READOUT: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S MEETING WITH TRADE ASSOCIATION LEADERS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Readout of the Vice President’s Meeting with Trade Association Leaders on Job-Driven Training

Vice President Biden dropped by a meeting with trade association leaders this afternoon to discuss workforce development and job-driven training. The Vice President highlighted the importance of working together to give America’s workers opportunities to acquire skills they need to pursue in-demand jobs and careers. The Vice President called on industry associations to take action to expand programs that have proven successful in training workers, and encouraged the participants to bring together trade associations and community colleges to shape training programs that equip workers with high-demand skills. Participants also discussed efforts like the new Ready to Work Partnership grant competition and the upcoming Community College Training grants which can help support some of these partnerships.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama tasked the Vice President with leading an across-the-board reform of America’s training programs to ensure they train Americans with the skills employers need that match with good jobs. To this end, the Vice President is working with organizations, federal agencies, and others to make the workforce and training system more job-driven, integrated, and effective.

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET: U.S. AND CHILE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
FACT SHEET: The United States and Chile

Today, Vice President Joe Biden is in Chile to attend the inauguration of President-Elect Michelle Bachelet. The Vice President’s visit will underscore the long-standing close ties between the United States and Chile, and highlight our cooperation in the following areas:

Free Trade Agreement: The U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement continues to benefit both nations.  Bilateral trade in goods grew to $28 billion in 2013, which makes Chile our 29th largest goods trading partner overall and our fourth largest export partner in the Americas.  U.S. goods exports to Chile totaled $17.6 billion last year, representing an increase of 548 percent since the Agreement was signed in 2004.

Trans-Pacific Partnership: The United States and Chile are two of the twelve participants negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will be a comprehensive, high-standard, next-generation trade agreement.  Once concluded, the TPP will cover roughly 40 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).  All of the participants stand to benefit from a successful and speedy conclusion of TPP negotiations.

Multilateral Issues: The United States looks forward to consulting closely with Chile as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and member of the UN Human Rights Council.  President Obama and President-Elect Bachelet launched our Trilateral Development Cooperation initiative in 2009, and we’ve worked together in countries as diverse as El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic on matters as diverse as agriculture, assisting at-risk youth, and security cooperation.

Visa Waiver Program: On February 28th, Chile was designated the 38th country to participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Chile’s designation is a testament to our strong relations and its participation will have a tremendous impact in creating even stronger people-to-people ties between our countries.  It should also facilitate other potential initiatives to expedite trade and travel.  During his visit, the Vice President announced the implementation would be moved up from May 1st to March 31st.

100,000 Strong in the Americas: During his March 2011 visit to Chile, President Obama launched the “100,000 Strong in the Americas” initiative to increase educational exchange across the Americas.  Chile has already created three partnerships between U.S. and Chilean universities to increase student exchange. There are currently more than 3,000 U.S. students studying in Chile and more than 2,000 Chileans at American universities.  In January, the Vice President launched the initiative’s #InvestintheFuture campaign to start an online conversation between students, governments, and business about international education.

REMARKS: VP BIDEN WITH CHILEAN PRESIDENT PINERA IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden at a Bilateral Meeting with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera
Palacio de la Moneda
Santiago, Chile

PRESIDENT PIÑERA:  Good morning.  I would like to give the most warm in the world’s welcome to the Vice President of the United States, Mr. Joe Biden.

You know that he was elected senator when he was only 29 years of age (inaudible) the youngest senator in the history of the United States.  He performed as a U.S. senator for more than 36 years, and now he’s the Vice President of the United States.

Welcome to Chile.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT PIÑERA:  We consider yourself and the country a very good and loyal friend of my country.  So -- and I know that you have a very important voice to give and we are very pleased to have you here.  Welcome to Chile once again, and I give you --

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you, Mr. President.  I -- despite some of the crises that are going on around the world, the President and I agreed that it was important that I be here in Chile because this -- our commitment to this relationship is real.  It’s deep, and you’ve deepened in your term, Mr. President.

