Saturday, February 21, 2009

Hillary Clinton’s Roundtables with Press in South Korea

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Toward a More Comprehensive Strategic Relationship With South Korea


Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State, Secretary of State
Roundtable with Korean Journalists
Seoul, South Korea
February 20, 2009


MODERATOR: So it’s my great pleasure to welcome you, Madame Secretary, and I think I’ll just ask how you’d like to begin, maybe say a couple of things. You’ve had a long day.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I am delighted to have this opportunity to sit down with all of you, and I’m very pleased to be back here in Korea. I have very pleasant memories of my prior times here, and now to be back and to be in the position I’m in representing my country and working with your country on so many important issues is a pure personal delight. So I’m looking forward to your questions.

QUESTION: You seem to look very happy and joyful during the conversation with the students in Ewha University. How was that, and how does it feel to be back in Korea, not as First Lady but as the Secretary of State?

SECRETARY CLINTON: I loved the event at Ewha University. I had the vantage point of looking out at this very large audience of all these extraordinary young women, and it made me so proud. And I know how each one of them has dreams for her life, as we all do, and I’m hopeful that as we move into the future that more and more of those dreams will come true.

So it was an honor being at the largest women’s university in the world, and I felt a real kinship, having gone to a women’s college. And to be representing my country and our new President and the Obama Administration, we’re making so many changes. It’s only been a month that we’ve had the chance to take office and start working. But on so many important issues, I think you can see that the United States is reaching out. We’re listening. We’re hoping to form closer relationships. And I chose to come to Asia first because I wanted to underscore the significance of not only the region, but particularly the countries that I am visiting.

QUESTION: Are you going to meet Kim Jong-il? If so, is there any pre-condition? So what (inaudible) when you meet him?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Meet who?

QUESTION: Kim Jong-il.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, well, I have no intention of meeting him. (Laughter.) I have no plans to meet him. I did announce today the appointment of a new Special Representative for North Korea, a distinguished diplomat, Ambassador Steve Bosworth, who served here in Korea as well as other posts, who’s very familiar with North Korea. In fact, he was just there as a private citizen in the last weeks. So I will be looking to get reports from him and Ambassador Sung Kim, who will continue to lead our Six-Party negotiations. But I have no intention or plans at this time to go to North Korea.

QUESTION: Pre-condition?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I have no plans at this time, so that’s not even part of our thinking.

QUESTION: You mentioned that you were going to discuss the contingency plans for post Kim Jong-il regime and (inaudible) in North Korea on the way to Korea. What did you discuss with South Korean Government regarding that?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it’s interesting because it’s been a matter of public concern for months now as to what was happening in North Korea. You all have written about it. People around the world have speculated about it. But I wanted to make it clear that we are prepared to deal with this government. And I guess the preconditions we have are not in relation to my visiting. That’s not something we’re even contemplating. The preconditions are as to whether or not we can have a better relationship with North Korea. And we’ve made that very clear, that if the North Koreans completely and verifiably eliminate their nuclear weapons program, then we would consider normalizing our relations with them, seeking to sign a peace treaty in place of the armistice, and working with South Korea and other nations to offer aid, such as energy aid and economic aid.

So I think it’s important that the entire North Korean leadership, not just Kim Jong-il but the entire leadership, understand what it is we are offering and expecting. So those are our conditions in terms of going forward with them.

QUESTION: Okay. I am truly delighted to meet you in this roundtable. My question is regarding the alliance of R.O.K. and U.S. You mentioned in Japan the Korea-U.S. alliance is one of the staunchest alliance in the history. Thank you for your good comment on that. The strategic alliance means we understand R.O.K.-U.S. will cooperate in globally in terms of to keep peace and stability in world. But specifically speaking in Afghanistan peace and stability, what do you expect Korea’s government have in addition to the civilian assistance? Do you expect some troop to Afghanistan?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, let me answer both parts of your question. First, we do want to work toward a vision of a more comprehensive strategic relationship. And I discussed that with the president and the prime minister and the foreign minister. Because there is so much that we can work together to achieve. You know, Korea is one of the G-20 nations, so we’re working on the economic crisis and how we can best resolve that. We want to have a very deep collaboration on climate change and clean energy. We are looking for other areas of cooperating on security issues, on development aid, which the ROK is beginning to be more and more involved in. So there are many areas.

