{ "error": "", "type": "text", "title": "Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo And Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland At a Press Availability - China and North Korea", "slug": "secretary-of-state-michael-r-pompeo-and-canadian-foreign-minister-chrystia-freeland-at-a-press-availability-china-and-north-korea", "text": "
\"QUESTION:<\/strong> To Secretary Pompeo, I understand you\u2019re supporting our government in the case of the two detained Canadians in China. I\u2019m wondering what specifically you\u2019ve committed to.<\/p>\n And to Minister Freeland, the steelworkers are denouncing the decision to lift tariffs on the illegally dumped steel from China in British Columbia and the LNG projects. I\u2019m wondering if you can talk about why that decision was made in light of the two Canadians detained in China.<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO:<\/strong> So I\u2019ll try to take the first one. While I can\u2019t talk about everything that we\u2019ve done, we started with immediately being very clear about the inappropriate nature of this unlawful detention of these two Canadian citizens. We spoke about it early and we speak about it a great deal. President Trump mentioned it directly in his meeting with President Xi Jinping. I was there when he did it. He made unambiguous America\u2019s concern about this inappropriate behavior. And then we\u2019ve done other \u2013 we\u2019ve engaged in other diplomatic activity, trying to help make the case for the release of these two, and we\u2019ll continue to do that until such time as they\u2019re home and returned to their families.<\/p>\n FOREIGN MINISTER FREELAND:<\/strong> And let me just say thank you for that, Mike, and as we said, we did discuss the detentions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor today, and we have discussed them many, many times.<\/p>\n When it comes to steel, let me just start by saying our government is tremendously supportive of our steel and aluminum sectors and our steel and aluminum workers. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, one of the successes that Canada and the United States have enjoyed in our relationship earlier this year is coming to a point where we were able to lift the 232 tariffs in both directions, and that has added to the prosperity of both of our countries, both of whose economies are growing strongly, and that has been really good news for Canadian steelworkers and that is a really good thing.<\/p>\n When it comes to the LNG project, this is one of the biggest investments in Canadian history. It is going to create a great number of new jobs in Canada, and it\u2019s an investment that Canadians can be proud of because it will contribute to the fight against climate change by making available Canadian LNG to replace coal in a lot of countries. So it\u2019s a very important project. It\u2019s something we are glad to be supporting and facilitating. Thank you. [...]<\/p> QUESTION:<\/strong> And could you answer the question about that extradition request?<\/p>\n FOREIGN MINISTER FREELAND:<\/strong> Oh, I\u2019m sorry.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Sure.<\/p>\n FOREIGN MINISTER FREELAND: <\/strong>So when it comes to the cases of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, as I said, we thank the U.S. for its support. And I think it\u2019s worth pointing out, maybe especially to our American visitors, that a great number of Canada\u2019s allies around the world have spoken out against these arbitrary detentions, and we thank all of those allies as well. Just last week, Heiko Maas, the German foreign minister, was in Canada on a bilateral visit, and he reiterated Germany\u2019s support and also was very clear publicly that Germany does raise this issue in its meetings with China.<\/p>\n When it comes to the extradition request from the United States of Ms. Meng, Canada and the United States have an extradition treaty, which has been in place for a long time \u2013 not quite longer than I have been alive, but pretty close. Our border is the longest un-militarized border in the world. And as Mike and I have both emphasized, there is \u2013 we just do a lot of business. A lot of stuff happens across that border, and we need to have an extradition treaty in place for both of our countries to function well and for that border to work.<\/p>\n When it comes to Canada applying our extradition treaty with the United States, it\u2019s not a political decision. The application of the extradition treaty is done under delegated authority by Canadian public servants, and that is as it ought to be. Extradition is a criminal justice matter; it is not a political matter.<\/p>\n And the case of Ms. Meng is currently before the Canadian courts, as it ought to be. As for the U.S. case against Ms. Meng, I think that\u2019s a matter for the U.S. and the U.S. criminal justice authorities.<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO: <\/strong>I\u2019d just add there, your question took the Chinese line. Your question connected these two things. These are deeply different. The arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens in China is fundamentally different as a human rights matter, as a rule of law matter. These are fundamentally different matters than the Canadian decision to use their due process and the rule of law to behave in a way that\u2019s deeply consistent with the way decent nations work. And so when you ask this question, you connect them up. That\u2019s what China wants to talk about. They want to talk about these two as if they are equivalent, as if they\u2019re morally similar, which they fundamentally are not.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Bonjour<\/em>, Madam Freeland.<\/p>\n (Via interpreter) Ms. Freeland, what do you tell the Chinese Government when they target you, when they name you on state television, telling you to stop meddling with internal affairs in Hong Kong and elsewhere in China? And don\u2019t you fear that perhaps this denunciation of yours could complicate even further the life of these two detainees in Beijing?<\/p>\n Mr. Pompeo, I\u2019m not sure if I got your point of Meng Wanezhou quite well. I just wanted to know if you see her as a bargaining chip in the U.S.-China conflict, trade conflict.<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO: <\/strong>No. Go ahead.<\/p>\n MODERATOR:<\/strong> Madam Freeland \u2014<\/p>\n FOREIGN MINISTER FREELAND:<\/strong> (Via interpreter) Regarding relations between Canada and China, the prime minister, in his excellent speech yesterday, clearly explained our government\u2019s position. I\u2019ll be happy to reiterate and underscore this position.<\/p>\n Canada and China have longstanding relations. Next year, in fact, we\u2019ll be celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties between Canada and China. It\u2019s a relationship that covers many fields \u2013 education, the economy, the environment, on which we work very closely, and the World Trade Organization. I believe I\u2019ve already explained our position considering Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, as well as Ms. Meng\u2019s position.<\/p>\n Regarding Hong Kong, Canada takes a keen interest in Hong Kong. After all, 300,000 Canadians reside in Hong Kong. Therefore, it is only natural and important for Canada to keep a close eye on the developments in Hong Kong. Canada also believes that the idea of one country, one system is important for Hong Kong and for China. But so is the guarantee of peaceful assembly for the people of Hong Kong. This is what Canada has said and this is what our prime minister said yesterday.<\/p>\n I\u2019d also like to underscore and reiterate that what Canada said on Saturday was a joint statement with the European Union and with Federica Mogherini. All this to explain that Canada is working very closely with our partners and allies. It is crucial for Canada in the world to always defend our values and our national interests, and we will continue to do so.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> (Inaudible), Secretary Pompeo?<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO:<\/strong> No. I mean, you asked if it\u2019s a bargaining \u2013 you asked if it was a bargaining chip. It is a legal process by the United States Department of Justice designed to bring someone who we believe we have sufficient information to bring back to the United States under the agreements between the United States and Canada \u2013 very straightforward. [...]<\/p> QUESTION:<\/strong> Hi. Thanks. Mr, Secretary, there are reports that the U.S. has decided not to cut billions of dollars of foreign aid in a process known as rescission. Is that the right decision when it comes to balancing our budgets versus our interests, in your view?<\/p>\n You also mentioned that you made some progress with your Canadian counterparts on the North Korea issue. I wanted to ask about South Korea\u2019s decision to stop an agreement to share military intelligence with Japan. Is the U.S. making efforts to bring the two allies together?<\/p>\n And Minister Freeland, President Trump has expressed support for Russia to rejoin the G7 \u2013 should be the G8. Do you support that idea?<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO:<\/strong> So John, thanks for the question. With respect to the rescission, the President\u2019s still contemplating, although we were working on it even this morning. I\u2019ve been engaged in meetings. There may be an outcome, a decision process. What I have consistently said with respect to every penny the State Department spends, including our foreign assistance budget, is we\u2019ve got to get it right. We got to make sure we are using it in ways that are effective, that American interests are represented in the way we spend that money. That certainly includes our foreign assistance program, but every employee \u2013 every single dollar we take away from the taxpayers I want to make sure we\u2019re deploying properly. And this discussion that we\u2019re having on rescission certainly is part of that bigger discussion.<\/p>\n On your second question, I actually spoke with my South Korean counterpart this morning. We\u2019re disappointed to see the decision that the South Koreans made about that information-sharing agreement. We\u2019re urging each of the two countries to continue to engage, to continue to have dialogue. She was with the Japanese foreign minister yesterday, I believe, our time. They were working to put this back together.<\/p>\n There is no doubt that the shared interests of Japan and South Korea are important, and they\u2019re important to the United States of America, and we hope each of those two countries can begin to put that relationship back in exactly the right place. I have experienced it from my time here as the Secretary of State. It\u2019s absolutely valuable not only to the work you mentioned in the context of North Korea, but important in the work we do all around the world. They are both great partners and friends of the United States, and we are hopeful they can make progress together.\"<\/p>",
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