I had a great meeting with President-elect Bachelet this morning, and I’m looking forward to meeting with you after this brief comments to the press here.  And I also look forward to meeting the other leaders in the region from Colombia, Peru, Mexico and elsewhere.  So it’s an opportunity for me meet others as well.

The President and I believe that the hemisphere, the Western Hemisphere, and particularly the Southern Hemisphere has -- offers enormous, enormous potential.  It’s the destination of 40 percent of all of America’s exports.  It’s home to a growing middle class, and it’s quickly becoming (inaudible) quickly becoming a world energy center.

And we, for the first time, Mr. President, at least in my career, talk about how to achieve a hemisphere that is secure, middle-class and free.  We’ve never been able to look at it that way before.  From Canada through -- down through Chile and everywhere in between, And nowhere in the region is that more -- potentially more apparent than in Chile.  (Inaudible) the United States you mentioned historic close ties.  And that's why -- it’s why I’m here.  That's why my delegation is here.

Mr. President, our two countries have worked well together.  We’ve made significant progress through your leadership in the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation.  During your term, Mr. President, our two countries also strengthened our people-to-people ties through the Visa Waiver Program.  I remember first meeting you, talking about that.  Chile is the only Latin America country in the program that allows visa-free travel between Chile and the United States.

And as far as my visit, I’m happy to say that we’re not going to wait until May the 1st.  We want to move that program up to begin on March the 31st.  Again, thank you for your -- all your efforts.

The United States, Mr. President, looks forward to working with your successor, President Bachelet, on these and many more issues.  I personally look forward to tomorrow’s inauguration.  I’ve heard it described as the perfect example of democratic transfer of power.  Chile’s economic, democratic tradition teaches us all that pragmatism, not ideology, is the secret to success.  It’s no coincidence that Chile has used democracy and the open market to create new opportunities for her citizens.  And we continue to look forward to working with the government of Chile, and I continue to look forward to seeing you as well in person.

Thank you for you hospitality.

END

READOUT: VP BIDEN'S MEETING WITH DIDIER BURKHALTER, PRESIDENT OF SWISS CONFEDERATION

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation and Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Didier Burkhalter

Vice President Biden met today with the President of the Swiss Confederation and Chairperson-in-Office for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Didier Burkhalter, to discuss regional and bilateral issues of concern.  The two leaders consulted on the current situation in Ukraine, including what support the United States and the OSCE could offer to help return the country to peace and stability, to ensure justice and accountability, and to strengthen democratic institutions as Ukrainians chart their future course.  The Vice President praised the strong and important friendship between our two countries and expressed deep appreciation for Switzerland’s continued protection of U.S. interests in Iran and Cuba.  The Vice President and President Burkhalter discussed opportunities for continued cooperation across our shared agenda, including on non-proliferation, countering violent extremism, development and humanitarian assistance.   Finally, given shared interest in strengthening workforce skills, the Vice President and President Burkhalter discussed vocational and other job skills training efforts in both countries.

PRESIDENT OBAMA, V.P. BIDEN ADDRESS NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by the President and Vice President at NGA Meeting

State Dining Room

11:15 A.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Thanks for making the Cabinet stand up for me.  (Laughter.)  I appreciate it.

It’s great to see you all.  And I don't know about you all, I had a great time last night and got a chance to actually do what we should be doing more of -- talking without thinking about politics and figuring how we can solve problems.

You’ve observed by now the reason the President and I like doing this every year is it’s nice dealing with people who know they got to get a job done, and they get a job done.  And I’ve gotten a chance to work directly with an awful lot of you in the days of the Recovery Act, and even when we were working on the gun violence; rebuilding from that super storm Sandy, which hit my state as well, and tornadoes and floods in a number of your states. 

