USIA - State Department Report, 97-05-01

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REPORT ON STATE DEPARTMENT NOON BRIEFING, MAY 1, 1997

(Zaire, MidEast/Ross, POW/MIA/NKorea, MFN/China) (500)

ZAIRE -- The South African Government still expects talks to take place May 2 between the warring parties in Zaire, according to Dinger. Although media reports have indicated that the talks may not take place as planned, the United States anticipates that President Mobutu Sese Seko and rebel alliance leader Laurent Kabila will meet. The talks are to take place under the auspices of the United Nations on a South African ship in international waters off Gabon.

"We do want to stress that the meeting is an important next step, but many difficult issues remain to be resolved," Dinger said. Dinger did not have information as to whether U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson would be present at the shipboard talks.

Kinshasa, Zaire's capital, remains calm despite reports of rebel advances on the city, Dinger said. "We have reports that rebels have infiltrated Kinshasa; we don't have any information to confirm that," Dinger said.

Dinger could not confirm reports of foreign forces entering Zaire to support the rebel alliance. "It is difficult, if not impossible, for us to verify the details of those reports, but they are certainly numerous enough to seem to be credible," Dinger said. He stressed that "the United States does not believe that there is any useful role for any foreign forces from any country to play in Zaire. This is a dispute, an issue, that the people of Zaire should sort out on their own in a peaceful and democratic way."

MIDDLE EAST/ROSS -- Dennis Ross, the State Department's special coordinator for the Middle East, will be traveling to the Middle East early next week, Dinger said. "This is part of our very vigorous effort to get the peace process back on track," Dinger said. He had no details on Ross's itinerary.

POW-MIA/NORTH KOREA -- The Department of Defense POW-MIA Office is planning talks with North Korean officials regarding the recovery of remains of U.S. servicemen lost in North Korea during the Korean War, Dinger said. The talks are tentatively planned to take place early this month in New York City.

MFN/CHINA -- Dinger was asked to comment on a Republican proposal to link a three- to six-month human rights test involving Hong Kong to the renewal of most-favored-nation (MFN) trading status for China. He said the Clinton Administration supports the current approach of unconditional renewal of MFN for one year. "Residents of Hong Kong, including their elected representatives, overwhelmingly favor -- and have expressed their favor -- of unconditional MFN for China," he said. "We could also point out that MFN is merely normal tariff status which we grant to virtually all other countries in the world."

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