Background Briefing aboard Air Force One en route Seoul, Republic of Korea

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Seoul, Republic of Korea

11:04 A.M. KST

MR. CARNEY:  Here to talk to you about negotiations in Japan and broadly on TPP, I turn it over to a senior administration official.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So this was a very important couple of days for TPP.  We worked more or less around the clock and the President was also very deeply involved in reaching a breakthrough on the market access discussions between the U.S. and Japan -- I can talk a little bit about how that fits into the rest of TPP -- which is a critical part of getting TPP done overall.

And what we were able to do this week that we’ve been trying to do for some time is really identify the pathway for the resolution of the major market access issues which were agriculture and autos.  And we’ve had a series of discussions and rounds with the Japanese for several weeks, back and forth, in Tokyo and in Washington, elsewhere, but with this trip and the President’s direct involvement with the Prime Minister pursuing the issues, talking about the importance, talking about specific issues as well as the overall importance of reaching this pathway with Japan as a key part of spurring on the momentum of the TPP talks overall. 

And we felt as though what we achieved here this week really is a key milestone in that regard and we do think that it will now add additional momentum and impetus to the overall TPP negotiations and position the U.S. and Japan to be working together leading towards the completion of TPP overall.

Q    So can you be a little more specific about what you actually agreed to here?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So our focus was really on, as I said, on agriculture and on autos.  In agriculture, there are a number of different products.  We focused on beef, pork, dairy, but also wheat, sugar, rice.  These are the six sensitive products, the six sanctuary products that --

Q    It’s beef, pork, dairy --

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:   Beef, pork, dairy, wheat, rice, sugar -- these are the sanctuary products that the Prime Minister identified and they’re also products where we have strong market access interests, where our farmers and ranchers are able to export their product.  There’s a demand for high-quality American product, and this is one of our main goals at TPP, was to help open these markets for our products.  So we focused on the ag side on those issues. 

And in each of these areas, we took the talks to different levels, but the overall outcome was in a number of the products we were able to identify what the path is going to be towards the ultimate resolution.  When I say that it means there are various factors that go into market access agreement -- the length of time over which a market access barrier might be reduced, which barriers are eliminated and which barriers are reduced and what the relationship is between them, how the market access is structured.  And we went through each one of these products and oftentimes line by line of the tariffs to determine what was the most robust outcome in terms of opening markets for U.S. exports, and to do so in a way where we could secure Japan’s agreement. 

And this is a market, just taking agriculture -- I’m happy to talk about autos as well, but the agricultural market is one that’s been closed fundamentally in Japan for 60 years.  And TPP held out the promise of opening that market and these talks today and yesterday were a critical part of doing that.

Q    So, in other words, basically, to give us a little more concrete sense, are you saying that, for example, you have a parameter for a tariff being reduced whereas you now know it will be between X percent and Y percent, and that’s kind of what you’re describing as the pathway?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I think that’s right.  I think parameter is a good way of thinking about it.  There are these parameters and there are tradeoffs among parameters.  The deeper the cut in the tariff, the longer time it may take to get there.  And so we have a sense of what the packages might be and what the pathway forward is to us resolving this.

Q    But the Japanese Trade Minister said that there were still gaps although they had been narrowed.  Is that an accurate assessment?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I think what’s accurate is there are still negotiations to be had.  There are details to be worked out and there are -- some products are further along than other products, and so there’s still very much work to be done, and we’re going to continue that work. 

But I think we both felt -- Minister Amari and myself and, more importantly, the President and Prime Minister Abe felt that on the basis of this breakthrough or the basis of what we were able to produce over the last couple of days that we really do have a breakthrough in our bilateral negotiations.  And the reason why that’s critical -- it’s critical for a number of reasons. 

One is it’s important in and of its own right, because we want access to Japan’s market, the third largest market in the world, and a great opportunity for American exports and therefore American jobs.  But also within the context of TPP, much of the rest of the market access negotiations have been waiting for the U.S. and Japan to have a breakthrough and now that we have that, we expect that that will give momentum to other bilateral market access negotiations. 

And that, in turn, is critical because for the TPP countries to agree on the rules -- TPP is really two negotiations.   One is a set of rules, like intellectual property rights, state-owned enterprises, things of that sort, and the other is our market access.  For the other countries to agree on a set of rules, they want to know what they’re getting out of the agreement and that’s the market access piece. 

So we’ve been making very good progress on the rules.  In December and in February we had ministerials where we identified potential landing zones and then agreed on a series of landing zones for various rules.  But to reach closure on the rules, we needed to reach a breakthrough on market access.  And the meeting here is the beginning of that process, because all the other countries are looking to the U.S. and Japan to solve their market access issues before they can resolve their own.

Q    Would you say that the Japanese government has agreed to drop the notion of sanctuaries for these six sectors?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’d say that these are sensitive sectors for them and what we do in TPP in these sectors needs to take into account their sensitivities, but at the same time, needs to take into account the requirements of ambition for TPP as a whole and the need to create new, meaningful market access.