But it never ceases to amaze me how you all mobilize.  You just mobilize.  When crises hit your states, you mobilize and you rebuild.  And you rebuild your infrastructure not to the standards that existed before, but to 21st century standards.  You balance your budgets, you save neighborhoods, and you bring back jobs to your communities.

And the other thing I pick up -- and I may be wrong.  I’m always labeled as the White House optimist, like I’m the kid who fell off the turnip truck yesterday, but I am the youngest here -- (laughter) -- and new.  But it always amazes me your sense of optimism.  You’re the one group of folks you go to with all the problems you have that you’re optimistic.  You're optimistic about it being able to be done, getting things done.  That is not always the mood up in the place where I spent a large portion of my career.

And last night I got to speak to a bunch of you, particularly about the job skills initiative the President asked me to lead, and I had a chance to speak with some of you specifically, and I’m going to ask to -- I’m going to get a chance to see more of you this afternoon.  But this is more than just -- at least from the President’s perspective and mine -- more than just a job skills initiative.  It’s about literally opening the aperture to the middle class.  The middle class has actually shrunk. 

And we always have these debates with our economists -- is the middle class $49,820 or $52,000.  The middle class to me, and I think to most of you, it’s really a state of mind.  It’s about being able to own your home and not have to rent it.  It’s about being able to send your kid to a park where you know you can send them out, and they’ll come home safely.  It’s about being able to send them to school, that if they do well in the school, they're going to be able to get to something beyond high school if they want to do that.  And you’re going to be able to pay for it.  And in the meantime, you may be able to take care of your mom and dad who are in tough shape and hope that your kids never have to take care of you.  That's the middle class.

And before the Great Recession, it was already beginning to shrink.  So together, we got to open -- Mary, you and I have talked about this -- about opening the aperture here for access to the middle class.  But we’ll be speaking a lot more about that in the next several months.  A couple of you invited me to come out your way, including some of my Republican friends.  And I’m going to be working with all of you. 

But today I just want to say thank you.  Thank you for what you always do.  You come to town; you come to town with answers.  You come to town with suggestions.  You come to town to get things done.  And believe me, we need that and the American people are looking for it.

And I want to welcome you back to the White House, and introduce you now to my friend, your President, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  Please, have a seat.  Thank you so much. 

Welcome to the White House.  I know that you’ve already been doing a lot of work, and I’m glad to be able to come here and engage in a dialogue with all of you.  I want to thank Mary and John for their leadership at the NGA.  I want to thank my outstanding Vice President, Joe Biden, who is very excited I think about the jobs initiative, and is going to be -- the job training initiative, and I think is going to be doing a great job on that.

Michelle and I had a wonderful time hosting you guys last night, and I hope all the spouses enjoyed it.  And I know Alex enjoyed it.  (Laughter.)  One good thing about living here is that you can make all the noise you want and nobody is going to complain.  (Laughter.)  And I enjoyed watching some of you with your eyes on higher office size up the drapes -- (laughter) --and each other.

We don’t have a lot of time today, so I want to be very brief, go straight to Q&A and discussion.  We’re at a moment when our economy is growing; our businesses have now created over 8.5 million new jobs over the past four years.  But, as I’ve said several times, the trends that have battered the middle class for a couple of decades now are still there and still have to be addressed.  Those at the top are doing very well.  Ordinary families still feeling squeezed.  Too many Americans are working harder than ever, and just barely getting by. 

And reversing these trends are going to require us to work together around what I’m calling an opportunity agenda based on four things.  Number one, more good jobs that pay good wages.  Number two, training more Americans to be able to take the jobs that are out there right now and the jobs that are created.  Number three, guaranteeing access to a world-class education for every American child all across our 50 states and our territories.  And making sure that hard work pays off -- with wages that you can live on, savings that you can retire on, health insurance that you can count on.

