VP in Asia Day One: Beijing, China

Amy Dudley
Amy Dudley
August 18, 2011
10:08 PM EST

It was a busy and productive day in Beijing for Vice President Biden – one that began and ended at the Great Hall of the People. An elaborate welcome ceremony in the Northern Hall served as the official kickoff to Vice President Biden’s visit to China. Bilateral meetings with Vice President Xi and National People’s Congress Chair Wu Bangguo followed in the Eastern and Fujian Rooms. Finally, a banquet dinner in the Western Room capped the evening, complete with a cultural performance that included traditional Chinese song and dance.

Following the official ceremony, the Vice Presidents and their delegations gathered for their first formal meeting, where Vice President Biden reiterated the economic importance of a strong U.S.-China relationship. “I’m absolutely confident that the economic stability of the world rests in no small part on the cooperation between the United States and China. …It is the key, in my view, to global economic stability,” said Vice President Biden.

But it was the Vice President’s visit to a local lunch spot near the Drum and Bell Tower neighborhood in Old Beijing that had China talking. Embassy Beijing’s post about the traditional lunch fare he ordered – pork buns, zhajiang noodles and cucumbers -- on one of the most popular Chinese microblogs, Sina, received over 6400 retweets and 3000 comments in less than an hour. Joining the Vice President at lunch were newly installed U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke and his wife Mona, as well as the Vice President’s daughter-in-law Kathleen and granddaughter Naomi who are traveling with him through Asia.

Amy Dudley is Deputy Press Secretary for the VIce President
Related Topics: 2011 Asia Trip, East Asia Pacific , Foreign Policy

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
August 18, 2011

Remarks by Vice President Biden in a Meeting with Chairman Wu

The Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China

3:34 P.M. (Local)
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  Mr. Vice President, on behalf of the National People’s Congress of China, a very warm welcome.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It’s a delight to be here.
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  And what a delightful thing to see you again in Beijing.  We had a very good conversation back in September 2009 when I visited the United States, and you were very kind to show me your office.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Mr. Chairman, this is much nicer than my office.  (Laughter.)  
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  Well, I remember I said to you back then that your office was exquisite but not very big. 
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  That's right.  You said that very diplomatically.  (Laughter.)
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  But you said with a great sense of humor that this office is the closest to the President’s office.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  That's right.
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  And that shows its importance.  And your visit is a very important one.  Foreign Minister Yang just told me that you had very good discussions with Vice President Xi.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Yes.
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  You had a deep discussion about issues of mutual interest, and tomorrow you will have meetings with the President and the Premier.  I’m sure that your visit will give new impetus to our bilateral relationship.  We will further promote the steady and sustainable growth of China-U.S. ties.
 
Now, it’s been 10 years since your last visit to China.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Too long.
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  Well, many changes have taken place here.  I’m happy to learn that besides Beijing, you’re also going to Chengdu.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Yes.
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  And you will have more opportunities to engage with the young people, and also opportunities to see the post-earthquake reconstruction there.
 
While the city of Dujiangyan has a culture and civilization of over 2,000 years, I’m sure that trip will help you gain a deeper understanding about China.  I sincerely wish you a very happy stay in China.  And you will leave this country with a very fond memory.  Once again, very warm welcome.
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, it’s a delight to be here, Mr. Chairman.  As I told you when you were in my office, when I was a chairman, I had a much bigger office.  (Laughter.)  I used to have an important job when I was chairman of the Foreign  Relations Committee.  I had a big office, and a large staff, and then I became Vice President.  (Laughter.)
 
There’s an old joke told by a former Vice President.  He said, I once had two brothers, one went to sea and the other became Vice President.  I never heard from either again. 
 
But unfortunately, your colleagues are hearing from me again and again and again and again.  I beg their indulgence.  We sat together all morning.  The Ambassador has been very gracious, as has the Minister, so I hope they don't mind listening again.
 