Now, Afghanistan is part of that overall relationship, and we are appreciative of what the government has committed to in terms of police training and joint aid with Japan, some very important contributions. And we, at this point, are still doing our own policy review of what we’re going to be doing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So we have no specific requests at this time, but we’re friends. We’re allies. We might very well discuss something in the future. But any decision is up to the government and the people of Korea.

QUESTION: Thank you, Madame Secretary. You have mentioned incentives you’re offering include diplomatic normalization, financial aid, and so on. But it seem that all that had been put on the table before, before the Obama Administration. What needs to be done differently this time around?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that we have to gauge the willingness of the North Korean regime to return to the Six-Party Talks. And I think it’s important to underscore the progress that was made in that context. The dismantlement of the facility at Yongbyon is nearly done. It’s something that we want to see completed. And we are aware of the fact that we can’t stop, we have to keep pushing the North Koreans to act.

I think there’s a kind of assessment period going on. The Obama Administration has only been in office a month. So we want to reiterate our policy so there’s no misunderstanding as to where we stand and what we expect. And we’re watching to see how the North Koreans respond. So I think that how we proceed depends, number one, on what the North Koreans decide, but equally importantly, what the other Six Parties are willing to do. So I have discussed this in Japan, I’ve discussed this here in Korea, and I will be discussing this over the next two days in China.

QUESTION: Back to (inaudible). You served as First Lady and senator and ran in the presidential primaries. What drives you to keep going forward and what’s your next goal? Again president?

SECRETARY CLINTON: No. (Laughter.) I really have been fortunate because I’ve been able to do a number of jobs that I find just so satisfying and incredibly meaningful to me. And I want to be the best Secretary of State I can be. I want to help my country. I want to support President Obama. I want to convey a message to the rest of the world about American values and our openness to working with others to achieve common goals.

I think there has been a sense that America was absent in many parts of the world, that we weren’t as attuned to what other countries were thinking and feeling. And I want to reestablish our presence. It’s one of the reasons why we appointed a Special Envoy to the Middle East and a Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and why within the first month we have appointed a Special Representative for North Korea, because we know that we have a lot of difficult challenges, and it’s important that we just get up and going as quickly as possible.

Next week, I’ll be in Egypt for the aid conference that the Egyptian Government is sponsoring to help with the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza.

So there’s a lot to be done as Secretary of State. And I get to work with wonderful people like your ambassador in trying to create new opportunities and solve problems, and that’s what we’re intent upon accomplishing.

QUESTION: The United States has experienced anti-American feelings. Did you feel any of that while traveling this time?

SECRETARY CLINTON: No.

QUESTION: If so, do you have any plan to change the image of the United States much better?

SECRETARY CLINTON: I was so excited by the positive response that I received on behalf of this new Administration. In every country that I’ve visited, certainly the governments were very welcoming, but so were the people. We were looking at a picture in the newspaper today of people with a positive demonstration welcoming me to, you know, Seoul. And I mean, that’s kind of new to have people actually out on the street waving placards and chanting about how happy they are that the United States is here and that we’re going to work together. So I feel that there’s a tremendous receptivity around the world to our new President and our new policies.

I don’t underestimate how difficult the problems are. I mean, we all wish that the people who are causing trouble around the world would just wake up one morning and decide that they’re going to pursue a different path, but in very few instances does that ever happen. So it takes a lot of persistence and careful preparation in order to engage in diplomacy that will result in positive change.

And one of the people with me on the trip is Assistant Secretary Chris Hill, who has been deeply involved in working with the North Koreans and with your government and the other parties in the Six-Party Talks. And it’s painstaking work. It just takes an enormous amount of energy and commitment.

But what’s the alternative? Just to leave these troublesome situations to grow worse? We don’t think that’s the right approach, so we’re going to be working hard in all of these areas across the world. And I think much of the world is very relieved to see how engaged we are and how determined we are. We can’t solve all of the problems, but we can promise our best efforts and we can listen to our friends and allies and other countries who have experience to offer, and that’s what we intend to do.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) that the most important relationship for U.S. and Asia is with China. Do you still stand by that statement?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well – (laughter).

QUESTION: (Inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that that was somewhat misunderstood. We have rock-solid relationships, alliances that already exist with Korea and with Japan, for example. Those are like members of the family. But trying to figure out what our relationship with China is going to be going forward is a very big priority. That doesn’t in any way take away from our enduring commitment to our existing allies.