And all of this is going to take some action.  So far, just in the past few weeks, I’ve acted to lift the wages of workers who work for federal contractors to pay their -- make sure their employees are getting paid at least $10.10 an hour.  We’ve ordered an across-the-board reform of our job training programs, much of it aligned with some of the work that Mary has done during her tenure as head of the NGA.  We directed our Treasury to create a new way for Americans to start saving for retirement.  We’ve been able to rally America’s business leaders to help more of the long-term unemployed find work, and to help us make sure that all of our kids have access to high-speed Internet and high-tech learning tools in the classroom.

The point is, this has to be a year of action.  And I’m eager to work with Congress wherever I can.  My hope is, is that despite this being an election year, that there will be occasions where both parties determine that it makes sense to actually get some things done in this town.  But wherever I can work on my own to expand opportunity for more Americans, I’m going to do that.  And I am absolutely convinced that the time is right to partner with the states and governors all across the country on these agendas, because I know that you guys are doing some terrific work in your own states.

There may not be much of an appetite in Congress for doing big jobs bills, but we can still grow SelectUSA.  Secretary Pritzker’s team has put together a terrific formula where we’re attracting investors from all around the world to see America as an outstanding place to invest.  And I mentioned this at the State of the Union:  For the first time last year, what we’re seeing is, is that world investors now see America as the number-one place to do business rather than China.  And it’s a sign of a lot of things converging, both on the energy front, worker productivity, our innovation, our research, ease of doing business.  And a lot of that work is as a consequence of steps we’ve taken not just at the federal level, but also at the state level.  So we’ve got to take advantage of that.

Secretary Pritzker has been helping a Belgian company create jobs in Stillwater, Oklahoma; helping an Austrian company create jobs in Cartersville, Georgia.  So we can do more of this, and we really want to engage with you over the next several months to find ways that we can help market America and your states to businesses all around the world and bring jobs back.

Since I called on Congress to raise the minimum wage last year, six states have gone ahead and done it on their own.  Last month, I asked more business leaders to raise their workers’ wages.  Last week, GAP said it would lift wages for about 65,000 of its employees.  Several of you are trying to boost wages for your workers.  I’m going to do everything I can to support those efforts. 

While Congress decides what it’s going to do on making high-quality pre-K available to more kids, there is bipartisan work being done among the folks in this room.  You’ve got governors like Robert Bentley and Jack Markell, Susana Martinez, Deval Patrick -- all expanding funding or dedicating funds to make that happen in their states.  And we want to partner with you.  This year, I’ll pull together a coalition of philanthropists, elected officials and business leaders, all of whom are excited and interested in working with you to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K that they need.

And while Congress talks about repealing the Affordable Care Act or doing this or doing that to it, places like California and Kentucky are going gangbusters and enrolling more Americans in quality, affordable health care plans.  You’ve got Republican governors here -- I won’t name them in front of the press, because I don’t want to get you all in trouble -- who have chosen to cover more people through new options under Medicaid.  And as a result, millions of people are going to get help.

States that don’t expand Medicaid are going to be leaving up to 5.4 million Americans uninsured.  And that doesn’t have to happen.  Work with us to get this done.  We can provide a lot of flexibility.  Folks like Mike Beebe in Arkansas have done some terrific work designing programs that are right for their states but also provide access to care for people who need it.  And I think Kathleen Sebelius, a former governor herself, has shown herself willing to work with all of you to try to find ways to get that done.

On the West Coast, you’ve got Governors Brown, Inslee, Kitzhaber who are working together to combat the effects of climate change on their states.  We’ve set up a taskforce of governors and mayors and tribal leaders to help communities prepare for what we anticipate are going to be intensifying impacts of climate change.  And we’re setting up climate hubs in seven states across the country to help farmers and ranchers adapt their operations to a changing environment. 

In the budget that I’ll send to Congress next week, I’m going to propose fundamentally reforming the way federal governments fund wildfire suppression and prevention to make it more stable and secure, and this is an idea that’s supported by both Democrats and Republicans.

