JAPAN: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell says peaceful Asian relations are vital for global progress
Record ID:
187192
JAPAN: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell says peaceful Asian relations are vital for global progress
- Title: JAPAN: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell says peaceful Asian relations are vital for global progress
- Date: 26th October 2012
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 26, 2012) (REUTERS) IMPERIAL HOTEL U.S. FLAG U.S., SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN NATIONAL FLAGS UNITED STATES ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIA, KURT CAMPBELL WALKING ONTO STAGE TO PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIA, KURT CAMPBELL SAYING: "Ultimately it is our insistence that these matters be dealt with in a mature, careful way that recognises again, that we have larger equities at stake, maintaining global progress, maintaining the dialogue and the progress that we've seen in Asia over the course of the last several decades is in the paramount interest not only of our country but all countries." AUDIENCE LISTENING TO CAMPBELL KEYNOTE SPEECH AT NIKKEI SYMPOSIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIA, KURT CAMPBELL SAYING: "We have a new untested leadership in North Korea in truth we do not know yet what the character of the regime will be. The United States, Japan and South Korea have all made clear that we are prepared to work and engage with North Korea on the understanding that they will renounce their nuclear ambitions, that they are prepared to join with the international community and to work with us in a manner that supports the continuation of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula." VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIA, KURT CAMPBELL SAYING: "The government of Burma, Myanmar and also increasingly important role of parliament inside government that suggests the potential for continuing progress and engagement is very real. Japan and the United States have a unique role to play here, to sustain this opening and to ensure that Burma's progress continues into the remainder of the 21st century." CAMPBELL WALKING OFF OF STAGE AND AUDIENCE CLAPPING
- Embargoed: 10th November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9D8DSCPGBUGYX64ZN2MHRAP18
- Story Text: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Kurt Campbell delivered the keynote speech at the CSIS/Nikkei Symposium on Japan-U.S.-China trilateral relations in Tokyo to an audience of business people and government officials on Friday (October 26).
Focussing on the main opportunities and obstacles he saw in the Asia Pacific region, Campbell outlined the major U.S. policies in Asia, including hopes for peaceful resolution of territorial disputes, North Korean nuclear disarmament and a bright economic outlook for Myanmar, also known as Burma.
Japan and China's row over the disputed islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan continues to be a sensitive subject. Campbell reiterated his hopes that the tension would be resolved quickly and peacefully.
"Ultimately it is our insistence that these matters be dealt with in a mature, careful way that recognises again, that we have larger equities at stake, maintaining global progress, maintaining the dialogue and the progress that we've seen in Asia over the course of the last several decades is in the paramount interest not only of our country but all countries," Campbell said.
Campbell had remarked a month earlier that the disputed islands at the centre of tensions between the two nations were "clearly" covered by a 1960 treaty obliging the United States to come to Japan's aid if attacked.
He also discussed North Korea, saying it posed both opportunities and obstacles with the country's new but untested leadership, as the political intentions of Kim Jong Un remained unclear.
Kim Jong Un, believed to be in his late 20s, has appeared to be trying to soften the dour image of his father, whom he succeeded in December.
But when it comes to the armed forces, the North Korean leader seems to be moving ahead with the military-first policy of Kim Jong-il.
Pyongyang has continued with preparations for more missile and nuclear tests and uranium enrichment.
"We have a new untested leadership in North Korea. In truth we do not know yet what the character of the regime will be. The United States, Japan and South Korea have all made clear that we are prepared to work and engage with North Korea on the understanding that they will renounce their nuclear ambitions, that they are prepared to join with the international community and to work with us in a manner that supports the continuation of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," Campbell said.
In his speech, Campbell also spoke of the changes in Southeast Asia noted by the world's financial leaders during the International Monetary Fund meeting held in Tokyo earlier in October. Many of those in attendance offered praise for reforms in Myanmar.
"The government of Burma, Myanmar, and also increasingly important role of parliament inside government that suggests the potential for continuing progress and engagement is very real. Japan and the United States have a unique role to play here, to sustain this opening and to ensure that Burma's progress continues into the remainder of the 21st century," Campbell said.
The Symposium is a half-day event with speakers from the U.S. and Japanese governments as well as lecturers from top-tier educational institutions in both nations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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