As we discussed in my office, Mr. Chairman, you know I now and have since my first visit in 1979 with Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping, I’m of the view that this is a central, critical relationship -- China and the United States.  I hope this doesn’t sound chauvinistic to other countries, but our mutual success will benefit the whole world.  As the two largest economies in the world, at the moment when the world economic circumstance is uneasy, I think we hold the key together to not only our own prosperity, but to generating growth and jobs worldwide.  And that's the overwhelming reason I’ve come, to talk about jobs and growth; and the -- as was phrased this morning, the reordering of our economies -- yours and ours.
 
So I’m anxious to talk to you, and I appreciate your hospitality. 
 
CHAIRMAN WU:  Well, thank you for your warm remarks.
 
END
3:41 P.M. (Local)

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
August 18, 2011

Remarks by Vice President Biden in a Meeting with Chinese Vice President XI

The Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China

10:40 A.M. (Local)
 
VICE PRESIDENT XI: Honorable, Mr. Vice President, Joseph Biden, the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucious said, isn’t it delightful to welcome friends coming from afar?  I would like to, again, extend a warm welcome to you.
 
Your visit this time is a major event in this year’s China-U.S. relationship, and it’s very important for further implementing the outcomes of President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States, and to pushing forward the building of the China-U.S. cooperative partnership.
 
Mr. Vice President, you’ve been in China twice.  You’ve long cared about and been committed to promoting the China-U.S. relationship.  Your belief that a successful, stable and prosperous China is good for the United States and, of course, for China and good for the whole world.  I appreciate that statement.
 
I, too, believe that under the new situation China and the United States have evermore extensive common interests, and we shoulder evermore important common responsibilities.  It is the joint desire of the people of China and the United States and elsewhere in the world to see a close cooperation between China and the United States.  We would like to work with your country to promote the development of relations between our two great nations.
 
Our talks this morning is an important component of your engagements and activities here.  I would like to have an in-depth exchange of views with you on our bilateral relationship and international and regional issues of mutual interest.  
 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Mr. Vice President, and, delegations, it’s a genuine honor to be here.  It’s an honor to be back in China.  As you know, as you mentioned, Mr. Vice President, this is -- it’s been 10 years since I’ve been here last.  And my first visit was in 1979 when I had the honor of being with Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping at the time.
 
I’ve always been an admirer of the Chinese people and the great sweep of history and the contributions that your country has made for centuries.  When I arrived in 1979, I got the first opportunity I ever had to see some of the great wonders of this country, including as all visitors mention, I’m sure, the Great Wall.  But I would presume to suggest that in the great sweep of your history, there has been more progress made between 1979 and 2011 than maybe any time in your history. It’s amazing.  You personally and all your colleagues should be complimented.
 
I come from the United States, Mr. Vice President, at the invitation of your President and you with hope and expectation and looking forward to your reciprocal visit to Washington.
 
I also come with a strong message that the United States of America is -- plans on looking -- will continue to be engaged totally in the world and events of the world; and maybe even a stronger message that our commitment to establish a close and serious relationship with the people of China is of the utmost importance to my country and -- presumptuous of me to say -- I think maybe your country, as well.
 
Fifty years from now, 100 years from now, historians and scholars will judge us based upon whether or not we’re able to establish a strong, permanent and friendly working relationship.
 
For I would suggest that there’s no more important relationship that we need to establish on the part of the United States than a close relationship with China.
 
As we say in the chamber where I worked for 36 years, the United States Senate, if you permit me a point of personal privilege:  I came away from our visit in Rome greatly impressed -- impressed with your sweep and knowledge of history, impressed with your openness and candor and impressed with the notion that you, as I -- and I know your ambassador believes -- that foreign policy is more than just formal visits; it’s establishing personal relationships and trust.  And it is my fond hope that our personal relationship will continue to grow, as well.
 
Let me conclude by saying to you and your colleagues, Mr. Vice President, that I’m absolutely confident that the economic stability of the world rests in no small part on the cooperation between -- between the United States and China.  It affects every country from your neighbor to the north, to Argentina in the southern tip of South America.  It is the key, in my view, to global economic stability.
 