Q    Do you have an agreement?  The Japanese say, no, it’s not an agreement, that there are -- gaps were narrowed, but that was all.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  No, I think just sort of to build on my answer to Mark’s question, there still are negotiations to be done.  The way I would characterize it is we have a breakthrough.  We have a breakthrough, we have a pathway toward the resolution of these issues.  And this is a key milestone because of the linkage to other market access negotiations and ultimate to the closure of the rules negotiations. 

Q    But with respect, I mean, in covering trade talks, which I’ve done in the past, until you get that final line-by-line agreement on tariff levels -- to say that you have a breakthrough I’m not sure I understand.  What’s to stop the Japanese from telling you a month from now, you know what, we’re not going to go to that last 2.5 percent?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Again, we went in many respects line by line of where we thought potential resolution, a pathway towards resolution would be.  As you know covering trade negotiations, nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to. And so when we say is there an agreement, the agreement comes on the very last day of the negotiation when you have a comprehensive package.  That’s not where we are today.  Where we are is at that moment where we see how we’re going to achieve resolution potentially of these key market access issues that will help unlock other negotiations. 

Q    (Inaudible) -- element that the Japanese from the beginning here, the expanded time window for tariff cuts?  I’m trying to figure out what do they feel -- what are they getting out of this, out of the breakthrough?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  It’s a combination of different things.  As I mentioned, there’s the element of time, which is staging.  There’s what the ultimate end point is:  Is the tariff eliminated?  Is it reduced?  Or were there are other mechanisms to create market access?  How are those structured?  So there are a lot of different factors, which is why you need to literally go not just product area by product area, not just through these six areas, but literally line by line within the product areas, because some products can be treated in one way and other products require another treatment.  So it’s the whole combination of these factors.

Q    Do you have a timeline for resolving the gaps that remain?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  We’re engaged in continued, ongoing negotiations while our teams, I’m sure, are reengaging on an ongoing basis.  I’ll see my counterpart, I imagine -- first of all, our chief negotiators will be getting together.  All the TPP countries will be getting together in mid-May for another TPP chief negotiators meeting.  And the TPP ministers will see each other around the APEC meetings also in mid-May.

Q    And you also spoke about the President having an impact on these negotiations.  Could you provide a few more details about how either he or Prime Minister Abe actually affected what happened?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Sure.  I mean, I think this was one of the -- there were several issues on this agenda that my colleagues I’m sure will talk to, but TPP was certainly one prominent issue on the bilateral agenda.  It came up at the dinner the first night.  It played a prominent role in the bilat the next morning.  And the President had direct engagement with the Prime Minister about the importance of moving TPP ahead, the importance economically to the United States, to Japan and to the region, how it was going to drive jobs and growth in the U.S., how it’s going to support reform and revitalization in Japan and give an opportunity for the U.S. and Japan to work together to help lead -- to help show leadership in the region towards the closure of an agreement around a new architecture for economic relations.

And so they talked both about the strategic and economic importance of it, but the President was also very much up to speed and engaged the Prime Minister on a number of the specific issues that then they gave direction to me and Minister Amari and to our teams about how to resolve them.  And so they sent us back the first night all night, and then last night almost all night to try and get resolution.

Q    You guys finished off this morning some time?  Do you feel like you -- about what time?

Q    You weren’t in this last round.  Was that at the kind of technical level?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  The vice ministers did last night at the chief cabinet -- cabinet office.  Mr. Amari and I had discussions at the dinner.

Q    And can you just walk through what the agreement or the pathway forward on autos is?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  A main focus on autos here -- as you recall, first of all, on autos we reached an agreement with Japan prior to letting Japan join TPP about what the staging of the tariffs would be in the United States.  So the phase-out of tariffs on autos and trucks would be the longest of any staging of any tariff of any product anywhere in TPP upon any two countries -- and it would be back loaded and substantially longer than the staging in KORUS, in the Korea agreement.

We then set up a negotiation, a parallel negotiation, over the non-tariff measures that prevent access to Japan’s market.  And those have been where our focus has been for the last several months, and again, over the last couple of days here we made meaningful progress in identifying how we’re going to move forward on those issues, and so we see that moving in parallel with the agricultural negotiations. 

Q    Before we left, senior administration officials were talking about kind of the third arrow.  They wanted to see if the Prime Minister was serious about structural changes -- almost kind of in a challenging way.  Was there any reaction to that?  Was that a positive effect on the negotiations or a negative one?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, I think the Prime Minister talked about his economic program and the President certainly asked him about the plans for structural reform.  I mean, there was discussion, for example, of the role of women in the workforce in Japan, which has been a central focus of Prime Minister Abe and he has engaged in a series of domestic reform measures.  And as you recall, when he worked to have Japan join TPP, one of the rationales for having Japan join was to support the kind of structural reform that he thought was necessary to revitalize and renew Japan.  So that was certainly a key theme of the discussion here.  So I think that’s a key theme. 

The President made clear the TPP is good for the U.S. in terms of opening markets to create jobs, for growth of the U.S.  It’s good for Japan in terms of promoting renewal and revitalization of Japan.  And critically, it’s an important initiative for -- as the President said at the press conference yesterday -- for setting the rules of the road for the fastest-growing economic region in the world.