And finally, I want to thank those of you who have worked with Michelle and Jill Biden on their Joining Forces initiative to support our military families.  At your meeting here two years ago, they asked for your help to make it easier for servicemembers and their spouses to carry licenses for professions like teaching or nursing from state to state, rather than have to get a new one every time they were reassigned.  At the time, only 12 states had acted to make this easier for spouses; only nine had acted to make it easier for servicemembers.  Today, 42 states have passed legislation to help spouses; 45 states have made it easier for servicemembers.  We’ve got a few states remaining.  Let’s get it done for everybody, because it’s the right thing to do for those men and women who are working every day to make sure we stay free and secure. 

The point is, even when there is little appetite in Congress to move on some of these priorities, at the state level you guys are governed by practical considerations.  You want to do right by your people and you see how good policy impacts your citizens, and you see how bad policy impacts your citizens, and that means that there’s less room for posturing and politics, and more room for getting stuff done. 

We want to work with you.  And I’m committed to making sure that every single member of my Cabinet, every single person in the White House, every single member of my team will be responsive to you.  We won’t agree on every single issue every single time, but I guarantee you that we will work as hard as we can to make sure that you succeed -- because when you succeed, the people in your states succeed and America succeeds, and that’s our goal. 

So thank you very much, and I look forward to having a great discussion.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
11:27 A.M. EST

READOUT: VP BIDEN MEETING WITH KING ABDULLAH II OF JORDAN

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan

The Vice President hosted His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for breakfast at the Naval Observatory.  The Vice President and the King discussed ongoing efforts to bring about a political transition and an end to the conflict in Syria.  They spoke about how best to address the growing threat of violent extremism fueled by the Syrian conflict.  The Vice President and the King agreed on the urgent need for greater humanitarian access inside Syria and continued support for Syrian refugees and host communities.   The Vice President voiced U.S. support for the King’s efforts to achieve political and economic progress.  Both sides expressed appreciation for the enduring strength of the U.S.-Jordan partnership.  The King will meet with President Obama in Rancho Mirage, California, on Friday.

READOUT: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S CALL WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT YANUKOVYCH

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych

President Yanukovych of Ukraine called Vice President Biden today to update him on the current crisis in Ukraine.   The Vice President welcomed the progress made today and urged President Yanukovych to sign the parliament’s repeal of several of the January 16 laws without delay.   He strongly encouraged President Yanukovych to continue to work with the opposition to find compromises critical to a peaceful solution.  These include an amnesty law and a new government that can bring political unity, win the confidence of the Ukrainian people, and take Ukraine in the direction of Europe by strengthening democratic institutions and making the reforms necessary to achieve economic prosperity.

PRESIDENT OBAMA, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AT U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS RECEPTION

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Remarks by the President and the Vice President at U.S. Conference of Mayors Reception
East Room
January 23, 2014
5:30 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, welcome to the White House.  My name is Joe Biden.  I work for President Obama.  (Laughter.)  Best job I ever had.

Hey, folks, look, there's a reason the President and I like talking to mayors.  You're the one group of elected officials that get things done, in large part because you have no option but to get things done.  (Laughter.)  And also, most of the innovation is coming from you all.

Today, I got further evidence of that when I talked with a few of you about what we can do together on the jobs, skills and workforce development.  We promised, back in 2009, there would be -- we'd be a strong partner with you, and I'm confident in saying that because of the man I'm about to introduce, we've kept that promise.

President Obama understands cities better than most American presidents have in American history.  He knows cities face unique challenges when it comes to building infrastructure and creating jobs, and that’s why he nominated a big city mayor, Anthony Foxx -- he doesn’t have all the money in the world, but he's ready to help.

And also, I've gotten a chance to work directly with so many of you during the Recovery Act.  The only reason it worked, the only reason there was less than 1 percent waste or fraud -- including with our Republican friends who investigated -- is because of you.  You made it work.  You're used to getting things done on time -- mostly under budget -- and getting answers back to people immediately.  And it never ceases to amaze me the tough political decisions, you guys and women, you make every single day in doing your job -- to save your neighborhoods, to rebuild and balance your budgets, and to bring jobs back to your communities.

