The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

Statement by the Vice President on the Death of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela once said, “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”  Mandela’s wisdom and compassion were formidable enough to change the world.  First his courage and then his forgiveness inspired us all, and challenged us to do better.   In the words of the South African poet Peter Horn, he “dreamed the world another way.”  I saw his world the way it used to be when I visited South Africa as a 34 year old Senator. When I exited the plane I was directed to one side of the tarmac, while the African American congressmen traveling with me were sent to the other side.  I refused to break off, and the officials finally relented.  When I tried to enter Soweto township with Congressmen Andrew Young of Atlanta and Charles Diggs of Detroit, I remember their tears of anger and sadness.  Because of Nelson Mandela’s courage, and compassion, that world has been transformed.  One of my favorite Irish poets, Seamus Heaney once wrote:  “History says, don’t hope on this side of the grave.  But then, once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice rises up, and hope and history rhyme.”  In the hands of Nelson Mandela, hope and history rhymed.  This is a better world because Nelson Mandela was in it.  He was a good man.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

Readout of the President’s Call to President Zuma of South Africa

President Obama spoke by phone this evening with South African President Jacob Zuma to express his heartfelt condolences on the death of Former President Nelson Mandela.  The President conveyed how profoundly Mandela’s extraordinary example of moral courage, kindness, and humility influenced his own life, as well as those of millions around the world.  President Obama reaffirmed that the strong and historic partnership between the United States and South Africa will continue to draw strength from Mandela’s legacy as we work together to promote equality, reconciliation and human dignity, and to build a more just and prosperous world.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

Statement by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice, on the Death of Nelson Mandela of South Africa

Today, we have lost one of history’s great leaders. I extend my deepest condolences to the Mandela family and to the government and people of South Africa, the Republic that President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela helped free from the cruelty and hatred of apartheid and forged anew into a rainbow nation of hope and healing. I will always cherish the honor and memory of knowing him.

Even as we mourn, we remember how privileged the world was to witness the transformation he wrought by changing minds and hearts. He was apartheid’s captive but never its prisoner, and he rid the world of one of history’s foulest evils by hewing to universal principles for which he hoped to live but was prepared to die. Let us celebrate Madiba’s life by rededicating ourselves to the values and hopes he embodied: reconciliation and justice, freedom and equality, democracy and human rights, an honest reckoning with the past and an unflinching insistence on embracing our common humanity. Let us strive to follow in his noble path—to stretch out the hand of fellowship and forgiveness across the deepest of gulfs, to find peaceful ways to resolve the bitterest of conflicts, and to insist on the revolutionary power of empathy, persuasion, perseverance, and human dignity.

President Nelson Mandela is gone, but his legacy and example will forever endure. May they continue to inspire South Africa and all humanity for generations to come. He was one of the greatest human beings of our time. Farewell, Madiba—and thank you.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

  • Kevin T. Hanretta – Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security, and Preparedness, Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Paula E. Boggs – Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
  • Robin L. Diamonte – Member, Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
  • John Donahoe –  Member, President’s Export Council
  • Eugenio Piñeiro-Soler – United States Commissioner, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
  • Laura M. Ricketts – General Trustee, Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
  • Reginald Van Lee – General Trustee, Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these talented and dedicated individuals have agreed to take on these important roles and devote their talents to serving the American people.  I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Kevin T. Hanretta, Appointee for Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security, and Preparedness, Department of Veterans Affairs
Kevin T. Hanretta is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Emergency Management at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a position he has held since August 2006.  He concurrently serves as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security, and Preparedness at the VA.  From 2001 to 2005, he served as the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Preparedness at the VA.  He has held various positions at the VA since 1999, including Deputy Chief of Staff of the Department.  Before joining the VA, Mr. Hanretta served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1999, retiring as a Colonel.  He received a B.S. from Siena College and an M.S. from Florida Institute of Technology.