But we do have to all figure out how we’re going to deal with a China that is becoming more and more successful. I think there are tremendous possibilities for cooperation because of that. But you just can’t stand on the sidelines and hope it happens. You have to be working and focused on the relationship, and we intend to do so.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary.

MODERATOR: Last question.

QUESTION: Yes. This morning in the press conference, you mentioned the U.S. Government are very supportive for the Lee Myung Bak’s government policy towards North Korea. And you had a lunch with President Lee Myung Bak this afternoon. What is your feeling and what is your impression on Lee Myung Bak’s saying toward U.S. alliance with North Korea issue?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I was very impressed by the president’s thoughtful analysis and understanding of the complexity of the relationship. I think that he and his government – because I also spoke, of course, with the prime minister and the foreign minister – are trying to balance the many different challenges that Korea now faces, and at the same time, assume more responsibility in the world.

So North Korea remains an overwhelming concern. And the Six-Party Talks is a process that the government supports as a way of trying to influence the behavior of North Korea. But of course, our alliance and relationship is the centerpiece of the security for the ROK and the president understands that. He believes that it’s essential to continue our military presence, our military cooperation subject to the agreed upon changes that will take place over the next several years.

But I was very impressed with the thoughtful approach that he presented in looking at the range of challenges that are confronting Korea, and the willingness to kind of step up and take a leadership role in solving the global economic crisis, in dealing with climate change. The president was very persuasive about climate change. He’s obviously studied it and understands it and believes it’s a great economic opportunity. So on a range of issues, not just on North Korea, I thought that he had some well thought-out positions that will serve as the basis for deepening and broadening our relationship.

QUESTION: How do you keep your health? (Laughter.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Two last – real quick questions. All right.

QUESTION: If I can say, I mean, you look very young and energetic.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I look very young?

QUESTION: You do. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, my goodness. I hope somebody is recording this. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: What’s your secret?
SECRETARY CLINTON: What’s my secret? (Laughter.) Oh, you know, I think I love what I do. And I’m a very fortunate person. I don’t spend a lot of time regretting what isn’t done. I think about what I will do. And I’m very lucky because I have a mother who will be 90 in June, who looks and is very healthy, so I can take no credit for my genes, which I inherited. But I think it mostly is because I feel very lucky to have the opportunities that I have and I love the work that I do and I’m honored to, you know, represent my country and play some role in that. And I take vitamins. (Laughter.)

MODERATOR: That’s a very sensitive question.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Is that a sensitive question?

MODERATOR: In Korea.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, is it really?

QUESTION: And yeah, my last question is about your daughter. As a mother, as a career woman, what kind of advice do you give to your daughter?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well I keep that to myself. I can’t really, you know, breach any confidence that I have with her. But I think it’s interesting how when your – as your children get older, they actually pay more attention to your advice. Children go through – I think we all do – we go through a period when we may not necessarily follow the advice of our parents. And then all of a sudden, you get to be a certain age and your parents seem smarter than you thought they were. So I think that’s kind of how we’ve developed, too.

QUESTION: Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much.

Working Toward Change in Perceptions of U.S. Engagement Around the World


Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State, Secretary of State
Roundtable With Traveling Press
Seoul, South Korea
February 20, 2009