END
11:20 A.M. KST

Press Gaggle by Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes Aboard Air Force One En Route Seoul, Republic of Korea

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Seoul, Republic of Korea

11:25 A.M. KST

MR. CARNEY:  Good morning, everyone.  Thanks for joining us aboard Air Force One as we make our way from Tokyo to Seoul.  I have with me today Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes, who can take questions along with me on any subject under the sun. 

With that, I turn it over to you for questions.

Q    I wonder whether, Ben, you could characterize the late negotiations on the trade deal and give us a sense for how much progress you think you made.

MR. RHODES:  So as you saw in the joint statement that we issued, we believe that together the United States and Japan have identified a path forward to deal with our bilateral issues in the negotiation.  And we believe that that progress is sufficient, that it both creates that path bilaterally but will also give momentum to the regional negotiation, given how much the bilateral issues between the United States and Japan have been a focal point for moving the agreement forward. 

So we were very pleased with the progress that was made.  This was negotiated around the clock during our time in Japan.  It was a focus of the President’s engagements with Prime Minister Abe.  And again, we believe that we have worked through some very difficult issues and that because of that work there is a clear pathway to resolve our bilateral issues with Japan and to give momentum to the broader regional agreement.

Q    Looking ahead to the South Korea stop -- I know this is actually tomorrow or whatever day we're on now -- but can you just talk about the military briefing that he’s going to have and the remarks after, what the goal of that is?

MR. RHODES:  I think, first of all, obviously we come here at a time when there has been provocative language from North Korea, and it's important for us to show complete solidarity with our ally, the Republic of Korea, in standing up to those provocations.  It's also important to highlight the close cooperation and interoperability of our forces that work together, again, not just to be vigilant against the North Korean threat but also to cooperate on regional security.

We'll also be discussing trilateral defense cooperation that we're seeking to foster between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which was a subject at the President’s trilateral meeting in The Hague and his conversations with Prime Minister Abe.  So the President will be briefed, along with President Park, by the head of the Combined Forces Command.  And then, of course, in addition to discussing our vigilance on the Korean Peninsula, he will also be able to thank our servicemembers for all that they do. 

The only last thing I'd say is we have offered our assistance with respect to the ferry accident, and so, again, he'll have a chance to emphasize once more his condolences to the Korean people and also the fact that we continue to stand ready to provide whatever assistance we can through our naval assets and other assets we can bring to bear as the Korean government deals with a very difficult situation.

Q    On the trilateral relationship, how would you characterize Japan’s readiness to take efforts towards repairing relations with Seoul not just military but also diplomatic, like the Yasukuni Shrine visits?

MR. RHODES:  So what we've seen is good progress in this area since the trilateral meeting in The Hague -- the President was able to bring the leaders together.  Then following on those discussions, there have been working-level discussions at the trilateral level and there’s a sincere willingness on both sides to build out that cooperation.

Clearly there are very sensitive historical issues that continue to be acutely important to the people of the Republic of Korea.  At the same time, there have been, I think, some constructive statements in recent weeks by Prime Minister Abe about upholding the apologies that have been made with respect to comfort women and to pursue a dialogue with the South Koreans on that issue.  Our hope is that that dialogue could lead to further healing associated with these issues and that we also can recognize our shared interest in moving forward with trilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia.

And we've done that, of course, through things like military exercises; also when Secretary Hagel was here, he talked about these issues, moved some assets into the region that will be important to the defense of Northeast Asia.  So, again, we expect it to be a topic of conversation in the bilateral meeting with President Park.

Q    Can I ask a broader question just about this trip and particularly looking forward to other stops, such as Malaysia, which is that a lot of the rebalancing effort has focused on the economic and the security elements of this relationship that the U.S. has with the region.  Can you talk a little about what sort of -- when it comes to values, human rights, cultural connections, how do you see what the President is articulating, particularly as he goes to countries where there are issues around this?

MR. RHODES:  Well, I'd say a number of things.  First of all, there’s a people-to-people component.  And even in Japan yesterday you saw that highlighted.  Both the President and the Prime Minister went out of their way to lift up the education exchanges, the science and technological cooperation, which really does matter a lot to the people of the region and is something where there’s huge demand for cooperation. 

On issues related to respect for civil society and universal values that the United States stands for, that will obviously be a theme at each stop.  In Korea, I would expect that the President will be talking about those issues and drawing a stark comparison between the situation in North Korea and the situation in South Korea, and the latest revelations and the U.N. report of an outrageous pattern of human rights abuses in North Korea will certainly be a topic of conversation.  And I think the President will say that there’s no place in the world where one can see more clearly the difference between an open society that respects human rights and a closed society that violates them than Korea.

In Malaysia, I'd say a couple things.  First of all, the President will be launching this initiative focused on young Southeast Asian leaders.  And what this aims to do is bring together at this town hall meeting, but then beyond that town hall meeting, young people from all 10 ASEAN countries in a series of exchanges with the United States.  We've done this in Africa with the Young African Leaders Initiative, where we work with people on issues like civil society, entrepreneurship, forging networks, giving opportunities for educational exchanges.