Paula E. Boggs, Appointee for Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
Paula E. Boggs is a Songwriter and the Lead Vocalist for the Paula Boggs Band.  Previously, she was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the Starbucks Corporation from 2002 to 2012.  She was a Vice President at Dell Corporation from 1997 to 2002 and a Partner at the firm of Preston Gates & Ellis from 1995 to 1997.  She served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington from 1988 to 1994 and was a Regular Officer in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1988.  She is a member of The Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees, Peabody Institute’s National Advisory Board, a Director of School of Rock LLC, and is Secretary of the Board of KEXP Radio, an affiliate of National Public Radio and the University of Washington.  Ms. Boggs served as a Member of the White House Council for Community Solutions from 2010 to 2012, is a former Chair of Legal Aid for Washington, and was a board member of the Seattle Art Museum.  Ms. Boggs received a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

Robin L. Diamonte, Appointee for Member, Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Robin L. Diamonte is the Chief Investment Officer at United Technologies Corporation (UTC), a position she has held since 2004.  In this role, she is responsible for overseeing UTC’s global retirement assets.  Ms. Diamonte also serves as the Chairwoman of the Committee on the Investment of Employee Benefit Assets.  From 1992 to 2004, Ms. Diamonte served in various roles at Verizon Investment Management Corporation, including Co-head of Company Direct Assets, Managing Director of Research & Strategic Relationships, Director of Research & Strategic Relationships, and Manager for Investment Information Systems.  Prior to her time with Verizon Investment Management Corporation, Ms. Diamonte was Senior Coordinator of End User Computer Support at GTE Service Corporation.  From 1986 to 1991, she held the position of Telecomm Specialist and Product Manager of Data Networking & Communication Products.  Ms. Diamonte received a B.S. and an M.B.A. from the University of New Haven.

John Donahoe, Appointee for Member, President’s Export Council
John Donahoe is President and CEO of eBay Inc., a position he has held since 2008.  Previously, he served as President of eBay Marketplaces from 2005 to 2008.  Mr. Donahoe worked at Bain & Company in a number of roles from 1985 to 2005, becoming President and CEO in 1999.  He is on the boards of eBay Inc. and Intel Corporation, and is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College.  He also served as a Member of the White House Council for Community Solutions from 2010 to 2012.  Mr. Donahoe received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Eugenio Piñeiro-Soler, Appointee for United States Commissioner, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
Eugenio Piñeiro-Soler currently serves as Vice Chair of the Caribbean Fishery Management Council and previously served as Chair from 2003 to 2011.  Mr. Piñeiro-Soler has also served as Chair of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee from 2009 to 2012.  During his 30 years of commercial fishing experience, Mr. Piñeiro-Soler has participated in the U.S. delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the U.S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission, and the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.  Mr. Piñeiro-Soler received a B.A. from the University of Radford and a J.D. from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

Laura M. Ricketts, Appointee for General Trustee, Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Laura M. Ricketts is Director and a part-owner of the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball Club, as well as Chairman of the Board of Chicago Cubs Charities.  She is on the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee and is a co-founder and advisory board member of LPAC.  She also serves on the advisory board of Opportunity Education, and is a member of the leadership councils of Lambda Legal and Housing Opportunities for Women.  Ms. Ricketts received an A.B. in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Reginald Van Lee, Appointee for General Trustee, Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Reginald Van Lee is an Executive Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he has worked since 1984.  He was named Partner at Booz Allen Hamilton in 1993 and Senior Partner in 2003.  He was appointed to serve as a Member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2009, is Chairman of the Washington Performing Arts Society, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Howard Theatre Restoration Project.  Mr. Van Lee is a Trustee of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Corporation, a cabinet member of Habitat for Humanity International Cabinet, and sits on the Board of Fight for Children and The Washington Ballet.  He is Chairman Emeritus of the board of the Evidence Dance Company.  Mr. Van Lee received a B.S. and an M.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

Statement by the President on the Death of Nelson Mandela

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

5:25 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.  I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.  It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.  But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

And Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real.  He achieved more than could be expected of any man.  Today, he has gone home.  And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth.  He no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.

Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa -- and moved all of us.  His journey from a prisoner to a President embodied the promise that human beings -- and countries -- can change for the better.  His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives.  And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable.  As he once said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life.  My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid.  I studied his words and his writings.  The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopes and not by their fears.  And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.

To Graça Machel and his family, Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us.  His life’s work meant long days away from those who loved him the most.  And I only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.

To the people of South Africa, we draw strength from the example of renewal, and reconciliation, and resilience that you made real.  A free South Africa at peace with itself -- that’s an example to the world, and that’s Madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.

We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.  So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set:  to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice. 

For now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived -- a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.  May God Bless his memory and keep him in peace.

END
5:30 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Central African Republic

In recent weeks, government affiliated armed groups and independent “self-defense” militias in the Central African Republic have committed shocking and horrific atrocities against innocent civilians that demand a swift response by the international community.

Today’s passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 is an important step in preventing further atrocities or an escalation of the violence.  It provides African Union-led peacekeepers (MISCA) and French forces a Chapter VII mandate to protect civilians, restore security, and ensure humanitarian access.  It also calls for contingency planning in the event the Council decides in the future that it is appropriate to consider the deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation.