MR. WOOD: Madame Secretary, I'll turn it over to you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, thank you, Robert. Well, what is there left to say? (Laughter.)
QUESTION: : I have a question.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I feel like we've been living together for days and days.
Yes.
QUESTION: : I have a question about what you've learned about the role of Secretary of State on this trip, and what you see your role is. Because you've hired a lot of envoys taking over a lot of big portfolios, including North Korea now.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first of all, having been on the job now for a month, I think there's a tremendous opportunity to reintroduce America to the world and to bring a message consistent with President Obama's vision about how we're going to work with people to find common ground to solve a lot of these big global challenges. And I came into it with the very clear idea that we had so much work to do that I wanted to be able to deploy some of the best diplomats and representatives that I could find.
So from the very beginning of my conversations with the President-elect, I said I believe in envoys. I tried to get the Bush Administration to appoint a special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan back in 2007. Because I think that given the range of issues that we have to deal with, it is not possible for the Secretary of State to manage and handle all of these problems without having a lot of strong people working with her. So I came into it looking to have the authority to appoint envoys, and I'm very pleased that the President agreed with me. And we worked it through, even before the inauguration so that as soon as he was inaugurated and I was sworn in, we could get to work.
I mean, look what we've accomplished in the last month. I mean, we've made it clear we're reengaged in the Middle East because we have a consistent presence with George Mitchell. We are in the midst of an in-depth review of our Afghanistan and Pakistan policy with the leadership of Ambassador Holbrooke. We now will have an experienced diplomat who knows both North and South Korea, handling the North Korea policy on an ongoing basis, which means that I can work with and oversee and be responsible for, but come to Asia and then go to Cairo and then go to Europe, as I will next week.
So to me, this is how I like to operate. And I think it enhances my ability to actually be effective globally. I don't think that one person in today's world, given the complexity and intensity of the challenges we face, could possibly handle all these portfolios without doing injustice to them.
QUESTION: : Can you just expand on that a little bit?
MR. WOOD: Let's go – let's do one with Nick, please.
QUESTION: : Okay. We'll go with – I wanted to --
QUESTION: : Sorry, are you changing the topic? Because I just wanted to follow up.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Let Martha do a follow-up. Yeah, we'll get back to you, Nick.
Okay.
QUESTION: : Just a little bit more on the special representatives and envoy. So they take this portfolio, they do this. How do you view what you do then? I mean, I know we're going to the Middle East, but do you come in when there's progress, do you come in as – describe how you --
SECRETARY CLINTON: But Martha, I don't think there is one-size-fits-all. I think that I've tried to hire the best people that I can get in the Department, and I've tried to recruit the best people that I could convince to take on some of these especially complex portfolios. They work for me and for the President. They report to me and to the President. And we're in constant contact about what they're doing, where they're going, what options they see. So ultimately, I'm accountable because these are my choices and I have chosen to organize the work we face in this way.
But it's going to be different depending upon the situation. And so I don't think there's any way to say, well, this is how it's going to work because it's more like jazz; you've got to improvise, you've got to have people who are both great individual and ensemble players. Both – all of our envoys and special representatives work with the ambassadors in the region, they work with the State Department, they work with the White House. I've been around long enough that I don't need to feel that I have to handle every single aspect of these difficult problems. I couldn't possibly do that. You can have a lot of motion with no movement, and I expect the people that I entrusted with these jobs to get out there and to be focused on making something happen, or at least to put their best efforts into trying to do that.
So when I'm in Cairo, George Mitchell will be there, too. I'll be speaking for the United States Government, but he will get in the region and will have a lot of information to report. So it's just – it's a constant back and forth trying to figure out how we're going to push this ball forward.
QUESTION: : And in the context of that, do you see these envoys as exploring a regional dynamic and finding the natural grain and then just sort of kind of guiding things along that serve American interests? I mean, has this been done before, and is that a very new approach?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that's a wonderful way of putting it. I think that in some respects it's been done. What George Mitchell did in Northern Ireland was an ongoing commitment by the United States Government to work with the British and Irish governments, and we didn't have a lot at stake directly, but indirectly it was a matter of great concern to a lot of people that the troubles be paid attention to. I think what you'll see with George Mitchell is similar. He has a tremendous amount of persistence and patience in dealing with thorny problems.
I mean, our goal is to try to reignite the willingness on the part of the parties to move toward a two-state solution. And it's a lot harder now than it was. I think the disengagement by the United States for the first part of the Bush Administration was unfortunate, because we weren't there on an ongoing basis to try to look for those opportunities, to see what could happen if we were working with those who were actually committed to a peaceful and secure outcome.
