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 Under Secretary for Political Affairs > Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Date: 01/20/2009 Description: Blue envelope icon, used for email subscriptions. State Dept PhotoSign up for East Asian and Pacific Affairs email updates

East Asian and Pacific regionThe Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, headed by Assistant Secretary Kurt M. Campbell, deals with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. relations with the countries in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Meetings in Burma
Date: 11/04/2009 Description: Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell and Deputy Assistant Secretary Scot Marciel meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the Inya Lake Hotel in Burma. © State Dept ImageAssistant Secretary Campbell (Nov. 4): "Today in Rangoon, our team met with ethnic representatives and had a two hour meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi during which we reaffirmed our commitment to a dialogue among the government, the opposition and the ethnic groups. The goal of such a dialogue would be national reconciliation and a fully inclusive political process inside Burma. Towards that end, we urge the Burmese government to allow Aung San Suu Kyi more frequent interactions with stakeholders especially the Central Executive Committee of her own party. In meetings with the government including the Prime Minister, the Minister of Information, the Minister of Science and Technology and many others, we clearly stated that the U.S. is prepared to take steps to improve the relationship. But that process must be based on reciprocal and concrete efforts by the Burmese government." View Video | Photo gallery | Comments in Japan  | Remarks by Deputy Assistant Secretary Marciel
U.S. Policy Toward Burma
Date: 10/21/2009 Description: Assistant Secretary for of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on the U.S. Policy Toward Burma. © House Recording Image from Video
Assistant Secretary Campbell (Oct. 21): "[W]e support a unified, peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Burma. While our goals in Burma remain the same as before, the policy review confirmed that we need additional tools to augment those that we have been using in pursuit of our objectives. A policy of pragmatic engagement with the Burmese authorities holds the best hope for advancing our goals. A central element of this approach is a direct, senior-level dialogue with representatives of the Burmese leadership. We hope a dialogue with the Burmese regime will lay out a path forward towards change in Burma and a better, more productive bilateral relationship." Full Statement | Video
Implementation of the UN Resolutions on North Korea
Date: 10/20/2009 Description: Philip Goldberg, U.S. ambassador in charge of enforcing U.N. sanctions against North Korea, speaks to reporters in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. © AP Image
Ambassador Goldberg (Oct. 20): "Our agreement on the way forward is really based in three areas: one is a return to the core principle, the essential element of discussing denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula; second, that this should be achieved through a multilateral framework, the Six-Party framework; and number three, implementation of the resolutions 1874 and 1718, which have been agreed as part of our cooperative efforts to achieve denuclearization and a return to the multi-party framework." Full Text
The Future of APEC
Date: 10/14/2009 Description: Acting Senior Official for APEC Kurt Tong testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment on The Future of APEC. © House of Representative Image from VideoActing Senior Official Tong (Oct. 14): "APEC is strategically important to the United States because it is a primary venue for multilateral engagement with the Asia-Pacific on economic and other key interests. APEC’s growing economic importance is clear. The 21 APEC members account for 55 percent of world GDP; 45 percent of global trade; and 40 percent of the world’s population. Sixty percent of U.S. goods exports go to APEC economies. Five of America's top seven trade partners are APEC members."  Full Statement | Video
Commitment to Return to Six-Party Framework
Date: 07/18/2009 Description: Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell in Seoul, South Korea © AP Image from VideoAssistant Secretary Campbell (Oct. 11): "[W]e were pleased that the North Korean leadership underscored – with some caveats that we’re going to have to explore in greater detail – but essentially reaffirmed the commitment to return to the Six-Party framework and to abide by some of the agreements that they have signed up for in the past. ...there is a very clear position on the part of the United States, in Japan, South Korea and China, that North Korea must accept its commitments made on several occasions to a nuclear-free Korean peninsula." Full Text
U.S. Relationship With Vietnam
Date: 10/01/2009 Description: Remarks by Secretary Clinton and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem after their meeting. © State Dept Image from VideoSecretary Clinton (Oct. 1): " I also reaffirmed to the minister the commitment of the United States to strengthen and deepen our relationship with Vietnam and the nations of Southeast Asia. We believe that this is a region vital to global progress, prosperity, and peace, and we are fully engaged with our partners in ASEAN on a wide range of challenges."  Full Text | View Video

Travel to Europe and Asia
Preview of the November APEC Meetings in Singapore
Senior Official Tong (Nov. 3): "President Obama will make his first trip to Asia since taking office and participate in his first APEC leaders meeting in Singapore. There will be quite a raft of senior U.S. Government officials going to Singapore. Secretary Clinton is going to and participate in the annual ministerial meeting." Full Text | View Video

Expulsion of Diplomats in Fiji
Department Spokesman Kelly (Nov. 4): "The United States deplores the decision by Fiji's de facto government to expel New Zealand's acting head of mission, as well as Australia's high commissioner. This latter act is unprecedented in that Australia now holds the chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum. These actions have undermined any opportunity for progress toward reengagement and constructive dialogue with its neighbors." Full Text

North Korea: Re-launch Six-Party Talks 
Spokesman Kelly (Nov. 3): "[W]e’re focused on with North Korea is getting to the point where we can re-launch the Six-Party Talks which will get us to our ultimate goal, which is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. I’ll say, as a matter of principle, that reprocessing plutonium is contrary to North Korea’s own commitments that it committed to in the 2005 joint statement, and also would be a violation of various UN Security Council resolutions. And what we’re looking for is North Korea to take steps to achieve verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner."  Full Text

Meeting With Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
Date: 10/26/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton and Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew make remarks before their meeting. © State Dept ImageSecretary Clinton (Oct. 26): "I’m delighted to welcome the Minister Mentor here today. He is no stranger to our country. Singapore is a long and valued partner on so many important issues. And I think it is fair to say, sir, that you have a great many admirers. You’re here to accept an important award that is given for lifetime achievement, and I join in the many Americans who thank you for your service."  Full Text

Press Availability in Beijing, China
Assistant Secretary Campbell's remarks on a range of regional and global matters including China, North Korea and Burma.

USAID Disaster Assistance
Department Spokesman Kelly (Oct. 5): "AID is providing, as I said before, the emergency relief commodities. This includes plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, generators. And this will all be distributed via the Red Cross." How Can I Help?

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Europe and Asia November 8-19, 2009.
 

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