Departure from the St. Regis Hotel

QUESTION: How do you think of the current relationship with China?

ARMITAGE: We need to advance U.S.-China relations. I have had a series of high level visits, most recently with Premier Wen. I will be meeting mostly with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am looking forward to good meetings.

QUESTION: What do you think of the relationship with China in terms of the six party talks? Is the collaboration pretty good?

ARMITAGE: I think we are collaborating very well. We are very grateful for the efforts of China. Madame Fu Ying and her colleagues have worked rigorously to bring this about and we are looking forward to, hopefully, a discussion with the North Koreans at some time in the future.

QUESTION: Do you think that you will be deciding some sort of date during this visit?

ARMITAGE: That we can decide the dates? Well, the decision on the dates is in Pyongyang not in Beijing so you would have to ask the North Koreans. But, I am sure the U.S. side, my colleagues and I, will have very good discussions with our Chinese colleagues. Thank you.