So we may – I may have some more envoys. I mean, I believe in this. I mean, I'll just quickly tell you, when I got back from Afghanistan and Pakistan in January of 2007, I called the White House and I spoke with the National Security Advisor, Mr. Hadley. And I said: Steve there's just – this is just not working. You have Musharraf totally negative about Karzai, Karzai negative about Musharraf. There's not a cooperative relationship. These two places are linked, and we have no way to keep them working on the same page. I really urge you to appoint somebody who can move back and forth between the two countries. And I said I don't have a name. I mean, if you want a name, I can give you some names to consider. But please, you've got to lift this up. The Embassy in Kabul is focused on Afghanistan. The Embassy in Islamabad is focused on Pakistan. We have to take a more regional approach.
And I was obviously unsuccessful, but I believed then, as I believe now, that this will help us figure out how best we can move forward. So that's why we're doing it.
QUESTION: : (Inaudible) next stop? Actually (inaudible).
QUESTION: : I actually wanted to move to (inaudible).
QUESTION: : If we can go – we can get something on China, because we're halfway through, that would be (inaudible).
SECRETARY CLINTON: Sure, okay.
QUESTION: : Could I just ask you quickly on Bosworth, who you just announced today. And because you talked about succession, and there were questions today – he was just in North Korea. And I understand he actually brought you and your colleagues and his friends a grim picture of what is happening in North Korea in terms of leadership, in terms of who's in charge, who's determining policy, who's trying to prove himself more Catholic than the Pope, because it's that time; it's a period of transition, perhaps.
Did that affect your thinking when you talked about the succession crisis? How is that going to affect your policy making when you get to it?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I have to confess that I'm somewhat fascinated by the concern that several of you have evidenced about succession, which to me is like the most obvious issue. It's been in the news for months. And I don't think that it's a forbidden subject to talk about succession in the hermit kingdom. In fact, it seems to me it's got to be factored into any policy review that one is undertaking. It's a fact. When you have a government like that that is so personality-centric, you deal with the hand you're dealt, which is the government that is there and the leader that is in charge, but you have to be thinking down the road about when and where. So obviously it's a factor, but I don't see that as news. I think it would be irresponsible for it not to be factored into what you were thinking about. It doesn't change the fact that you deal with Kim Jong-il now and for as long as he's the man who is calling the shots, and that's what we're doing. And I think Ambassador Bosworth is incredibly well suited for the work that lies ahead.
QUESTION: : Do you think he's calling the shots?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I have no idea.
QUESTION: : Can I just --
QUESTION: : (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: : -- can I just follow up on that?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I mean, we have to assume that he is because that's who we deal with.
QUESTION: : Why do you think it was interpreted by some as something that isn't said. Because it's so sensitive that it might offend the Chinese? Because it might have reverberations? Is that something that you, not being a “professional diplomat,” that you are more likely to say what you think, what you think is obvious, and not worry about (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that to worry about something which is so self-evident is an impediment to clear thinking. And I don't think it should be viewed as particularly extraordinary that someone in my position would say what's obvious. I said it the other day about Burma. Sanctions aren't working and others in the world who have tried to deal with the Burmese regime can't figure out how to engage them, so we're going to have a policy review about Burma. Maybe this is unusual because you're supposed to be so careful that you spend hours avoiding stating the obvious, but that's just not productive, in my view. So I think that it's worth being perhaps more straightforward and trying to engage other countries on the basis of the reality that exists in a number of these settings to try to encourage more thoughtful deliberation about where we're going and how we're going to get there. And so that's how I see it, and that's how I intend to operate.
QUESTION: : Can we just go to China (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: : (Inaudible) something to write on the plane (inaudible) when we get there.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I thought you were going to have a party on the plane.
QUESTION: : No, no, (inaudible). (Laughter.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, oh. Okay.
QUESTION: : So --
SECRETARY CLINTON: And the middle seat people get extra rounds. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: : Thank you.
QUESTION: : I'll have to move to a middle seat then. (Laughter.) I think Arshad will (inaudible). (Laughter.)
QUESTION: : China.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: : What do you see as the biggest challenge here, and why is it that there is an impression out there that human rights groups, not just people like us who are (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that everything is part of the agenda for this first visit. We have an opportunity, we hope, to engage with the Chinese on a range of issues. Let me just mention three of them. One is economic crisis. China and the United States are intertwined when it comes to our recovery. We both have undertaken stimulus packages. We both face difficult domestic challenges. And I think there is a lot of room for cooperation, which we are going to be seeking.
Secondly, global climate change. It's one of the reasons why I asked Todd Stern, another envoy that we have appointed, to come on this trip, because so many of the opportunities for clean energy, technology and the like are going to come out of this region of the world. I mean, Japan, South Korea, China are uniquely situated to be part of the answer to the problem of global climate change. How we engage them, particularly China, is going to be an incredibly important part of our diplomatic (inaudible).
