you but I'll stop here and take some of your questions.

Q: Do you think the picture of the Vice President toasting with Li is an unalloyed benefit relative to his career? Is there probably a down side to that down the road?

MR. FUERTH: I don't think I can answer your question. All I know is that they usually serve champagne when they sign a contract. And I think somebody just laid on the champagne. So it happened.

Q: Did you not know this was coming down?

MR. FUERTH: I didn't know it wasn't; I didn't know it would. But they walked out with it, and so that was that. That's how he feels about it or how it will turn out. I think you ought to ask him that question when you see him because that's his calculation. He's better at it than I am. But this is from our point of view a thing that would normally happen at a signing of that magnitude. And we interpreted it in that light. And other questions?

Q: You said you weren't too specific about the issue of money and territory. Would you at least tell us if this issue was discussed?

MR. FUERTH: Okay, yes.

Q: It was?

MR. FUERTH: Right.

Q: Was it friendly, constructive, ...

MR. FUERTH: The last time I tried to say anything for the Vice President to use, I got in big trouble, so I will answer your question by saying that no matter what they talked about, it was possible for them to talk in an extremely calm way. Who was listening was receptive; who was talking was calm, whichever way the conversation was flowing. And then I really want to leave it to him to say anything further about it, if he wants to.

Q: Did they discuss the Taiwan question?

MR. FUERTH: Give me a minute. No. I had to check and, but no.

Q: (Unintelligible.)

MR. FUERTH: I think that among the hot button subjects for discussion, one of the best of them, has been human rights. But I can think of a number of others of them. And I think it is noteworthy and emblematic of the way the entire day has gone, that people, not just Li Peng and the Vice President, but all the other people that he met were really exchanging information and talking. His discussions about the evolution of the People's Congress, the direction in which elections at various levels are going, the reconstruction of the laws, his discussion of how you calculate trade accounts with the trade person -- these were not complaint matched by harangue, these were real discussions with a lot of give-and-take on both sides and plenty of humor at times, too.

Q: Mr. Fuerth, it's great to have a civil conversation, but critics of the administration say that you don't have many positive results to show when it comes to the issue of human rights. Do you expect the Vice President to get something that shows some real concrete developments in this country in the human rights area?

MR. FUERTH: I'm trying to figure out exactly the right way to address that kind of question. A person is not like a contract or material, and so you hope that, for their own reasons, for considerations of clemency or whatever calculation it might be, the Chinese government, exercising its own sovereignty, might take some steps with some of these people that would sit well with opinion in the United States and in much of the rest of the world. But somehow, to go in there and say, "Did you get something?" is -- it suggests that it's gotta be on-the-barrelhead exchange, and I think what it has to be is a slow effort over time, and if you do it the right way and in the right atmosphere, you hope it'll be crowned with success.

Q: (Unintelligible.)

MR. FUERTH: We have, not only a meeting with the Premier, but there's also a pending meeting with the President. And so, I would like to be excused, so that I can give -- a little flexibility as to tactics.

Q: (Unintelligible.)

MR. FUERTH: I think that we'll have this discussion over a period that extends beyond the Vice President's discussion with the Premier. And I think when he briefs you at the end of the day when it's done, he can be more explicit about what he's done with respect to specific personalities.

Q: When the Vice President talked about human rights, does he say there are consequences, negative consequences for this relationship, U.S.-China relationship, if there's not demonstrable improvement?

MR. FUERTH: He tried to put it in the affirmative. Everybody is already aware that this problem has created negative consequences for the relationship and what he's trying to talk about is how to work our way into a situation where we begin to get some positive consequences for the relationship. And he would like to focus people on how to build proactively by choice and by decision, rather than have a debate defensively.

SPOKESPERSON: Thank you.

(end transcript)