Remarks Upon Arrival in Japan

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Yes, tonight, as I understand the schedule, I will meet with my Chinese counterpart, actually the head of the Six-Party Talks, Mr. Wu Dawei. Then tomorrow I think I have a very full program at the Japanese Foreign Ministry. I look forward to meeting with Saiki-san for the first time in his capacity as the head of the Six-Party delegation. And I also have a meeting with the North America Director-General, Mr. Nishimiya.

QUESTION: Just in brief, in Beijing you received a kind of proposal from China to get over the stalemate?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, I think China in its capacity as chairman of the talks would like to see what can be done, and so we are in constant communication with the Chinese about that. My main purpose on this trip is to prepare for Secretary Rice's visit here, where she will be meeting with all the partners in the Six-Party process. And so I look forward tomorrow to have a good discussion with the Japanese and to see how we can go forward, just as I did that in Beijing with the Chinese. And because Mr. Wu Dawei was in Europe, I'm only able to meet him here in Tokyo.

QUESTION: You were talking about the Chinese providing some ideas, and they --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: As chairman of the process, they are always looking for ideas, and I look forward to discussing my ideas and hearing what Wu Dawei has to say as well.

QUESTION: Is there any specific ideas the North Koreans are interested in?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, not that I'm aware of.

QUESTION: Where are you going to meet with Wu Dawei?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I believe we will meet at the Chinese Embassy, but you’ll have to check the American Embassy to confirm that.

QUESTION: Do you have the time as well?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, I don’t. I’m sorry, I’m a terrible scheduler. I just do what people tell me to do.

QUESTION: Is there any possibility that Ms. Rice is going to visit Pyongyang this time?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, she has a very busy program, which involves going to Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul for the inauguration of the new Korean president. So she has no other travel plans in the region.

QUESTION: Even after you report back about the meeting with the North Koreans, she will not change her mind?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: No, she will not change her mind. I mean, it's a very busy program. I think she gets into Seoul very late Sunday night and will go on from there to Beijing and then to Tokyo.

QUESTION: During her stay in Japan, is she going to express great concern over the allegation in Okinawa?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Look, I don't want to speak for Secretary Rice in this regard. Obviously, we are very much concerned by these incidents, and I look forward to discussing these matters and other bilateral issues with the Director-General for the North America Division, Mr. Nishimiya. I will be doing that tomorrow morning.

QUESTION: And will she --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: She will be coming next week, and I'm sure she will also be discussing these and other bilateral issues as well.

QUESTION: There’s a plan for New York Philharmonic to visit Pyongyang on the 26th. Is it going to happen as scheduled?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I’m not a spokesman for the New York Philharmonic, but my understanding is, yes indeed. And they have a program. They have worked very hard to make all the arrangements. It's a private initiative, but it's one that we have very much supported.

QUESTION: When is your next visit to Pyongyang? Is it planned?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I don't have any onward travel plans to Pyongyang at this point. As I said when I was in Seoul and in Beijing as well, I did have very good and useful discussions with Mr. Kim Kye-gwan. They confirmed the DPRK’s continuing interest in trying to find a resolution to the problems of phase two. I discussed with him my own concerns about what needs to be done to get through phase two. So it's been a difficult issue, but I want to remind everybody that we've had many other difficult issues in the Six-Party Talks. So let's see if we can find a way through this one.

QUESTION: What are you going to talk about with Mr. Wu Dawei?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, he’s the chairman of the Six-Party process, and I was not able to see him in Beijing. So I'm very fortunate that I can see them here, and I think we will be talking about how to get through phase two. I hope also I can have some discussion about how we might approach phase three, because obviously we are already close to getting into March 2008. We hope to get this done in this calendar year. So it's going to be difficult, and we need to do some consultation about it.

So if you'll excuse me, I really need to get moving here.

QUESTION: Tomorrow are you going back to Washington directly?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Actually, I’m going to Los Angeles. I've got a speaking engagement there, and then San Diego, and then back here, and back to Seoul.