And finally, a range of security issues. What will China be willing to do with respect to the Six-Party Talks and their bilateral relationship with North Korea? What's their perspective on Afghanistan and Pakistan where they have not only historical interests, but current commercial and security interests as well? There's a very broad security agenda to discuss with them.
Now, that doesn't mean that questions of Taiwan and Tibet and human rights, the whole range of challenges that we often engage on with the Chinese are not part of the agenda either. But we pretty much know what they're going to say. We know that we're going to press them to reconsider their position about Tibetan religious and cultural freedom, and autonomy for the Tibetans and some kind of recognition or acknowledgment of the Dalai Lama.
And we know what they're going to say, because I've had those conversations for more than a decade with Chinese leaders. And we know what they're going to say about Taiwan and military sales, and they know what we're going to say.
QUESTION: : So can't you just stipulate that at the beginning?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I mean Matt, there's a certain – I mean, look, there's a certain logic to that. I mean no – I don't mean to in any way to say that we know everything that's going to happen. But successive administrations and Chinese governments have been poised back and forth on these issues, and we have to continue to press them. But our pressing on those issues can't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis. We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and cooperation on each of those.
So I think it's fair to say that I come with a full agenda. But it's also, I think, fair to say we know, kind of, what the dialogue is on these others. We don't know yet how we're going to engage on the global economic crisis and the global climate change crisis and these security issues. So if we talk more about those, it's in large measure because that's where the opportunity for engagement is. And that doesn't mean that we have any lesser concern about the need for China to be more willing to recognize and protect the human rights of people, from free speech and freedom of religion to everything else.
QUESTION: : What do you expect on North Korea?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, look, yeah, I think we should let --
QUESTION: : The – I notice that you're going to go visit a church on Sunday.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: : And when Madeleine Albright visited – Rice visited a church, but when Madeleine Albright visited a church, she actually came out and made a statement calling for religious freedom in China. Are you planning to do anything like that, or is it just going to be, kind of, just a basic church visit?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I thought I would just go to church. (Laughter.) That's kind of what I was planning to do. I've gone to church in China before. And I'm going to be there on a Sunday morning, so I thought I would go to church. I think that, first, says volumes.
QUESTION: : Right. Why don't – probably the church – I looked it up on the web, but I don't remember now. But it was one of these officially state-sanctioned churches, right? You're not –you can't really go to one of the underground churches. I mean, does that give you pause --
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, without endangering people.
QUESTION: : Right, right.
SECRETARY CLINTON: That's the dilemma, yeah.
QUESTION: : So I think that's why Albright said something about it when she went there, because she didn't want to necessarily bless the state-sanctioned church while going to church.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, let me – let me think about that. I mean, my intention was just to go to church. That was what I was planning.
QUESTION: : Now, you've ruined it. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Now I'll make sure to go. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: : Well, we figured --
QUESTION: : Can I – Madame, I just wanted --
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: : I wondered if I could circle back for a moment to what you started off with and how you're, sort of, defining job. I think we all had a moment in the last couple of days, watching you either on a TV show or at the women's university, when you thought this was not your ordinary Secretary of State. You have a – sort of a personal celebrity and notoriety that almost guarantees people will – the encounters you'll have will be different. They'll be sort of more personal in some ways. And I wonder whether you thought through how you use that celebrity to get a message across. And are there limits to that in places where you don't want to go, where it would become, in your view, inappropriate or that – as the nation's chief diplomat, you also can't be a rock star.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, really? (Laughter.)
QUESTION: : Well, you could have sung. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: : That would have guaranteed she wouldn't be around. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: That's a good question, Mark. I think that I see our job right now, given where we are in the world and what we've inherited, as repairing relations not only with governments, but with people. And I think President Obama has an extraordinary capacity to do that because of the really positive feeling that he personally engenders. To a lesser degree, I have some of the same capacity, which I think is useful, because we are in a time where public opinion influences governmental decisions more so than historically has been the case, even in autocratic or authoritarian regimes. And having the ability to kind of get down into the population in a way that creates receptivity toward American policy is a significant advantage.
Now, will it lead to changes in government policy? I certainly don't claim that. But I do believe that it is an asset that the President has in an extraordinary intensity, and which, I have to some extent as well. I think it's also important to send the message that, as I've said repeatedly, I'm not just interested in talking to governments. I do believe that when a person can be connected to the rest of the world with a flick of a mouse, what someone like me says and I what I do as I represent our country has the potential for influencing attitudes and even behaviors.