So I'm honored to have you here, we're honored to have you here.  And I'm really honored to introduce the best friend the cities have ever had in this White House, President Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please have a seat.

Well, welcome to the White House.  It is great to have you.  For those of you who have been here before, welcome back.  I see a lot of friends and a lot of familiar faces around the room, but I've also already had a chance to meet some newly elected mayors.  So to all of you, congratulations -- and make sure you're shoveling the snow.  (Laughter.)  Just a little piece of advice.  It's been cold.

We've got more than 250 mayors here from more than 45 states and territories.  You represent about 40 million Americans.  And over the last five years, thanks in part to the partnerships that we've been able to forge with mayors in this room and across the country, we've accomplished some big things on behalf of the American people.

But you know as well as anybody that while our economy is growing stronger, and we are optimistic about growth this year and in subsequent years, we've got a lot more work to do to make sure that everybody has a chance to get ahead.  If they're willing to work hard and take responsibility, they've got to be able to participate in that growth.  And every day, mayors are proving that you don’t have to wait for the gridlock to clear in Congress in order to make things happen.

Now, Mayor Greg Stanton in Phoenix and Mayor Ralph Becker in Salt Lake City have ended chronic homelessness among veterans.  (Applause.)  In San Antonio, Mayor Castro has launched an early childhood education program designed to reach more than 22,000 four year olds over the next eight years.  In Fresno, Mayor Ashley Swearengin is spearheading projects to develop her city's downtown, including a high-speed rail station that's going to help attract jobs and businesses to the Central Valley.  In Philadelphia, Mayor Nutter is helping young people reach higher during their summers by working with partners across the city to create thousands of summer jobs.  In Tampa, Mayor Bob Buckhorn has gone, in his words, "all in," helping his constituents get covered with quality, affordable health insurance.

So mayors from both parties are a part of the climate task force, helping to make sure that cities have what it takes to withstand changes that may be taking place in our atmosphere in the years to come.  More than a thousand mayors across America have signed agreements to cut dangerous carbon pollutions.  I want to work with Congress whenever and wherever I can, but the one thing I'm emphasizing to all my Cabinet members is we're not going to wait.  Where Congress is debating things and hasn't been able to pull the trigger on stuff, my administration is going to move forward and we're going to do it in partnership with all of you.  I've got a pen and I've got a phone.  And that's all I need.  (Applause.)

Because with a pen I can take executive actions.  With a phone I can rally folks from around the country to help grow the economy and restore opportunity.  And that's what today, hopefully, has been about.  You've met with members of the administration.  You've gotten to know each other, but also, hopefully, they've given you some insight into where we see the most promising programs, things that are working, best practices.  And we want to cooperate and coordinate with you as effectively as we can to make sure that whatever works is getting out there and hitting the streets and actually having an impact on people's lives.  And, frankly, there are a lot of things that folks in this town could learn from all of you.

And I want to close by personally saying how much it means to me to have you here today.  As Joe mentioned, I know a little something about cities.  I got my professional career started as somebody working in some of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago.  But I also saw how hard work can transform communities block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.  And to see the resilience and the strength of people, and the incredible vibrancy that cities bring to not just those who live within the boundaries of cities but entire regions, that's what you understand.  And I want to make sure that I've got your back in everything that you do.

So I want to say thank you to all of you for making sure that your constituents are well-served.  But, as a consequence, America is well-served.

READOUT: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S CALL WITH IRAQI PRIME MINISTER AL-MALIKI

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
This morning, Vice President Biden spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  The Vice President encouraged the Prime Minister to continue the Iraqi government’s outreach to local, tribal, and national leaders and welcomed the Council of Ministers’ decision to extend state benefits to tribal forces killed or injured in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  He also welcomed Prime Minister Maliki’s statement earlier today affirming that Iraqi elections will occur as scheduled, as well as the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring that humanitarian aid is reaching people in need.  Prime Minister Maliki updated the Vice President on the situation in Anbar province, including a series of political initiatives that are underway at the local and national level. The Vice President underscored that America will support and assist Iraq in its fight against international terrorism.