So this increases people-to-people ties between the United States and the ASEAN countries and also allows us to focus on areas like civil society, entrepreneurship, public service where we believe young people will ultimately determine the future of this region given that there’s such a big youth bulge.

In Malaysia, the President will also be meeting with a number of leading civil society activists to underscore our support for civil society in Malaysia.  Of course, we've had some concerns at times over restrictions on civil society, so he'll have an opportunity to not just speak to that but also to hear from some of these individual leaders.

Susan Rice will also be meeting with a number of opposition figures, including Anwar, in Malaysia.

And then, of course, in the Philippines, they’ve made good progress particularly in an area of anticorruption, and there I think the President will be able to talk about the connection between sound democratic governance and anticorruption and economic growth, because cracking down on corruption not just accelerates and deepens democratic governance, but it also facilitates economic growth.  And we've seen that in countries like the Philippines. 

Q    And on North Korea, can I just ask quickly -- obviously the President met with the comfort women.  Prime Minister Abe pressed for a push in the U.N. on those human rights abuses in North Korea.  Do you see any concrete steps the U.S. is going to take going forward?

MR. RHODES:  I think it's something that we're in ongoing consultations with the Japanese about.  Yesterday’s discussion really wasn’t a policy one; it was more for a chance for the President to hear directly from families of these abductees, hear their stories.  And I think we're going to continue to support the Japanese in different ways as they seek to resolve these issues.

Of course, even as we have nuclear concerns on the Korean Peninsula, we have grave human rights concerns, and we'll be addressing that going forward with the Japanese.

Q    Thank you very much.

END
11:34 A.M. KST

FACT SHEET: U.S.-Japan Bilateral Cooperation

 The United States and Japan have a modern and diverse alliance focused on the future.  In April 2014, President Obama and Prime Minister Abe met in Tokyo to chart a future course that will foster prosperity, security, and welfare for citizens of both nations.  Their meeting underscores the depth and scope of our bilateral cooperation, which includes the following:

 Advancing Mutual Prosperity

The United States and Japan share a robust and productive economic relationship.  Our close economic ties are reflected in the strong partnerships between U.S. and Japanese companies, and in ongoing economic dialogues spanning a variety of areas including environment and climate change, development, civil nuclear cooperation, clean energy, innovation policy, cybersecurity, and the Internet economy.

Japan and the United States are the world’s largest free-market economies with a two-way goods and services trade flow of $290 billion in 2012, making Japan the United States’ fourth-largest trading partner.  Moreover, Japan is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment into the United States, the stock of two-way investment between our countries topped $442 billion in 2012, and Japanese companies employed approximately 650,000 U.S. workers.  These close trade and investment ties contribute to increased prosperity in both our countries.  Our countries are closely aligned in promoting 21st century economic rules in the region and globally, including through the G-7 and G-20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the World Trade Organization.  We are firmly committed to reaching a high-standards agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), recognizing that this will support jobs and growth in both countries. 

Our countries share a common focus on empowering women to take a greater role in our societies.  Recognizing that expanding economic opportunities for women and ensuring their full participation in the workforce are challenges shared by both countries, the United States is pleased to announce its intent to invite five Japanese participants to attend the White House Summit on Working Families, which President Obama plans to host on June 23, 2014.  The Summit aims to bring together businesses, economists, labor leaders, policymakers, advocates, and ordinary citizens to discuss how we can create a 21^st century workplace that supports working families and improves women’s labor force participation.   

The United States welcomed Japan’s joining the Equal Futures Partnership in September 2013, a public commitment made by countries around the world to break down barriers to women’s political and economic participation.  The United States is working with Japan in the G-20 to expand female labor force participation as a way of accelerating global growth.  We applaud Japan’s leadership in strengthening women’s empowerment efforts in APEC and will work closely with Japan to advance that agenda. 

Enhancing our Security

The U.S.-Japan Alliance remains the cornerstone of both countries’ security policy in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring mutual security as well as the peace, stability, and economic prosperity of the region in the 21st century.  We are committed to building an even more robust and effective Alliance based on expanding security and defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond to reflect contemporary challenges and on implementing the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, including the construction of a new Marine Corps Air Facility at Camp Schwab to replace MCAS Futenma and the relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam.  The two countries are developing an environmental framework related to U.S. bases in Japan, including an agreement supplementing the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). 

The United States and Japan have made steady progress in revising the Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation to ensure the Alliance continues its vital role in deterring conflict and advancing peace and security.  To support the roles, missions, and capabilities the new guidelines will define, the Alliance is upgrading its forces using the latest cutting edge technology.  We will be deploying U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft rotationally, U.S. Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aircraft.  Remaining vigilant against emerging threats, we are also coordinating in bilateral working groups to address challenges in new domains such as space and cyberspace. 

The United States and Japan agree on the importance of the peaceful denuclearization of North Korea.  In order to achieve this goal, we seek authentic and credible negotiations while ensuring that North Korea's provocative behavior and reluctance to live up to its international obligations incurs consequences.  Given North Korea's missile threat, we are strengthening bilateral cooperation on ballistic missile defense, including construction of a new X-Band radar facility in Japan.  The United States also recently announced the deployment of two additional Aegis ballistic missile defense vessels to Japan by 2017, further enhancing our defenses.  Together, these steps and others demonstrate our shared, strong commitment to protecting both Japan and the United States from North Korean aggression. 

