Compilation of Presidential remarks, TPP Leaders Statement

Compilation of Presidential remarks, TPP Leaders Statement and a Fact Sheet

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA
AT APEC CEO SUMMIT

Beijing, China

4:51 P.M. CST

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you so much. Xiàwǔ hǎo. (Applause.) Thank you, Andrew, for that introduction. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Andrew very well these past few years. We have worked him hard –- he helped my administration with strategies for growing high-tech manufacturing to hiring more long-term unemployed. He’s just as good at corporate citizenship as he is at running a corporation. Later I’ll visit Brisbane, where I know Andrew spent some of his youth. I’m sure he’s got some suggestions for fun there, but not necessarily things that a President can do. (Laughter.) We don’t know how he spent his youth, but I’m sure he had some fun.

It is wonderful to be back in China, and I’m grateful for the Chinese people’s extraordinary hospitality. This is my sixth trip to Asia as President, and my second this year alone. And that’s because, as I’ve said on each of my visits, America is a thoroughly Pacific nation. We’ve always had a history with Asia. And our future -- our security and our prosperity -- is inextricably intertwined with Asia. I know the business leaders in attendance today agree.

I’ve now had the privilege to address the APEC CEO summit in Singapore, in Yokohama, and in my original hometown of Honolulu, now in Beijing. And I think it’s safe to say that few global forums are watched more closely by the business community. There’s a good reason for that. Taken together, APEC economies account for about 40 percent of the world’s population, and nearly 60 percent of its GDP. That means we’re home to nearly three billion customers, and three-fifths of the global economy.

And over the next five years, nearly half of all economic growth outside the United States is projected to come from right here, in Asia. That makes this region an incredible opportunity for creating jobs and economic growth in the United States. And any serious leader in America, whether in politics or in commerce, recognizes that fact.

Now the last time I addressed this CEO summit was three years ago. Today, I’ve come back at a moment when, around the world, the United States is leading from a position of strength. This year, of course, has seen its share of turmoil and uncertainty. But whether it’s our fight to degrade and destroy the terrorist network known as ISIL, or to contain and combat the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the one constant –- the one global necessity –- is and has been American leadership.

And that leadership in the world is backed by the renewed strength of our economy at home. Today, our businesses have created 10.6 million jobs over the longest uninterrupted stretch of job growth in American history. We’re on pace for the best year of job growth since the 1990s. Since we started creating jobs again, the U.S. has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and every other advanced economy combined.

And when you factor in what’s happening in our broader economy –- a manufacturing sector that as Andrew said is growing now at a rapid pace; graduation rates that are rising; deficits that have shrunk by two-thirds; health care inflation at 50-year lows; and an energy boom at new highs –- when you put all this together, what you get is an American economy that is primed for steadier, more sustained growth, and better poised to lead and succeed in the 21st century than just about any other nation on Earth.

And you don’t have to take our word for it –- take yours. For two years in a row, business executives like all of you have said that the world's most attractive place to invest is the United States. And we're going to go for a three-peat. We're going to try to make it the same this year.

But despite the responsibilities of American leadership around the world, despite our attention to getting our economy growing, there should be no doubt that the United States of America remains entirely committed when it comes to Asia. America is a Pacific power, and we are leading to promote shared security and shared economic growth this century, just as we did in the last.

In fact, one of my core messages throughout this trip -- from APEC to the East Asia Summit to the G20 in Australia -- is that working together we need growth that is balanced, growth that is strong, growth that is sustainable, and growth where prosperity is shared by everybody who is willing to work hard.

As President of the United States I make no apologies for doing whatever I can to bring new jobs and new industries to America. But I've always said, in the 21st century, the pursuit of economic growth, job creation and trade is not a zero-sum game. One country's prosperity doesn't have to come at the expense of another. If we work together and act together, strengthening the economic ties between our nations will benefit all of our nations. That's true for the nations of APEC, and I believe it's particularly true for the relationship between the United States and China. (Applause.)

I've had the pleasure of hosting President Xi twice in the United States. The last time we met, in California, he pointed out that the Pacific Ocean is big enough for both of our nations. And I agree. The United States welcomes the rise of a prosperous, peaceful and stable China. I want to repeat that. (Applause.) I want to repeat that: We welcome the rise of a prosperous, peaceful and stable China.

In fact, over recent decades the United States has worked to help integrate China into the global economy -- not only because it's in China's best interest, but because it's in America's best interest, and the world's best interest. We want China to do well. (Applause.)