ON BOARD: TRAVELS WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT IN ASIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN DELIVERS REMARKS ON U.S.-CHINA BUSINESS RELATIONS

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S REMARKS TO AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CHINA AND U.S.-CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Remarks by the Vice President at a Breakfast with the American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing and the U.S.-China Business Council

St. Regis Hotel
Beijing, People's Republic of China

10:12 A.M. (Local)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  And I'm so late you probably thought you were going to hear from the 48th Vice President of the United States.   (Laughter.)  I apologize.  I always, when I’m late at home, always blame it on the President.  But I can’t do that today, and I apologize for keeping you waiting.

I remember 220 years ago, when I was in college, you only had to wait 10 minutes for a professor, 20 minutes for a full professor.  The only full professor in the Biden family is my wife -- you didn’t have to wait this long.  But thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to speak with you all.

Let me begin by saying one thing about competition.  I’ve told this to Vice President Xi and then President Xi, in all the time I had to spend with him, is that one of the things that has happened in the last 20 years, as the world has become more competitive, it’s awakened the competitive spirit in the United States.  Competition is stamped into our DNA.  And if there’s anything remotely approaching a level playing field, we’ll do just fine -- just fine.

And so I want to thank the American Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Business Council for inviting me here today.  You are living the U.S.-China relationship every single day, and you know the opportunities, but you also know the obstacles.  And it’s great to be back together one last time here in Beijing with our Ambassador, Gary Locke.  I say one last time because he is going to be heading back to his home state of Washington after a very distinguished career, which I don’t think is anywhere near ended, as both governor, member of the Cabinet, as well as the Ambassador.

And Gary and I were speaking this morning as I was -- there was a telephone call, they said I’m required upstairs.  And one of the things I like about Gary -- there’s no member of -- no governor or member of Cabinet that I have enjoyed working with more, because Gary speaks English.  By that, I mean not English versus Chinese; I mean plain versus complicated.  (Laughter.)  And so when Gary speaks, everyone understands exactly what he means.

And as you know better than I, communication is the currency, and particularly the currency that is needed most here in China.  He’s been an Ambassador to the Chinese government, but also to the Chinese people, and he will be missed.  I remember, I was here shortly after Gary arrived and every newspaper you’d pick, even though I don’t read Chinese, I’d see Gary’s picture -- because he connected.  He connected immediately with the Chinese people as a representative of our country and knowing -- the Chinese people knowing he was reaching out not just to the government, but to them.

I had a chance since I’ve been here -- it’s been a very rapid visit, and it’s been 14-hour days, but very useful -- I had a chance to talk with Vice President Li, and I will spend several hours -- and I spent I guess almost four and a half hours with President Xi.  And I’m honored that he would give me the time to go into such detail, both in a private bilat with him as well as an expanded, as well as a lovely dinner he hosted for me and a few of my colleagues.  Later, I’ll be meeting with Premier Li.

And I want to talk to you about much of what -- some of what I’ve talked to all of them about and what I believe to be are next steps in the U.S.-China relationship.

We’re trying to build a new kind of relationship between major powers, one that’s different, one that is defined by constructive cooperation, healthy competition, and a shared respect for an agreed upon new set of rules of the road and international norms for the 21st century.

After World II, our grandfathers and fathers and mothers put in place a structure that accommodated the economic change that took place in the world and set up a new set of rules of the road for the remainder of the 20th century.  We’re in a different place now.  You all know it better than I do.  We use the phrase in colloquial conversation in all our countries that it’s a “global economy.”  But it’s truly a global economy -- a global economy.