We also cooperate in the area of domestic law enforcement to protect our citizens’ interests and safety.  Building on the February 7 signing of the bilateral Agreement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime, we are deepening law enforcement cooperation to protect the citizens of both nations.  The United States welcomes Japan’s ongoing efforts to criminalize child pornography, as well as Japan’s consideration of criminalizing conspiracy to help combat transnational organized crime as part of the process allowing Japan to conclude the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Palermo Protocol on Human Trafficking.  Moreover, on April 1, 2014, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction entered into effect in Japan.  The Convention provides a legal framework for securing the prompt return of wrongfully removed or retained children to their country of habitual residence, where a competent court can make determinations of child custody and access based on the child’s best interests.  We welcome Japan’s decision to join the Hague Convention and look forward to working closely to resolve existing and future international parental child abduction cases. 

Ensuring Stability and Prosperity around the World

The relationship between the United States and Japan is global in scope.  Rooted in shared values, our two countries address political, humanitarian and security related issues worldwide, working together to create a more safe, stable, and equitable world. 

The United States and Japan are supporting the efforts of the Ukrainian people to pursue democracy and economic development.  In The Hague, the leaders of the United States and Japan joined with the other G-7 Leaders to reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence and committed to impose a variety of sanctions against Russia if Russia continues to escalate the situation in Ukraine. 

Japan and the United States promote stability, security, and prosperity in the Middle East.  Joining the United States, which is the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance to the region, in support of a united, democratic Syria, Japan has provided nearly $420 million in aid to assist conflict-affected and displaced populations in Syria, as well as Syrian refugees and countries hosting them, and assists in the destruction and elimination of Syria’s chemical weapon stockpile.  The United States and Japan have also been the leading donors of civilian assistance to Afghanistan, and have already pledged to continue their support through 2016. 

Moreover, the United States and Japan have consistently supported Middle East peace efforts, notably through assistance for Palestinian economic growth and institution building.  The United States is the largest donor to the Palestinian Authority, having committed approximately $5 billion in bilateral assistance since the mid-1990s.  Japan has committed $1.44 billion in assistance to the Palestinian Authority during the same timeframe and has made efforts to mobilize the expertise and resources of East Asian countries in assisting the Palestinians. 

Both countries are strong supporters of the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in expanding the benefits of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in health, agriculture, medicine, industry, and power to countries that comply with their nonproliferation obligations, and are the two largest supporters of the IAEA’s Peaceful Uses Initiative. 

Working with the United States to convince Iran to address the international community’s concerns about its nuclear program, Japan has significantly reduced its imports of Iranian oil and supports implementation of the Joint Plan of Action. 

Cooperating on Advanced Technologies

U.S.-Japan partnership in the areas of science and technology confronts a broad array of complex issues facing our two countries and the global community.  Under the auspices of the U.S.-Japan Science and Technology Agreement, our two countries have collaborated for over 25 years on scientific research in areas such as new energy technologies, emergency management, supercomputing, and critical materials.  In recognition of these achievements, the President and Prime Minister announced an extension of our bilateral Science and Technology Agreement for an additional 10 years. 

The United States and Japan share a commitment to an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable cyberspace.  To reinforce this commitment, the United States and Japan have strengthened their bilateral and international collaboration in promoting the multi-stakeholder system of Internet governance, developing the Internet economy, addressing national security issues in cyberspace, combating cybercrime, and enhancing cybersecurity and critical infrastructure cybersecurity in particular.  At the fifth U.S.-Japan Internet Economy Dialogue, the United States and Japan decided to work together in international discussions of internet policy issues to promote the free flow of information and further development of the global Internet economy, especially in developing countries.  At the second U.S.-Japan Cyber Dialogue, the United States and Japan reaffirmed their shared recognition and approach to cyber policy.  In particular, the two sides decided on more in-depth whole-of-government bilateral engagement on critical infrastructure cybersecurity and the establishment of international norms of state behavior and practical regional cyber confidence-building measures. 

The United States and Japan maintain robust and mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of peaceful exploration and use of outer space.  The Annual U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Dialogue on Space, scheduled for May 2014 in Washington, D.C., will advance our cooperation on the use of space for environmental research, scientific discovery, national and international security, and economic growth.  Japan plays a major role in the success of the International Space Station.  A robust multi-agency Japanese delegation attended the inaugural International Space Exploration Forum (ISEF) in Washington in January 2014.  The United States looks forward to supporting Japan as the host of the next ISEF.  Nearly 50 active documents underpin cooperation between NASA and Japan, including the launch of a NASA-built Global Precipitation Measurement satellite on a Japanese H-2A rocket in February 2014.  The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is one of the few international space agencies with which NASA cooperates in all mission areas – human space flight, Earth science, space science, space technology, and aeronautics research. 