In support of these efforts, the United States is providing $40 million in assistance to the African Union security mission, and we continue to evaluate what more we can do to help stabilize the situation and support a political transition.  We join the international community in condemning the violence that has taken place, in demanding accountability for the perpetrators, and in calling on all parties to work toward a restoration of democracy.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

FACT SHEET: Attracting Manufacturing Investment in American Communities

Obama Administration Opens Application Process for Phase 2 of ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ 

To compete in an increasingly global economy, the United States must come up with innovative strategies that will lead to economic growth and job creation around the country.  The ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ (IMCP) seeks to enhance the way we leverage federal economic development funds to encourage American communities to focus not only on attracting individual investments one at a time, but transforming themselves into globally-competitive manufacturing hubs. 

An administration-wide initiative led by the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce, the ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ will encourage communities to devise comprehensive economic development strategies that strengthen their competitive edge in attracting global manufacturers and their supply chains. IMCP specifically brings together the resources of multiple federal departments and agencies involved in economic development.

In Phase One of the of the ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership,’ 44 communities were awarded a total of $7 million to support the creation of economic development strategies that recognize the community’s comparative advantages as a place to do business, invest in public goods, and encourage collaboration between multiple entities to expand the area’s commercial appeal to investors.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced that the competition for Phase Two of the ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership’ is now open, and the Federal Register Notice will be posted in the coming days. In this phase, communities will have an opportunity to compete for a special designation that will elevate them in consideration for $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance from 10 cabinet departments/agencies. These communities could also potentially receive catalytic additional federal investments to further support their economic development strategies. The IMCP is a critical component of the Department of Commerce’s “Open for Business Agenda,” which prioritizes trade and investment.

Phase Two of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership

In Phase Two of the IMCP, up to 12 communities that come up with winning strategies will receive a designation of “Manufacturing Community” that gives them elevated consideration for $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance from 10 cabinet departments/agencies. These communities would also potentially receive additional catalytic federal investments to support their economic development strategies. In order to earn the designation, communities must present strategies that identify technologies or industries in which they would be competitive in the future and would make investments in the following areas:

  • workforce and training;
  • advanced research;
  • infrastructure and site development;
  • supply chain support;
  • export promotion;
  • and capital access 

These communities will receive:

  • Elevated consideration for federal dollars and assistance across 10 cabinet departments/agencies, totaling $1.3 billion;
  • A dedicated federal liaison at these agencies who can act as their concierge to the specific services they need;
  • Subject to funding availability, challenge grants may become available to some awardees from the pool of designated manufacturing communities;
  • Recognition on a government website, accessible to prospective private investors (foreign and domestic alike) looking for information on communities’ competitive attributes 

IMCP Competition Process

  • Phase One: The Administration and the Department of Commerce have already awarded 44 communities with $200,000 planning grants – a total of $7 million. 
  • Phase Two: Communities must apply by March 14, 2014 to be considered. Eligibility for Phase 2 is not contingent on having won Phase 1.
  • Details on additional phases of the IMCP are forthcoming. 

IMCP Participating Agencies (Either through Phase One or Phase Two)

  • Department of Agriculture
  • Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
  • Department of Defense
  • Department of Education
  • Department of Energy
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
  • Department of Transportation
  • Appalachian Regional Commission
  • Delta Regional Authority
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • National Science Foundation

Small Business Administration

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

FACT SHEET: Presidential Memorandum on Federal Leadership on Energy Management

In the latest step under his Climate Action Plan, President Obama today signed a Memorandum directing the Federal Government to consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 – more than double the current level.  Meeting this renewable energy goal will reduce pollution in our communities, promote American energy independence, and support homegrown energy produced by American workers.

In 2009, the President directed the Federal Government to become a leader in clean energy and energy efficiency when he signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, setting aggressive targets for Federal agencies for reducing energy use, carbon pollution and waste in their operations, and saving taxpayer dollars as a result. At the President’s direction, the Federal Government already has:

  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 15 percent from FY 2008 levels – the equivalent of permanently taking 1.5 million cars off the road. 

  • Reduced energy use per square foot in Federal buildings by more than 9 percent since FY 2008, curbing pollution and reducing utility bills. 

  • Consumed more than 7 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind in FY2013, exceeding statutory requirements and promoting homegrown energy industries.    

To outline new actions to continue their progress on the President’s energy and sustainability goals, Federal agencies today released their fourth annual Sustainability Plans, available at http://sustainability.performance.gov/.