We compete for business, but we also seek to cooperate on a broad range of shared challenges and shared opportunities. Whether it's stopping the spread of Ebola, or preventing nuclear -- preventing nuclear proliferation, or deepening our clean energy partnership, combating climate change, a leadership role that, as the world's two largest economies and two largest carbon emitters, we have a special responsibility to embrace.

If China and the United States can work together, the world benefits. And that's something this audience is acutely interested in. (Applause.) We continually have to work to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment between our two nations. America's first trade mission visited China just a year after America's revolution ended. Two hundred and thirty years later, we are the two largest economies in the world.

And the trade and investment relationship we have benefits both of our countries. China is our fastest growing export market. Chinese direct investment in the United States has risen six-fold over the past five years. Chinese firms directly employ a rapidly growing number of Americans. And all these things mean jobs for the American people; and deepening these ties will mean more jobs and opportunity for both of our peoples.

And that's why I'm very pleased to announce that during my visit the United States and China have agreed to implement a new arrangement for visas that will benefit everyone from students, to tourists, to businesses large and small. Under the current arrangement, visas between our two countries last for only one year. Under the new arrangement, student and exchange visas will be extended to five years; business and tourist visas will be extended to 10 years. (Applause.)

Now, of course, that will be good for the businessmen who are going back and forth all the time. But keep in mind, last year, 1.8 million Chinese visitors to the United States contributed $21 billion to our economy and supported more than 100,000 American jobs. This agreement could help us more than quadruple those numbers.

I've heard from American business leaders about how valuable this step will be. And we've worked hard to achieve this outcome because it clearly serves the mutual interest of both of our countries. (Applause.) So I'm proud that during my visit to China we will mark this important breakthrough, which will benefit our economies and bring our people together, and I’m pleased that President Xi has been a partner in getting this done –- very much appreciate his work on this. (Applause.)

Now, deepening our economic ties is why I also hope to make progress with President Xi towards an ambitious, high-standard, bilateral investment treaty that opens up China’s economy to American investors -- an agreement that could unlock even more progress and more opportunity in both of our countries. We’re also working together to put -- in pursuit of an international agreement on the ITA. And we’ll speak directly and candidly, as we always do, about specific actions China can take to help all of us, across the Asia-Pacific, to expand trade and investment, which many of the CEOs I talk to raise in our discussions.

We look to China to create a more level playing field on which foreign companies are treated fairly so that they can compete fairly with Chinese companies; a playing field where competition policy promotes the welfare of consumers and doesn’t benefit just one set of companies over another. We look to China to become an innovative economy that values the protection of intellectual property rights, and rejects cybertheft of trade secrets for commercial gain. We look to China to approve biotechnology advances that are critical to feeding a growing planet on the same timeline as other countries, to move definitively toward a more market-determined exchange rate, and, yes, to stand up for human rights and freedom of the press. And we don’t suggest these things because they’re good for us; we suggest that China do these things for the sake of sustainable growth in China, and the stability of the Asia-Pacific region. And I look forward to discussing these issues, along with China’s concerns and ideas, with President Xi over the next few days.

Now even as America works to deepen our bilateral ties with China, we’re focused this week on deepening our ties with all the APEC economies, including reducing barriers to trade and investment, so that companies like yours can grow, create new jobs, and promote prosperity across the Asia-Pacific region.

After all, Asia’s largest export market is the United States -- that benefits American consumers because it has led to more affordable goods and services. Six of America’s top 10 export markets are APEC economies, and more than 60 percent of our exports –- over $1 trillion worth of goods and services -– are purchased by APEC economies. That supports millions of American jobs.

So the work that APEC members have done together over the years has lowered tariffs, cut shipping costs, and made it cheaper, easier, and faster to do business – and that supports good jobs in all of our nations. We’ve worked together to improve food security, encourage clean energy, promote education, and deliver disaster relief. And all of this has made a difference.

But we can always do more. We can do more to reduce barriers to trade and economic growth. Since 2006, we’ve worked together toward the ultimate goal of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, and APEC has shown a number of pathways that could make it a reality. And one of those pathways is the Trans-Pacific Partnership between the United States and 11 other nations. Once complete, this partnership will bring nearly 40 percent of the global economy under an agreement that means increased trade, greater investment, and more jobs for its member countries; a level playing field on which businesses can compete; high standards that protect workers, the environment, and intellectual property. And I just met with several other members of the TPP who share my desire to make this agreement a reality, we’re going to keep on working to get it done. For we believe that this is the model for trade in the 21st century.