Over the past year, Japan and the United States have signed an unprecedented set of documents to facilitate bilateral collaboration in robotics for disaster response.  A Japanese team came in first place in the December 2013 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge Trials for developing disaster response robotics technology, and Japan will field several more teams in 2015.  Our collaboration will yield robotic systems with greater ability to navigate difficult terrain and greater capacity to work with humans in addressing dangerous environments resulting from natural and manmade disasters. 

We also cooperate in the area of advanced health research and development.  The National Cancer Center of Japan and the U.S. National Cancer Institute recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote and conduct high-quality research to strengthen cancer prevention and control.  In addition, the U.S.-Japan Vaccine Policy Exchange (VPE), held annually since 2010, is serving to develop better understanding of short- and long- term goals for U.S. and Japanese vaccine policy.  

Securing a Clean Energy Future

The United States and Japan work together to share our skills and knowledge to develop clean, reliable, and efficient energy resources for current and future generations.  The U.S.-Japan Clean Energy Policy Dialogue, most recently held in December 2013, fosters coordination on policies and on research and development activities.  Through the Dialogue, U.S. and Japanese researchers are pursuing exchanges on fuel cell, solar, and geothermal technology, and contribute to our governments’ plan to collaborate on a joint project on microgrid systems.  The U.S.-Japan Renewable Energy Policy Business Roundtable, held in conjunction with the Dialogue, provides a venue for companies of both countries to discuss policy developments in the clean energy sector, identify new business opportunities, and share information on issues such as creative public-private financing mechanisms for renewable energy projects. 

The Bilateral Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation consolidates and expands bilateral cooperation on civil nuclear energy, addressing issues such as nuclear safety and regulation, clean-up from the Fukushima nuclear accident, nuclear energy research and development, non-proliferation, safeguards and security, and emergency response.  The Bilateral Commission most recently met in November 2013, setting the stage for successful U.S.-Japan cooperation at the March 2014 Nuclear Security Summit.  The next meeting of the Bilateral Commission will be held in June 2014. Recent activities under the Bilateral Commission’s umbrella include the Japan-U.S. Decommissioning and Remediation Fukushima Recovery Forum, which met February 18-19 in Tokyo and brought together representatives from U.S. and Japanese firms to discuss potential partnerships to assist with Fukushima recovery.  That same week, under the auspices of the Bilateral Commission’s Civil Nuclear Energy Research and Development Working Group, the Department of Energy and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry held a U.S.-Japan roundtable on probabilistic risk assessment methodologies and their applications for nuclear safety.  The United States welcomes Japan’s October 2013 announcement of its plans to ratify the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage in the near future, demonstrating its leadership in the establishment of a global nuclear liability regime. 

Japan and the United States have extensive cooperation on nuclear security.  Bilaterally, Japanese and U.S. agencies work together under the Nuclear Security Working Group toward nine nuclear security goals.  We also cooperate closely in multilateral fora, including the Nuclear Security Summits, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, and the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.  We welcome Japan’s March 2014 announcement of its plans to remove hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium and plutonium to the United States for disposition.  We are also working together, with three other countries, on nuclear transportation security and highlighted this work at the third Nuclear Security Summit this March. 

Finally, Japan and the United States work together on climate change issues, including through a bilateral dialogue.  We will continue our close cooperation, including in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, with the goal of securing the participation of all major economies and other major emitters in an effective, ambitious, and durable global climate change agreement to be adopted in 2015.   

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President Obama Announces his Intent to Appoint Fourteen Individuals to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint fourteen individuals to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  This Commission is charged with working to improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) through increased participation in and access to federal programs.  These members will advise the President on innovative ways to engage AAPIs across the country and to improve their health, education, environment, and well-being.  Hailing from all over the Nation and from across a wide range of disciplines, these accomplished individuals will work to advance the inclusion of the AAPI community and to uplift the community’s contributions to America.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

• N. Nina Ahmad – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Michael Byun – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Ravi Chaudhary – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Lian Cheun – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Billy Dec – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Bill Imada – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Kathy Ko Chin – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Dee Jay Mailer – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Diane Narasaki – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Shekar Narasimhan – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Mary Ann Young Okada – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Maulik Pancholy – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Linda X. Phan – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Lorna May Ho Randlett – Member, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have agreed to join this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

Dr. N. Nina Ahmad, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Dr. N. Nina Ahmad is co-owner and Executive Vice President of Government Affairs for JNA Capital, Inc., a real estate finance and development company based in Philadelphia that she helped to co-found in 1994.  Dr. Ahmad also serves as the Administrator of Global City Regional Center, LLC, a position she has held since May 2013.  From 1992 to 2005, Dr. Ahmad served as Bower Research Fellow and then held a joint assistant professorship at Wills Eye Hospital and at the Ophthalmology Department of Jefferson Medical College.  Also during this time, Dr. Ahmad served as the Director of Molecular Biology for the Research Department of Wills Eye Hospital.  In 2011, Dr. Ahmad joined the Philadelphia Foundation’s Board of Managers.  In 2009, Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia appointed her Chair of the city’s Commission on Asian American Affairs.  Dr. Ahmad received a B.S. in Chemistry from the Lawrence Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Byun, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Michael Byun is currently the Executive Director of Asian Services in Action, Inc., a position he has held since 2009.  Previously, he held other roles at that organization after joining it in 2003.  From 2002 to 2003, he was Assistant Director of Major Gifts for the Oberlin College Office of Development.  From 2001 to 2002, he was Assistant Director of Development for University of Washington Development & Alumni Relations.  Mr. Byun is the Past President of the Ohio Asian American Health Coalition.  He serves on the Ohio Governor’s AAPI Advisory Council and the Board of Directors of the National Coalition of Asian Pacific American Community Development.  He advises the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, which serves AAPI health clinics around the country, and is a founding member of AIM for Equity, a coalition of over 30 national and local AAPI organizations.  Mr. Byun is a 2010 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow.  He received a B.A. and an M.P.A. from the University of Washington.