The release of the Presidential Memorandum and Federal Agency Sustainability Plans cap a week of Administration clean energy and energy efficiency announcements, including:

Expanding the Better Buildings Challenge

On Tuesday, building on $2 billion in financing commitments from the private sector for energy efficiency updates to commercial buildings under the President’s Better Buildings Challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced an expansion of the Challenge to multifamily housing such as apartments and condominiums, and launched the Better Buildings Accelerators to support state- and local government-led efforts to cut energy waste.  Following Federal agencies’ commitment over the past two years to a pipeline of $2.3 billion in performance-based contracts for energy efficiency upgrades under the Challenge, the Administration also announced Federal agencies will further expand their use of performance-based contracts through 2016 to upgrade the energy efficiency of Federal buildings at no cost to taxpayers.

Releasing a 2014 Fuel Economy Guide

On Tuesday, DOE and U.S. EPA released a 2014 Fuel Economy Guide that provides consumers reliable, user-friendly information that can help them choose the right fuel efficient vehicle for their family and business and save money at the pump. The guide provides “Top Ten” lists allowing consumers to see the most efficient advanced technology vehicles as well as the most efficient gasoline and diesel powered vehicles, and includes information on efficient and low-emission vehicles in a variety of classes and sizes, ensuring a wide variety of choices available for consumers.

Launching a New Energy Efficiency Loan Program

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will provide rural electric cooperatives up to $250 million to lend to business and residential customers for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems.  The program will help American families and businesses in rural areas cut their energy bills by making financing more readily available for energy efficiency measures that reduce home energy use by up to 40 percent.  

With the help of unprecedented investments in clean energy during the Obama Administration, the U.S. has already met the bold goal President Obama set to double renewable energy production in this country from sources such as solar and wind from 2008 levels.  As part of the President’s commitment to expanding renewable energy production in the U.S., the Department of Defense last year committed to deploying three gigawatts of renewable energy on Army, Navy, and Air Force installations by 2025 – enough to power 750,000 homes, and since 2009, the Department of the Interior has approved dozens of wind, solar and geothermal utility-scale projects on public lands – enough energy to power more than 4.6 million homes and support more than 19,000 construction and operations jobs. In his 2013 State of the Union Address, the President established new national goals to increase American energy independence by doubling renewable energy production again by 2020, cutting energy waste in half, and increasing energy productivity.

The Presidential Memorandum signed today implements the goal the President outlined in his June 2013 Climate Action Plan that challenged Federal agencies to more than double their renewable electricity consumption by 2020. As part of this effort, agencies will identify formerly contaminated lands, landfills, and mine sites to target for renewable energy projects, providing valuable opportunities to return those lands to productive use. To improve agencies’ ability to manage energy consumption and reduce costs, the Memorandum directs them to use Green Button, a tool developed by industry in response to a White House call-to-action that provides utility customers with easy and secure access to their energy usage information in a consumer-friendly format.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

NEW REPORT: The Economic Benefits Of Extending Unemployment Insurance

The United States economy continues to recover from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and while substantial progress has been made, more work remains to boost economic growth and speed job creation. Despite ten consecutive quarters of GDP growth and 7.8 million private sector jobs added since early 2010, the unemployment rate is unacceptably high at 7.3 percent, and far too many families are still struggling to regain the foothold they had prior to the crisis.

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program authorized by Congress in 2008 has provided crucial support to the economy and to millions of Americans who lost jobs through no fault of their own.  Under current law, EUC will end on December 28, 2013. This report argues that allowing EUC to expire would be harmful to millions of workers and their families, counterproductive to the economic recovery, and unprecedented in the context of previous extensions to earlier unemployment insurance programs.

Since their inception in 2008, extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits have provided critical support to millions of workers and their families:

  • Nearly 24 million workers have received extended UI benefits 

  • Recipients are a diverse group: roughly half have completed at least some college, including 4.8 million with bachelor’s degrees or higher 

  • Including workers’ families, nearly 69 million people have been supported by extended UI benefits, including almost 17 million children 

  • In 2012 alone, UI benefits lifted an estimated 2.5 million people out of poverty 

Millions of workers stand to lose access to UI benefits if no action is taken:

  • Approximately 1.3 million workers currently receiving extended UI benefits are set to lose them at the end of the year 

  • 3.6 million additional people will lose access to UI benefits beyond 26 weeks by the end of 2014 

Allowing UI to expire would be damaging to the macro-economy and the labor force:

  • Failing to extend UI benefits would put a dent in job-seekers’ incomes, reducing demand and costing 240,000 jobs in 2014. 

  • Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office and JP Morgan suggest that without an extension of EUC GDP will be .2 to .4 percentage points lower. 

  • In 2011, CBO found that aid to the unemployed is among the policies with “the largest effects on output and employment per dollar of budgetary cost” 

  • In over a dozen studies, economists have found that any disincentive to find new work that could result from extended UI benefits is, at most, small 

  • Expiration of extended UI benefits may also lead some long-term unemployed to stop looking for work and leave the labor force, reducing the number who could eventually find jobs as the economy heals 

Allowing EUC to expire would be unprecedented in the context of previous extensions to earlier unemployment insurance programs:

  • The unemployment rate (7.3% in October) is currently higher than it was at the expiration of any previous extended UI benefits program 

  • The long-term unemployment rate (2.6% in October) is at least twice as high as it was at the expiration of every previous extended UI benefits program 

  • In this cycle, EUC was first signed into law in June 2008 by President Bush when the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent and the average duration of unemployment was 17.1 weeks.  Today, as of October 2013, the unemployment rate is 7.3 percent and the average duration of unemployment is 36.1 weeks. 

  • Consistent with previous programs, the EUC program has been gradually phasing down – the median number of weeks one can receive benefits across states is down from a peak of 53 weeks in 2010 to 28 weeks currently and phasing down to 14 weeks under the proposed extension

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 05, 2013

Joint Fact Sheet on Strengthening U.S.-China Economic Relations

Building on President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping’s shared commitment to building a new model of major country relations, both countries affirm their commitment to practical cooperation for the benefit of our two economies and to address global economic challenges.  The United States and China reached the following outcomes on energy and climate change, innovation, and food and drug safety, under the framework of the Economic Track of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED).  The United States and China further reaffirm their commitment to implement fully the concrete measures pledged by each country during the Economic Track of the S&ED, in order to further support strong domestic and global growth, promote open trade and investment, enhance international rules and global economic governance, and foster financial market stability and reform.

Strengthening Cooperation on Energy and Climate Change 

Building on the climate accord announced by the two Presidents at Sunnylands, and the S&ED in July 2013, the United States and China affirm the importance of deepening cooperation to address climate change, reduce local air pollution, transition to a low carbon energy economy, and strengthen the resilience of global energy markets.  Recognizing the significant and mutual benefits of intensified action and cooperation on energy and climate change, including enhanced energy security, a cleaner environment, both the United States and China affirm the commitments below.

The United States and China reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) as a means for enhancing bilateral cooperation on climate change, and both sides commit to devote significant effort and resources to the five initiatives launched under this framework, including Energy Efficiency, Smart Grids, Greenhouse Gas Data Collection and Management, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), and Heavy Duty and Other Vehicles, in order to see concrete results by the 2014 Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

To help accelerate progress on the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group Heavy-Duty and Other Vehicles initiative, the United States and China commit to implement and enforce their current schedules for implementation of low-sulfur fuel and for motor vehicle emissions standards. Both sides also commit to work together to help China design and implement China VI vehicle emissions standards as soon as practical, strengthen communication in heavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency standards to reduce greenhouse gas emission, promote the implementation of clean action plans for heavy-duty diesel vehicles, and explore ways to design and implement the clean action plans for non-road motor vehicles and supporting diesel engines, which would reduce PM2.5 emissions and would have substantial air quality and climate benefits. The United Statescommits to provide technical assistance to achieve these goals and continue to provide technical assistance on regional air quality management and modeling, including emissions from mobile sources. 

The United States and China reaffirm theircommitment to implement the consensus reached by Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping on hydrofluorocarbons from June 8, 2013, and September 6, 2013.

Both the United States and China emphasize the importance of the multilateral climate change agreement that is currently being developed for completion at the Paris Conference in 2015.  Recognizing their significant roles in this regard, the two sides intend to maintain close contact throughout the negotiations, including through leader-level discussions, consulting on areas of convergence as well as divergence and working bilaterally and with other countries to bring about a successful outcome.      

The United States and China are to enhance transparency in the energy sector, including to increase cooperation on energy market transparency. The U.S. Energy Information Administration commits to share expertise in gathering and distributing energy data. China is to develop the capacity to publish more complete public energy statistics on a more frequent basis, and enable stronger cooperation with the Joint Organizations Data Initiative. The United States and China are to cooperate on strategic petroleum reserves, through information exchanges on policies, management, and technologiesand through annual technical meetings of U.S. and China strategic petroleum reserve authorities.