Agreements like this will benefit our economies and our people. But they also send a strong message that what’s important isn’t just whether our economies continue to grow, but how they grow; that what’s best for our people isn’t a race to the bottom, but a race to the top. Obviously, ensuring the continued growth and stability of the Asia-Pacific requires more than a focus on growing trade and investment.

Steady, sustainable growth requires making it easier for small businesses to access capital and new markets. And when about one-third of small businesses in the region are run by women, then steady, sustainable growth requires every woman’s ability to fully participate in the economy. That’s true in the United States and that’s true everywhere.

Steady, sustainable growth requires promoting policies and practices that keep the Internet open and accessible.

Steady, sustainable growth requires a planet where citizens can breathe clean air, and drink clean water, and eat safe food, and make a living fishing healthy oceans.

Steady, sustainable growth requires mobilizing the talents and resources of all our people –- regardless of gender, or religion, or color, or creed; offering them the opportunity to participate in open and transparent political and economic systems; where we cast a harsh light on bribery and corruption, and a well-deserved spotlight on those who strive to play by the rules.

Those are all some of the areas we’ll be focused on at APEC this week, and going forward. And obviously every country is different –- no country is following the same model. But there are things that bind us together, and despite our differences, we know there are certain standards and ideals that will benefit all people.

We know that if given a choice, our young people would demand more access to the world’s information, not less. We know that if allowed to organize, our workers would better -- demand working conditions that don’t injure them, that keep them safe; that they’re looking for stronger labor and environmental safeguards, not weaker. We know that if given a voice, women wouldn’t say give us less; they’d speak up for more access to markets, more access to capital, more seats in our legislature and our boardrooms.

So these are all key issues in growth as well. Sometimes we focus just on trade and investment and dollars and cents, but these things are important as well. These ideals aren’t just topics for summits and state visits. They’re touchstones of the world that we’re going to leave to our children. The United States is not just here in Asia to check a box; we’re here because we believe our shared future is here in Asia, just as our shared past has been.

We’re looking to a future where a worker in any of our countries can afford to provide for his family; where his daughter can go to school and start a business and have a fair shot at success; where fundamental rights are cherished, and protected, and not denied. And that future is one where our success is defined less by armies and less by bureaucrats, and more by entrepreneurs, and innovators, by dreamers and doers, by business leaders who focus as much on the workers they empower as the prosperity that they create. That’s future that we see. That’s why we’re here. It’s why we’ve worked so closely together these past several years. And as long as I’m America’s President, I’m going to be invested in your success because I believe it is essential to our success as well.

Thank you very much. Xièxiè.

END 5:11 P.M. CST
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
November 10, 2014

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT BEFORE TPP MEETING

U.S. Embassy
Beijing, China

1:17 P.M. CST

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to thank all my fellow peers and the trade ministers for joining us here today. I know we all have very busy schedules, so I’m going to keep my remarks brief.

We’re here today because the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a high priority for our nations and for the region. As President, strengthening American leadership in the Asia Pacific has been one of my top foreign policy priorities. And central to that objective is working with some of our most important trading partners to find ways in which we can facilitate increased growth for all of us, increased investment for all of us, improve jobs prospects for all of us.

And what we are seeing is momentum building around a Trans-Pacific Partnership that can spur greater economic growth, spur greater jobs growth, set high standards for trade and investment throughout the Asia Pacific. And I don’t think I have to explain to the press why this region is so important. This is the fastest-growing, most populous, most dynamic region in the world economically.

During the past few weeks, our teams have made good progress in resolving several outstanding issues regarding a potential agreement. Today is an opportunity at the political level for us to break some remaining logjams. To ensure that TPP is a success, we also have to make sure that all of our people back home understand the benefits for them -- that it means more trade, more good jobs, and higher incomes for people throughout the region, including the United States. And that’s the case that I’ll continue to make to Congress and the American people. And I know that the leaders here are committed to making that case as well.

This has the potential for being a historic achievement. It’s now up to all of us to see if we can finalize a deal that is both ambitious and comprehensive. The stronger the agreement, the greater the benefits to our people.

So to all my fellow leaders, I want to thank you not just for your participation here today but, more importantly, for the mandate that you have given to your negotiating teams to engage in some very serious work that promises to deliver greater prosperity, trade and commerce between our nations in the future.

Thank you very much.