Lt. Col. Ravi Chaudhary, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Lt. Col. Ravi Chaudhary is an Air Force officer, currently serving as Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.  Lt. Col. Chaudhary has logged over 3,000 flight hours as a pilot and flight test engineer, including over 700 combat hours.  Previously, Lt. Col. Chaudhary served as Commander of the U.S. Air Force’s 317th Recruiting Squadron from 2011 to 2013. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Chief of Strategy Integration in the Air Force Strategic Plans and Programs division as well as speechwriter in the Secretary of the Air Force Executive Action Group at the Pentagon.  From 2001 to 2009, Lt. Col. Chaudhary served a C-17 Pilot in a variety of operational, deployed, staff and leadership roles for Air Mobility Command, and from 1993 to 2000 he was an Aerospace/Flight Test Engineer for Air Force Materiel Command.  Lt. Col. Chaudhary’s awards include the NASA Stellar Award, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals.  Lt. Col. Chaudhary received a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy, an M.S. from Saint Mary’s University, and a Masters in Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Force’s Air University. 

Lian Cheun, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Lian Cheun is the Executive Director of Khmer Girls in Action (KGA).  Before joining KGA, Ms. Cheun worked for a number of organizations, including Asian Immigrant Women Advocates and the Asian Migrant Center, which is based in Hong Kong.  From 2000 to 2002, Ms. Cheun served as an Early Academic Opportunity Program college counselor at Skyline High School and Castlemont High School in Oakland, CA.  Ms. Cheun received the 2013 Panther Award from the California Reinvestment Coalition for her efforts to help students organize for better health services and student outcomes.  Ms. Cheun received a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.P.A. from the California State University at Long Beach. 

Billy Dec, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Billy Dec is the CEO and Founder of Rockit Ranch Productions, a hospitality and entertainment development company in Chicago, a position he has held since 2002.  Mr. Dec is a regular Entertainment Contributor to ABC TV’s Windy City Live, a television program in Chicago that started in 2009.  He is involved in several philanthropic organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and Maggie Daley’s After School Matters.  Mr. Dec also served as Director of Cultural Relations on the 2016 Chicago Olympic Committee.  He has received an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Broadcast/Advanced Media and the Illinois Secretary of State’s Asian Pacific American Business Leadership Award.  Mr. Dec received a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a J.D. from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Bill Imada, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Bill Imada is the Chairman and Chief Collaboration Officer of IW Group (formerly known as Imada Wong Communications Group), an advertising and public relations agency that Mr. Imada co-founded in 1990.  Prior to founding the IW Group, Mr. Imada was a Partner at the Imada/Schulte Group from 1987 to 1989.  Mr. Imada is the co-founder and former chairman of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, co-founder of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, and former president of the Asian American Advertising Federation.  Mr. Imada serves on a number of boards and advisory councils, including the Advertising Educational Foundation, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Center for Asian American Media, and Coalition for Asian Pacifics in Entertainment.  Mr. Imada received a B.S. from California State University, Northridge.

Kathy Ko Chin, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Kathy Ko Chin currently serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a position she has held since 2010.  Previously, from 2002 to 2009, she was the Program Director for the Community Clinics Initiative, a joint project of Tides and The California Endowment.  From 1997 to 2002 she was an independent consultant to non-profits and foundations in areas of leadership development and strategic planning.  Ms. Ko Chin was the Associate Director at Asian Health Services from 1984 to 1997.  She has worked in a number of health care settings and community clinics across the country, including San Francisco General Hospital, the University of California San Francisco Institute for Health Policy Studies, Planned Parenthood SF, and South Cove Community Health Center in Boston.  Ms. Ko Chin received a B.S. from Stanford University and an M.S. in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard School of Public Health. 