The United States and China note the exceptional importance of China accelerating the development of its natural gas sector and unconventional gas resources, and recognize the positive impact shale gas development in China can have for Chinese and global energy markets. China welcomes participation in shale gas exploration and development, including by domestic and international private businesses and investors. The United States commits to engage with China on technical, standards, and policy cooperation, to facilitate the improvement of China’s regulatory frameworks, so as to promote the sound and rapid development of China’s shale gas exploration and development. The two sides commit to promote technological innovation, environmental supervision, and resource regulation in the shale gas sector and encourage the success of shale gas development in the two countries, so as to jointly promote responsible development and utilization of unconventional gas resources such as shale gas globally, and safeguard energy supply security and energy market stability.

The United States respects China’s growing energy needs and economic concerns, especially in crude oil trade and investment.  Both sides reiterate their commitment to work together on our shared goal of secure and well-supplied energy markets.

The United States commits to inform China about the statutory process required by the Natural Gas Act (NGA) which governs the evaluation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications, to FTA countries and to non-FTA countries such as China.  The NGA directs the U.S. Department of Energy to evaluate LNG export applications to non-FTA countries, applying the same rules in every case.  To date, one final and four conditional license approvals have been granted to export LNG to non-FTA countries.  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently evaluating pending applications on a case-by-case basis.  The DOE is to keep the National Energy Administration of China informed of the status of the process.

The United States commits to actively encourage the export of technologies and equipment  related to oil and gas exploration and development to China.  Accordingly, the United States commits to process and decide upon in a timely manner, specific requests for deep-water oil and gas and shale gas exploration and development-related technology and equipment for civilian end users and civilian end uses that China wishes to procure that may be subject to export controls once the United States receives all necessary information required under the Export Administration Regulations.

The United States and China commit to undergo fossil fuel subsidy peer reviews under the G-20 process, and rationalize and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption over the medium term,while providing targeted support for the poorest.

Protecting Innovation and Promoting Trade in Safe Food and Drugs

Building on successful discussions during the 2012 U.S.-China High-Level Agricultural Symposium, the July 2013 S&ED, and looking towards a productive and mutually beneficial December 2013 meeting of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), the United States and China affirm the importance of deepening cooperation to address a range of food and drug issues of common concern.  Availability of high-quality and safe food and drugs are essential to the growth of our economies and well-being of our peoples. The United States and China therefore commit to the following measures related to promoting and protecting innovation, as well as ensuring safe and well-regulated bilateral trade in food and pharmaceuticals.

The United States and China commit to carry out communication and cooperation on agro-chemical regulation, standards for testing methods and drug and pesticide residue limits and regulation on edible agricultural products for import and export.

In line with the reform goals of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, China commits to promote the reform of its regulatory system for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) by implementing Drug Master File (DMF) management for APIs and to study the possibility of setting up a framework for the registration of bulk chemicals that can be used as APIs. The two sides mutually affirm the central role of drug manufacturers in ensuring drug quality, and will exercise appropriate regulatory oversight over manufacturers towards this end. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration commits to review its authorities to determine whether it can exclude from consideration for import APIs from Chinese firms that are not registered with the China Food and Drug Administration.

China affirms that the Chinese Patent Examination Guidelines permit patent applicants to file additional data after filing their patent applications, and that the Guidelines are subject to Article 84 of the Law on Legislation, to ensure that pharmaceutical inventions receive patent protection.  China affirms that this interpretation is currently in effect.

To promote bilateral communication and cooperation in pharmaceuticals, medical products and food safety, the Chinese side commits to issuing visas for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food inspectors, drug inspectors and food expert referenced in Diplomatic Note 1252 of November 19, 2012 and Diplomatic Note 0843 of August 20, 2013.  These personnel will be posted to the U.S. Embassy in China, with diplomatic privileges and immunities. At the same time, the United States commits that, on a reciprocal basis, China increases its relevant staff in the Chinese Embassy in the United States, with diplomatic privileges and immunities. No later than January 17, 2014, the two sides commit to signing an memorandum of understanding to specify the scope of activity of these personnel.

The United States and China commit to discuss issues concerning China raised in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriation Act, 2013.

The United States and China recognize the importance of promoting non-discriminatory government procurement policies.  The two sides commit to have further consultation on China’s concerns regarding non-discriminatory treatment of Chinese-invested enterprises established in the United States in U.S. government procurement.