END. 1:19 P.M. CST

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 10, 2014

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA
AND PRESIDENT WIDODO OF INDONESIA
BEFORE BILATERAL MEETING
Beijing, China

11:46 A.M. CST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it is a pleasure to meet President Widodo. I want to congratulate him on an inspiring election. And as many of you know, I have a very close association with Indonesia, having spent a good deal of my childhood there.
I think that in watching President Widodo’s election, it is once again an affirmation of the full transition that Indonesia has made to a thriving democracy and a model for the kind of tolerance and pluralism that we want to see all around the world.
I know that President Widodo has a very ambitious reform agenda, and my main message here today is that the United States wants to be a strong partner with Indonesia in helping achieve its goals.
As part of our comprehensive partnership we’ve already worked on a wide range of issues -- economic, development, security, people-to-people exchanges, environmental cooperation -- and I look forward to discussing how we can build on that momentum, perhaps even with a visit by President Widodo in Washington next year.
I also want to thank Indonesia for the leadership regionally, as well as internationally, that it has shown on a number of issues. As a leader in ASEAN, Indonesia has been a driving force around the work that we’ve done on disaster assistance, on education, on scientific and technical exchanges, as well as issues of maritime security. And both our countries agree that it’s important for us to maintain international norms that ensure freedom of navigation, and that all countries are treated fairly and equitably.
And finally, as one of the world’s largest democracies and also as one of the world’s largest Islamic populations, Indonesia has played an extraordinary role in promoting pluralism and respect for religious diversity. And I want to thank Indonesia in the work that it’s done to isolate extremism and to work with other countries around counterterrorism efforts.
So, Mr. President, I very much appreciate the opportunity to meet with you. I hope that we can develop not only a strong personal friendship but can continue to build the strong friendship between our two peoples.
PRESIDENT WIDODO: (As interpreted.) I would like to thank Your Excellency and this will be the first time that I meet President Obama. I would like to also thank you for your special envoy, the Secretary of State, John Kerry, for his visit to my inauguration ceremony.
Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world and has just conducted its presidential election, a cause for the democratic celebration in our country. And it shows that Islam and democracy can go forward.
In regards to extremism and radicalism, we have an experience of more than 30 years and we will continue to fight this extremism and radicalism, and not only by a security approach but also by a cultural approach and also a religious approach.
With regards to the stability -- security stability in the region, we will continue cooperation among countries in responding to security issues in the region.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much, everybody.
END 11:55 A.M. CST

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2014

Trans-Pacific Partnership Leaders’ Statement
November 10, 2014

We, the Leaders of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam, welcome the significant progress in recent months, as reported to us by our Ministers, that sets the stage to bring these landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to conclusion. We are encouraged that Ministers and negotiators have narrowed the remaining gaps on the legal text of the agreement and that they are intensively engaging to complete ambitious and balanced packages to open our markets to one another, in accordance with the instructions we gave them in Bali a year ago. With the end coming into focus, we have instructed our Ministers and negotiators to make concluding this agreement a top priority so that our businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers can start to reap the real and substantial benefits of the TPP agreement as soon as possible.

As we mobilize our teams to conclude the negotiations, we remain committed to ensuring that the final agreement reflects our common vision of an ambitious, comprehensive, high-standard, and balanced agreement that enhances the competitiveness of our economies, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship, spurs economic growth and prosperity, and supports job creation in our countries. We are dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of the agreement serve to promote development that is sustainable, broad based and inclusive, and that the agreement takes into account the diversity of our levels of development. The gains that TPP will bring to each of our countries can expand even further should the open approach we are developing extend more broadly throughout the region. We remain committed to a TPP structure that can include other regional partners that are prepared to adopt its high standards.

Our fundamental direction to our Ministers throughout this process has been to negotiate an outcome that will generate the greatest possible benefit for each of our countries. In order to achieve that, our governments have worked to reflect the input we each have received from our stakeholders in the negotiation. Continued engagement will be critical as our Ministers work to resolve the remaining issues in the negotiation.

###

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2014

FACT SHEET: The U.S.-Australia Alliance

Reinforcing our long history of close cooperation and partnership, President Obama and Prime Minister Abbott today reviewed a series of initiatives to expand and deepen collaboration between the United States and Australia.

Security and Defense Cooperation

The U.S.-Australia alliance is an anchor of peace and stability not only in the Asia-Pacific region but around the world. The United States and Australia will work together – bilaterally, in regional bodies, and through the UN – to advance peace and security from the coast of Somalia to Afghanistan and to confront international challenges, such as Syria; Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine; and North Korea.