Dee Jay Mailer, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Dee Jay Mailer is the former Chief Executive Officer of Kamehameha Schools, a position she held from 2004 to 2014.  Prior to this position, Ms. Mailer served from 2002 to 2004 as the Chief Operating Officer of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a private foundation based in Geneva.  From 1999 to 2002, Ms. Mailer was Chief Operating Officer for Health Net of California.  Prior to that, from 1986 to 1999, Ms. Mailer served in various leadership capacities at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Hawai’i Region, where she was named Chief Executive Officer in 1995.  She is the recipient of the University of Hawai’i Distinguished Alumni Award, YWCA Woman Leadership Award, and the Hawai’i Governor’s Proclamation of Service to Community.  Ms. Mailer received a B.S. and an M.B.A. from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

Diane Narasaki, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Diane Narasaki has served as the Executive Director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) since 1995.  While at ACRS, Ms. Narasaki co-founded and currently chairs the King County Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, a network of community organizations serving AAPI immigrants and refugees in Washington State.  From 1987 to 1991, Ms. Narasaki served as the Executive Director of the Northwest Labor and Employment Law Office.  Ms. Narasaki has served as Co-Chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission since 2013.  In 2012, she was a member of the Behavioral Healthcare Disparities Committee of the Washington State Governor’s Interagency Council on Healthcare Disparities.  She previously served on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council from 2010 to 2013 and the Washington State Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission from 1996 to 2003.  Ms. Narasaki received a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Washington and a Master’s degree from Seattle University’s Master of Nonprofit Leadership Program.

Shekar Narasimhan, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Shekar Narasimhan has been Managing Partner at Beekman Advisors since 2003 and Chairman of Papillon Capital since 2012.  Previously, Mr. Narasimhan was the Managing Director at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company from 2000 to 2003 and the Chairman and CEO of The WMF Group, Ltd. from 1988 to 2000.  From 1987 to 1988, Mr. Narasimhan was the Executive Vice President of Clark Financial Services, Inc., and from 1984 to 1986 he was the Corporate Vice President of Real Estate for the National Cooperative Bank.  Prior to that, Mr. Narasimhan was the General Manager of Greenbelt Homes, Inc. from 1981 to 1984.  Mr. Narasimhan has also served as Associate Director of Rural America, Inc. from 1979 to 1981, Director of Housing of the Human/Economic Appalachian Development Corporation from 1977 to 1979, and Executive Director of the David Community Development Corporation from 1975 to 1977.  Mr. Narasimhan is Co-Founder of the Emergent Institute (formerly known as the Indian Institute for Sustainable Enterprise) in Bangalore, India, a nonprofit institution training entrepreneurs to build social ventures.  Mr. Narasimhan received a B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and an M.B.A. from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Mary Ann Young Okada, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Dr. Mary Ann Young Okada is President and Chief Executive Officer of Guam Community College, a position she has held since 2007.  Previously, Dr. Okada served Guam Community College as Vice President of Financial Affairs from 2005 to 2007, Accounting Supervisor from 2003 to 2004, Controller in 2001, Assistant to the Vice President of Financial Affairs from 1994 to 2001, and General Accounting Supervisor from 1992 to 1994.  Prior to this, Dr. Okada was a Comptroller for the Guam Public School System from 2004 to 2005 and a Finance Manager for Pacific Western Enterprises from 1990 to 1992.  She has been active in community organizations, including the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of University Women – Guam Chapter, the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council, and Westcare Foundation Board – Pacific Islands.  Dr. Okada received a B.B.A. and an M.S. from the University of Guam and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Maulik Pancholy, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Maulik Pancholy is a film, television, and stage actor widely known for playing the role of Jonathan for six seasons on NBC’s award-winning series 30 Rock.  He also appeared in six seasons of the Showtime series Weeds and played Neal on the first season of the NBC series Whitney.  He is the voice of Sanjay, the title character in the Nickelodeon animated series Sanjay & Craig, as well as the voice of Baljeet in the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb.  He shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with the cast of 30 Rock in 2009.  He has also appeared in numerous films and plays.  Mr. Pancholy is active with a number of non-profit and social policy organizations such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the New York City Anti-Violence Project, and the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission.  He worked closely with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center on its exhibition “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” which opened at the National Museum of Natural History in February 2014.  Mr. Pancholy received a B.S. from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. from Yale University.

Linda X. Phan, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Linda X. Phan has served as Executive Director of Asian Family Support Services of Austin, an anti-violence organization supporting immigrant families, since 2005.  Previously, Ms. Phan was Communications Manager at the Texas Advocacy Project from 2004 to 2005 and Development Associate at the United Way Capital Area in 1999.  Ms. Phan has served on the Texas Council on Family Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Austin Commission on Immigrant Affairs.  Ms. Phan received the Human Values Award from Art of Living Foundation in 2007, the Social Services Award from the University of Texas Division of Diversity and Community Engagement in 2010, and the Community Award from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce in 2013.  Ms. Phan received a B.A. in Biology and a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lorna May Ho Randlett, Appointee for Member, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Lorna May Ho Randlett is a Communication Specialist and Reach and Relevance External Relations Manager at McKinsey & Company, a position she has held since 2006.  She currently represents the Global Semiconductor Practice at McKinsey and worked in the U.S. State and Local and Infrastructure Americas Practices.  Previously, Ms. Randlett was the Communications Director of the San Francisco Unified School District from 2002 to 2006.  Ms. Randlett established LMH Consulting in 2001, and worked as a broadcast journalist in the San Francisco media markets.  She is active in the community, including serving on the San Francisco Library Commission and advising the civic innovation startup, Fusecorp.  Ms. Randlett received a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz.