US Department of State's Press Briefing, Mar 20, 2017

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Mark C Toner (acting spokesperson), Department Press Briefing. US Department of State, Mar 20, 2017.
https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2017/03/268530.htm

My comment: The pertinent portion of the transcript is as follows.

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QUESTION: Can we go to Palestinian-Israeli issues?

MR TONER: Nick, and then I’ll get to you, I promise, Said.

QUESTION [Nick]: In Beijing, Secretary Tillerson twice used language that was identical to Chinese leaders on the U.S.-China relationship. He said it was guided by an understanding of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. That’s language that the Chinese have used for a long time and past U.S. administrations have declined to use. So what signal is he sending by using that word-for-word identical language to the Chinese?

MR TONER: I think the message he is sending or he tried to send in his visit to Beijing writ large was that we want a cooperative, productive, forward-looking relationship with China. I’m not going to parse out the language that he used or whether that mirrored similar language from the Chinese except to say that we’ve also been very clear, and he’s been clear on the record, to say that there are areas of cooperation; there are areas we agree on that we can really make, we believe, progress on; there are areas we need to make progress on and deal with and address such as North Korea; and then there are areas where we disagree and that includes trade and that also includes, frankly, human rights. And with respect to trade, we want just a level playing field for U.S. companies, but we believe that can also be turned, obviously, to both our advantage.

QUESTION: But was there – was he sending a signal? I mean, this isn’t just generalized agreement. This is word-for-word using language. The Chinese place a high degree of importance in the specifics of how their language is used in these speeches. He’s using identical words, phrasing that is very important to them. So was he sending a signal by using the exact same words or was this not intentional?

MR TONER: I think he was trying to convey that in his dialogue and our dialogue with China we also want a quote/unquote “win-win relationship.” But we’re going to make sure that we press our priorities in that respect. So --

QUESTION: Just the last thing of --

MR TONER: Yeah, go ahead.

QUESTION: Is he aware of the significance or is his staff aware of the significance that this exact phrasing has to the Chinese?

MR TONER: He was aware of his word choice, yes.

QUESTION: Mark, can I follow-up?

MR TONER: I want to stay on China. Let’s stay on China. Yeah, Michelle.

QUESTION: So the Chinese media is portraying this visit as a big win and they’re citing the use of those specific words as a part of that. So on the U.S. side, what kind of win is this? Did he get some assurances from China, especially on the North Korea issue and also on the islands?

MR TONER: Sure. With respect to the overall visit, I think it was a positive visit. I don’t think we were looking for any major outcomes. Obviously, we were talking – he was there to talk about the challenge of North Korea first and foremost. That was, frankly, a theme throughout his trip and how do we address it going forward; how do we address this threat going forward. I can’t say that we found any solutions, but we’re continuing those conversations. And I think he was very clear in how we perceived the threat, and you all saw that through his remarks about it.

With respect to – your other questions were – your follow-ups were on the islands as well as --

QUESTION: Yeah. I mean, would you say that this moved the needle at all in cooperation on pressuring North Korea and also the island activity?

MR TONER: I would say it’s part of an ongoing conversation. Certainly, we’re going to see that when President Xi comes to the United States for his visit. So part of this is laying the groundwork for that, so that’s a productive, forward-looking, results-oriented visit.

QUESTION: Does Tillerson – in his confirmation hearing when he – he had a fairly forceful bit where he said the island-building stops and some other statements on that. Does he still feel the same way about that?

MR TONER: Look, we’re very clear on our position with respect to the South China Sea, which is we believe that with respect to any kind of construction or attempt to create or enhance construction on that – on those islands, that that’s counterproductive, that it only increases tensions in the region, and that we need a format for dialogue so that all the claimants with respect to the South China Sea can resolve their concerns through a diplomatic process. With respect to the United States, we don’t have a dog in that fight. All we ask for is the freedom to sail or fly our boats – or our ships and planes through that area. It’s freedom of navigation.

QUESTION: To what extent was that discussed on this trip?

MR TONER: I know it was raised. I don’t know the exact extent it was discussed.

QUESTION: Okay. All right.

MR TONER: But that’s something we always raise with them.

QUESTION: But --

MR TONER: Yeah, please.

QUESTION: Mark?

MR TONER: Yeah, go ahead.

QUESTION: Follow-up. Secretary Tillerson’s --

MR TONER: Of course.

QUESTION: -- language again. When Secretary Tillerson visited Japan last week, Secretary Tillerson said that Japan is an important alliance to United States, and South Korea is an important partners. What does he mean about two different expressions, his expression about these --

MR TONER: Look, again, I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on a choice of – a word choice there. Obviously, both are strong allies and partners in the region. And that’s, frankly, evidenced by the fact that with respect to Republic of Korea, he has spoken with Foreign Minister Yun several times and met with him several times already. And the same goes for Japan. So there’s – I don’t want to get into any argument over who’s more important in this relationship. We consider both vitally important to the United States.

QUESTION: President Trump --

MR TONER: Please.

QUESTION: -- called acting president of South Korea, Mr. Hwang – he said that 100 percent alliance to United States. He mentioned that both country, U.S. – I mean, Japan and South Korea.

MR TONER: Well, there you go.

QUESTION: But why is Secretary Tillerson --

MR TONER: I wouldn’t – again, I wouldn’t – again, I wouldn’t read anything into that.

* * *
QUESTION: I just want to come back to Nick’s question about --

MR TONER: Sorry.

QUESTION: -- the language. You said that Secretary Tillerson was aware of the language he was using and he chose it deliberately. And in the Chinese context, the phrase “mutual respect” means something with regard to Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan. It indicates their belief that the U.S. should stay out of issues and areas that China, that Beijing believes are its own purview. So I’m wondering, in using that language, in choosing those words deliberately, is he signaling some sort of shift on Taiwan, on Tibet --

MR TONER: Not at all.

QUESTION: -- on --

MR TONER: Not at all.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR TONER: However, our stance on Taiwan is, apart from encouraging good, strong – increasingly strong cross-strait relations, that we stand by our “one China” policy. With respect to other aspects of the relationship, we’re not walking away from our concerns about human rights, personal freedoms within China. I think he also said at one of his press avails during the trip was that human rights is part and parcel – is embedded, I think he said, in all of our conversations and in all of our discussions of the issues with respect to China, but with respect to other countries as well. So there’s no backing away from that; I want to be clear about that.