In responding to the threat posed by ISIL and foreign terrorist fighters, the United States and Australia are working together with an international coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL by providing military support to Iraq, cutting off ISIL’s funding, countering its warped ideology, and stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into its ranks. The United States and Australia are coordinating closely through the Global Counterterrorism Forum. Australia supported U.S.-drafted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178, which condemns violent extremism and underscores the need to stem support for foreign terrorist fighters, and the two countries will work together toward its implementation. Additionally, together, we continue to provide critical humanitarian support to the victims of conflict in Syria and Iraq.

In Afghanistan, the United States and Australia have worked to together to enable the Afghan government to provide effective security across the country and develop the new Afghan security forces to ensure Afghanistan can never again become a safe haven for terrorists. The United States and Afghanistan will continue this close partnership, focused on the development and sustainment of Afghan security forces and institutions, after the combat mission ends in Afghanistan this year and the Resolute Support Mission begins.

The U.S.-Australian Force Posture Agreement, announced by the President and Prime Minister in June and signed in August, deepens our long-standing defense cooperation and the advancement of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. While implementing the force posture initiatives jointly announced in 2011, the United States and Australia continuously seek opportunities to strengthen our interoperability, coordination, and cooperation.

As Pacific nations, the United States and Australia share an abiding interest in peaceful resolution of disputes in the maritime domain; respect for international law and unimpeded lawful commerce; and preserving freedom of navigation and overflight. Both countries oppose the use of intimidation, coercion, or force to advance territorial or maritime claims in the East and South China Seas. In their June 2014 joint op-ed, the two leaders called on claimants to clarify and pursue claims in accordance with international law, including the Law of the Sea Convention, and expressed support for the rights of claimants to seek peaceful resolution of disputes through legal mechanisms, including arbitration, under the Convention. Both countries continue to call for ASEAN and China to reach early agreement on a meaningful Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

The United States and Australia are responding to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and supporting the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to accelerate measureable progress toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats.

The United States congratulates Australia as it nears the end of its two years on the United Nations Security Council, during which time Australia has been a powerful and important voice on a range of issues relating to international peace and security, especially the ongoing conflict in Syria and the global threat posed by terrorism.

Cooperation for Economic Growth and Prosperity

The United States and Australia share a commitment to deepening further economic ties, including by concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high-standard, 21st century agreement that will promote economic growth and job creation in both countries and around the region. In January 2015, the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement will celebrate ten years of facilitating trade and investment between our two countries, having nearly doubled our goods trade and increased our services trade by more than 122 percent.

The United States remains the largest foreign investor in Australia, accounting for over a quarter of its foreign investment. The United States and Australia also work closely in multilateral institutions such as APEC to promote sustainable growth and shared prosperity in the region.

A vital aspect of economic growth is promoting greater gender equality. The United States and Australia are working together to enhance women’s political and economic participation. As founding members of the Equal Futures Partnership, our two nations continue to collaborate to expand economic opportunities for women and increase women’s participation in leadership positions in politics, civic society, and economic life.

The United States and Australia recognize the threat of climate change, including in the Pacific, and the need to take bold steps to boost clean energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and help ensure a successful and ambitious global climate change agreement in Paris next year. The United States underscored the importance of submitting ambitious post-2020 climate commitments for the new agreement as soon as possible and preferably by the end of March 2015. Both countries are collaborating with Pacific Island countries to promote sustainable development practices.

The President congratulated Prime Minister Abbott on the preparations for the G20 Summit, and noted he looks forward to the important and vibrant discussions ahead.

Science, Technology, and Innovation

U.S.-Australia science, technology, and innovation cooperation will strengthen our work on cutting edge issues, ranging from neuroscience to clean energy to information technology. Under the auspices of the U.S.-Australia Science and Technology Agreement, our two countries collaborate on clean energy, marine, and health research.

Through the Ambassador of the United States’ Innovation Roundtables, the United States and Australia are creating an additional platform to leverage U.S.-Australia innovation partnerships and strengthen our interactions in innovative areas and promote a positive, future-oriented vision of our bilateral relationship.

The United States and Australia are two of the founding partners of the new $200 million Global Innovation Fund (GIF), which will invest in social innovations that aim to improve the lives of and opportunities for millions of people in the developing world.

People-to-People Ties

The U.S.-Australia Alliance is based on a long tradition of cooperation at all levels of government, business and civil society.

In partnership with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia, the United States established the “Alliance 21 Fellowship,” a three-year exchange of senior scholars and policy analysts that will further examine the shared interests and mutual benefits of the U.S.-Australia alliance through research and public engagement.

The United States and Australia form a partnership that is key to the future of both countries and peace and prosperity around the globe.

ENDS

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