(End of recording.)
 
END
10:51 A.M. (Local)

Strengthening U.S.-China Relations through Sports

Amy Dudley
Amy Dudley
August 17, 2011
01:48 PM EST
V.P. Biden Visits the Hoyas in China.

Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke greet the Georgetown Mens basketball team in their locker room before an expo game against China, in Beijing, China, August 17, 2011. August 17, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Shortly after arriving in Beijing, Vice President Biden joined Georgetown men's basketball fans at the Olympic Sports Center to cheer on the Hoyas in an exhibition game against the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons -- a member of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

The team's two-week visit to China reflects an ongoing push to expand people-to-people exchanges between our two countries, as well as an effort to strengthen the U.S.-China relationship through sport.

Amy Dudley is Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President
Related Topics: East Asia Pacific , Foreign Policy

#VPinAsia on Twitter

Amy Dudley
Amy Dudley
August 16, 2011
03:00 PM EST

Earlier today, Vice President Biden departed for Beijing, China, the first stop on a nine-day swing through Asia that also includes visits to Mongolia and Japan. While this may be his first visit to Asia as Vice President, as a Senator, Vice President Biden traveled extensively throughout Asia, including to China in 1979 as part of the first Senate delegation to the country after normalization.

This time, the Vice President is visiting China at the invitation of Vice President Xi Jinping – the first of the planned reciprocal visits between the Vice Presidents announced by President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao during his state visit to Washington earlier this year.  One of the primary purposes of the trip is to get to know Vice President Xi. Bottom line – this visit is an investment in the future of the U.S-China relationship.

Our partners at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the five consulates around China are also using the Vice President’s visit as an opportunity to share American culture and values with Chinese netizens by microblogging and blogging about the trip in Chinese. Their followers on the two largest microblog sites in China – Sina and QQ – number over 1 million. Posts about the Office of the Vice President, interesting facts about Vice President Biden, his upcoming trip to Chengdu, Dr. Biden’s recent call for famine aid to Africa, and Peace Corps Volunteers in Sichuan have generated thousands of positive comments and retweets from Chinese netizens.

Related Topics: 2011 Asia Trip, Foreign Policy, Kansas

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
August 16, 2011

Vice President Biden Travels to China, Mongolia, and Japan

Vice President Joe Biden has departed for Beijing, China, the first stop on a nine-day trip to China, Mongolia, and Japan. In each country, the Vice President will meet with key leaders to discuss the full range of bilateral, regional, and international issues.  The Vice President is visiting China at the invitation of Vice President Xi Jinping – the first of the planned reciprocal visits between the Vice Presidents announced by President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao during his state visit to Washington earlier this year.  While in Beijing, the Vice President will meet with Vice President Xi and other Chinese leaders, including President Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao. 

The Vice President will also visit the city of Chengdu, in China’s Southwest.  On Sunday, August 21st at 10:30 AM LOCAL TIME/Saturday, August 20th at 10:30 PM ET, the Vice President will deliver a speech on U.S.-China relations at Sichuan University.

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the Vice President will underscore our support for Mongolia’s two decades of democratic development and our growing economic ties.  In Japan, the Vice President will express steadfast U.S. support for its close ally in the wake of the recent earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency.  The Vice President will thank U.S. civilian and military personnel for their assistance in responding to the disaster, as well as highlight Japan’s resilience during the recovery and rebuilding process. 

At the conclusion of his visit to Asia, the Vice President will stop in Kaneohe, Hawaii, where he will deliver remarks at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.

