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CNN Live Sunday
North Korea Discussed On Eve Of APEC Meetings
Aired October 19, 2003 - 18:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCOR: Well, before the war, President Bush included Iraq in what he called an axis of evil. North Korea was also on that list. Now the president is opening the door to difffuse the crisis over its nuclear weapons program. CNN Bangkok bureau chief Tom Mintier joins us with more on this -- Tom.
TOM MINTIER, CNN BANGKOK BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, opening the door just a crack, but not wide open. This is supposed to be the APEC summit that President Bush is attending. But as so often is the case, other issues besides economics find their way either on the agenda or on the sidelines.
Now, as this summit prepares to open, those other issues are starting to come to fro. There was a one on one meeting yesterday between President Bush and Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Following that meeting, Mr. Bush made the surprise announcement that he would be willing to put something down on paper, not a non-aggression pact, but something on paper agreed to by the other six members that are involved in the negotiations to ensure that North Korea does get rid of its nuclear weapons.
So Mr. Bush coming out following that meeting with the Mr. Thaksin -- or with him at his side actually -- making the comments that he would be willing to put something down on paper stating the U.S.'s intentions. But again, its something that would be agreed to by all six parties.
Now another time that discussion also came up was with a member of the six parties. Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, also had a meeting with President Bush, once again on the sidelines just before the summit began. On that agenda was North Korea and, also, a possibility of floating the yuen, the Chinese currency. It was agreed an expert study group would be set up. Mr. Ho saying that it's difficult to float the currency, that it could cause instability throughout the entire southeast Asian region.
So, again, economic issues are coming forward, but other issues like Iraq and North Korea, definitely high on the agenda. There was a spate of relaxation for the 21 leaders gathered here for this APEC summit. They were hosted to a state dinner by his majesty the king and queen of Thailand.
Now, this was a gala dinner held on the opens of of the eve of the summit and apparently a chance for some of the APEC leaders to relax, but there is little time for that, because many of the bilateral meetings are taking place before the actual economic summit does indeed begin. So it is starting in just a few hours, where economies are supposed to be discussed, but other world issues, including the war on terrorism, Iraq and North Korea are sure to find their way into the discussions -- Carol?
LIN: Tom, let's get back to focusing on the issue of North Korea. President Bush, it sounds like essentially he is offering a promise, not to attack North Korea. It's not a treaty. So how binding would it be and how likely is it that North Korea is going to respond favorably?
MINTIER: Well, as it stands in society, you're only as good as your word. The assurances that North Korea wanted was a non- aggression pact, a treaty, if you will. Something that the United States has been reluctant, if not totally unwilling to do. What it sounds like Mr. Bush is offering is a letter of guarantee that would indeed be signed by all six members, including Japan and South Korea and China.
So we'll have to wait and see if that is indeed good enough. What the North Koreans have wanted all along was a non-aggression treaty. Something to turn to and say, you signed this, not simply a letter stating intent.
LIN: Right. But in exchange for this promise by the United States not to attack North Korea, is the proviso that North Korea has to completely dismantle its nuclear program?
MINTIER: I think the U.S. secretary of state addressed that yesterday saying that we don't need to see everything to be done before we're willing to move forward. We need to see steps in the right direction.
The United States has been burned once already on North Korea's promise to dismantle its nuclear weapons processing program. So I think the United States, through the secretary of state has indicated, we don't need to see a finalization of the project, but we need to see the project started and under way before we're willing to move forward -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Tom Mintier live in Bangkok.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 19, 2003 - 18:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCOR: Well, before the war, President Bush included Iraq in what he called an axis of evil. North Korea was also on that list. Now the president is opening the door to difffuse the crisis over its nuclear weapons program. CNN Bangkok bureau chief Tom Mintier joins us with more on this -- Tom.
TOM MINTIER, CNN BANGKOK BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, opening the door just a crack, but not wide open. This is supposed to be the APEC summit that President Bush is attending. But as so often is the case, other issues besides economics find their way either on the agenda or on the sidelines.
Now, as this summit prepares to open, those other issues are starting to come to fro. There was a one on one meeting yesterday between President Bush and Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Following that meeting, Mr. Bush made the surprise announcement that he would be willing to put something down on paper, not a non-aggression pact, but something on paper agreed to by the other six members that are involved in the negotiations to ensure that North Korea does get rid of its nuclear weapons.
So Mr. Bush coming out following that meeting with the Mr. Thaksin -- or with him at his side actually -- making the comments that he would be willing to put something down on paper stating the U.S.'s intentions. But again, its something that would be agreed to by all six parties.
Now another time that discussion also came up was with a member of the six parties. Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, also had a meeting with President Bush, once again on the sidelines just before the summit began. On that agenda was North Korea and, also, a possibility of floating the yuen, the Chinese currency. It was agreed an expert study group would be set up. Mr. Ho saying that it's difficult to float the currency, that it could cause instability throughout the entire southeast Asian region.
So, again, economic issues are coming forward, but other issues like Iraq and North Korea, definitely high on the agenda. There was a spate of relaxation for the 21 leaders gathered here for this APEC summit. They were hosted to a state dinner by his majesty the king and queen of Thailand.
Now, this was a gala dinner held on the opens of of the eve of the summit and apparently a chance for some of the APEC leaders to relax, but there is little time for that, because many of the bilateral meetings are taking place before the actual economic summit does indeed begin. So it is starting in just a few hours, where economies are supposed to be discussed, but other world issues, including the war on terrorism, Iraq and North Korea are sure to find their way into the discussions -- Carol?
LIN: Tom, let's get back to focusing on the issue of North Korea. President Bush, it sounds like essentially he is offering a promise, not to attack North Korea. It's not a treaty. So how binding would it be and how likely is it that North Korea is going to respond favorably?
MINTIER: Well, as it stands in society, you're only as good as your word. The assurances that North Korea wanted was a non- aggression pact, a treaty, if you will. Something that the United States has been reluctant, if not totally unwilling to do. What it sounds like Mr. Bush is offering is a letter of guarantee that would indeed be signed by all six members, including Japan and South Korea and China.
So we'll have to wait and see if that is indeed good enough. What the North Koreans have wanted all along was a non-aggression treaty. Something to turn to and say, you signed this, not simply a letter stating intent.
LIN: Right. But in exchange for this promise by the United States not to attack North Korea, is the proviso that North Korea has to completely dismantle its nuclear program?
MINTIER: I think the U.S. secretary of state addressed that yesterday saying that we don't need to see everything to be done before we're willing to move forward. We need to see steps in the right direction.
The United States has been burned once already on North Korea's promise to dismantle its nuclear weapons processing program. So I think the United States, through the secretary of state has indicated, we don't need to see a finalization of the project, but we need to see the project started and under way before we're willing to move forward -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Tom Mintier live in Bangkok.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