I don't want to oversell this, because there are some very intractable, difficult problems. But I think it is – I think it is part of our toolbox for so-called smart power to be reaching out to people in a way that is not traditional and not confined by the ministerial meeting and the staged handshake photo and – that's important. That's part of the job. But going into universities where the next generation is going to be thinking about their role and how they see the world and what they think of America, or walking in a neighborhood in Jakarta and talking about bringing clean water and healthcare thanks to the American people, that is part of the message we're trying to convey.
QUESTION: : Can I just ask a thematic question?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: : So much of what you've been saying across the region is openness, dialogue, and soft power. But it seems like wherever we go, whether it's North Korea, Myanmar, and now even on China to some extent, that there just might not be a willingness on some of these regimes to talk to us. I mean, even Iran is – there's a real question. So looking ahead, how are you going to balance both your call for engagement, while at the same time facing the things that in the end might not want to engage on any level and could pose a real security threat?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Great question. I mean, first of all, I think we change the presumption. The President and I, as he eloquently said, are willing to extend a hand if you unclench your fist. Not everybody will unclench their fist. But the message of our extended hand has impact. And so to, in effect, reverse the presumption that the United States won't talk to you because we consider you X, Y or Z, as opposed to United States will consider talking to you in return for you taking certain actions that can lead to some kind of meaningful (inaudible).
So when regimes decide that they don't want to unclench their fist, I think that puts us in a stronger position internationally. I used to say during the campaign that engaging with Iran in an appropriate way had three benefits. Number one, we might actually learn something, because there is a certain opaqueness to the decision-making within the Iranian regime. So actually being in some way involved with them could inform our own understanding of how best to continue whatever policy toward them we chose.
Secondly, something positive might actually happen. You never know. But if you stand at opposite sides of the room and refuse to engage, it's guaranteed nothing will happen. So is it worth trying? Well, I think that is certainly possible. But thirdly, it's important to be seen as the United States who carries a greater moral burden than most other countries because of who we are and what we stand for, that we are willing to reach out. So that if we do face these security threats, we have a more understanding international community that'll say, well the Obama Administration was at least trying, unlike others who said no, we're never going to talk to these people.
And I think all of that added together can change the environment. Now, does it change it a little or does it change it a lot? We don't know. We're just beginning. I think that it is also clear that some of our willingness to even talk like this has upended the calculation of some of these regimes. A lot of international diplomacy is a head game. And part of what we're trying to do is to say okay, let's figure out how we can have some kind of engagement. All of a sudden, you see this panic on the faces of some of these regimes, like oh my gosh, we can't afford to do that. Look, they might actually score points with our public, or they might in some way divide the united front that we have put out.
So this is – this is a work in progress, but I think it's a more effective approach than adopting this kind of hands-off, name-calling, under-no-circumstances attitude. We talked to the Soviet Union during the entire Cold War. I mean, I was of the generation where I was doing duck-and-cover drills to protect myself from a nuclear attack. And yet we always kept talking to them. I mean, they threatened to bury us, they insulted our leaders, they took shoes off and hit desks. We never stopped talking to them. And I don't think that was a sign of weakness. I think that was a sign of strength. And it was also a signal to likeminded people that we were not afraid of the threat that they posed.
MR. WOOD: Last question. Paul --
QUESTION: : Yes.
MR. WOOD: Last question. We have to go.
QUESTION: : I wonder if I can go back to those stubborn issues with Chinese, Taiwan and Tibet human rights. You say that there has been this situation for many years where we speak our piece, they speak their piece, maybe there's not too much progress. Do you have any ideas about how we might budge that dialogue should some of these questions be linked to economic issues where they want us to do things?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Paul, it's hard to answer that in the abstract. If we were to believe that such a linkage would result in changes in behavior, we would certainly pursue that. It matters deeply to me. Remember I made a speech about women's rights and human rights and the Chinese Government cut the broadcast. So, I mean, I've had firsthand experience with some of the reactions.
So I think we are open and we are really speaking strategies that can make a difference. But I also think it's important that we continue on the track with these other issues where we do believe and have reason to believe that there is an openness to engaging. But I think it's going to be a continuing evaluation as we go forward. I'm very outcomes-oriented. I mean, what are we going to do that can possibly create changed conditions, and how do we build on whatever incremental progress we make? And it's a constant equation about one step forward and one step to the side, how do you continue to move the agenda. And that's what we're going to try to do.
MR. WOOD: Okay. Thanks, guys. We've got to go. Thank you.
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