Famine in Somalia: The Lives We Can Save

Nikki Sutton
Nikki Sutton
August 12, 2011
09:41 AM EST

This week, Dr. Jill Biden visited Kenya with Senator Bill Frist, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz, and Special Assistant to the President Gayle Smith to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis as thousands of Somalis flee famine and seek refuge in Kenya and Ethiopia. Courtney O’Donnell, Communications Director to Dr. Jill Biden, also traveled with Dr. Biden and visited the world's largest refugee camp. The camp was originally built for 90,000 people, but now has more than 420,000 Somalis who have traveled there seeking aid. Upon her return, Courtney shared her experience with More.com:

In the weeks prior to our trip, Dr. Biden had seen the news reports and the images from the region and wanted to find a way to help. So the goal of our trip was a simple one - to try to bring attention to this famine and the need for aid, and to tell the stories of the people we met. As Communications Director, my role is to find ways to make more people aware of this need and get the message across to as many people as possible.

While our government and others around the world have acted to support the region, there is an urgent need for individuals to act. The pace of the famine is relentless, and without additional assistance, hundreds of thousands of children could die of starvation and disease in the coming months.

Already more than 29,000 children under the age of five have died in the past three months in the region. In an interview with More.com, Courtney reflected on how the trip impacted her as a mother:

Related Topics: Sub Saharan Africa , Foreign Policy, Poverty, Working Families

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
August 04, 2011

Vice President Biden to Travel to China, Mongolia, and Japan

The Vice President will depart for China, Mongolia, and Japan on August 16, 2011.  He will visit China at the invitation of Vice President Xi Jinping – the first of the planned reciprocal visits between the Vice Presidents announced during President Hu Jintao’s state visit to Washington earlier this year.  While in China, the Vice President will meet with Vice President Xi and other Chinese leaders, including President Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao, to consult on a broad range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.  The Vice President will also visit the city of Chengdu, in China’s Southwest.  In Ulaanbaatar, the Vice President will underscore our support for Mongolia’s two decades of democratic development and our growing economic ties.  In Japan, the Vice President will express steadfast U.S. support for its close ally in the wake of the recent earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency.  The Vice President will thank U.S. civilian and military personnel for their assistance in responding to the disaster, as well as highlight Japan’s resilience during the recovery and rebuilding process. 

Additional details about the Vice President’s trip will be released at a later date.

Vice President Biden Talks to State and Local Officials

Posted by David Agnew on August 03, 2011 at 07:39 PM EST

This afternoon, Vice President Joe Biden joined over 440 state, local, tribal and territorial officials on a call to talk about the debt ceiling deal signed by President Obama on August 2 and the Administration's ongoing economic priorities.

Vice President Biden thanked the many state and local officials who spoke out during the debate for a balanced, bipartisan approach to the debt negotiations. He talked about the tough budget choices that state and local officials make every day, and discussed the President's insistence that costs not be passed on to state and local governments that can ill afford more budget cuts during these times. He also highlighted the significance of preserving funding for infrastructure, education and innovation to help grow the economy and create jobs.

Following the Vice President, Jason Furman of the National Economic Council took questions from local officials on the call. These city and county leaders echoed the President’s remarks yesterday that now, with the debt ceiling raised and calamity averted, the conversation urgently needs to turn to job creation. Officials from North Carolina to Pennsylvania to Utah thanked the Administration for their efforts to stimulate job growth and encouraged federal officials to continue to push for programs that create jobs in states and cities.

As always, we appreciated the chance to speak with a large group of state and local elected officials. And while it was great to hear from many officials on the call, we did not get a chance to answer everyone’s questions, so we encourage you to send your questions about the debt deal, the President’s commitment to helping state and local governments, the Administration's jobs agenda, and other topics to iga@who.eop.gov. We’ll feature responses to your questions in upcoming blog posts.

 David Agnew is a Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

 

See more about Debt Debate, Economy  

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 28, 2011

Readout of the Vice President's Call to Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani

The Vice President today called Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani to offer condolences on the loss of President Barzani’s mother, Hamayil Khan, who passed away Wednesday. The Vice President told President Barzani that he wished he could have paid his respects in person and that his thoughts and prayers are with the Barzani family at this time.