My colleagues always kid me about quoting Irish poets all the time.  They think I do it because I’m Irish.  I do it because they’re the best poets.  (Laughter.)  And William Butler Yeats wrote a poem called Easter Sunday 1916, about the first rising in Ireland in the 20th century.  And he had a line in it that better describes, I would argue, the Pacific Basin in the year 2013 than it did in his Ireland in 1916.  He said, "All is changed, changed utterly, a terrible beauty has been born."

We’re at a moment, a window, as they say, of opportunity.  How long it will remain open remains to be seen -- where we can potentially establish a set of rules of the road that provide for mutual benefit and growth of both our countries and the region, that set down sort of the tracks for progress in the 21st century.  I think it is that profound.  I think that’s the place, that’s the inflection point we are at in our relationship now -- not only with China but the entire region.

And so the only path to realizing this vision for the future is through tangible, practical cooperation and managing our differences effectively.  We’ve not tried this before.  We’ve not tried this before.  This is going to be difficult.  But if we get it right, the outcome for our children and grandchildren can be profound -- profoundly positive.

But to move this relationship forward, there is no substitute for direct and personal engagement between leaders.  President Xi pointed out to me, because I had an opportunity when he was vice president to spend some considerable time with him at the request of President Hu and then -- and President Obama.  He made indirect reference to -- there was a famous American politician named Tip O’Neill, who I admired a great deal and was sort of a mentor when I was a young 29-year-old senator coming into Congress.  And he’s famous for having said all politics is local.  Well, I believe all politics is personal, including international politics.

Personal relationships are the only vehicle by which you build trust.  It doesn’t mean you agree, but trust to know that the man or woman on the other side of the table is telling you precisely what they mean, even if you don’t want to hear it.  That’s why President Obama asked me to make this visit, and that’s why President Xi and I spent so much time together yesterday discussing in great detail a whole range of issues we face together that are difficult for both of us to navigate in our own political system.

These were very candid conversations.  I know it shocks you to think I would be candid.  I know that’s a shocking assertion. No one has doubted that I mean exactly what I say.  The problem is I sometimes tend to say all that I mean.  (Laughter.)  But because our relationship is so complex, getting it right isn’t going to be easy, and it’s going to require direct straightforwardness with one another about our interests, our concerns and, quite frankly, our expectations.  And that was the nature of the discussion yesterday.

Let me start with economics, not because this is a business audience, but because ultimately what matters most on both sides is our ability to deliver better for our people without it being viewed as a zero-sum game.  I have said since I met with Deng Xiaoping as a young senator, with very senior senators, that China’s economic growth is very much in the interest of the United States of America -- very much in our interest.  In my meetings with President Xi, he and I spent a good deal of our time discussing the outcomes of China’s third plenum.  China’s leaders have stated their ambition to move China toward a system where the market plays a “decisive role.”  That is a very, very big order that will require on the part of -- and I’m confident he possesses it -- the leadership of this country and the President.

But, in fact, many of the reforms China’s leaders are proposing actually match the priorities we have raised with China over the years.  Leveling the playing field for private and foreign-owned companies -- it’s going to be a difficult, difficult transition.  Protecting intellectual property and trade secrets, which is essential.  It’s not a surprise that a number of American companies are coming home in their manufacturing.  Why?  Well, we have very productive workers, but also we have court systems that are totally transparent.  Intellectual property is protected.  It matters.  And I think it’s becoming apparent to our competitors around the world that it matters for their own economic growth.  Opening service sectors to private and foreign investment and moving to market -- to a market-demand exchange rate.

These are welcome steps, but they will be difficult steps, and there’s no need to wait till 2020.  Again, the Chinese leadership in private has been very candid with me about the difficulty, but the determination they have to meet this, by any standard, very ambitious goal.  Of course, what matters most at the end of the day will be implementation.  There’s an old Saxon expression -- the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  The proof of the pudding is in the eating.  But I have no doubt that President Xi and his leadership and his primary advisors intend on, mean to, are committed to making the third plenum a reality. But it is going to require substantial commitment and follow-through.

Reform anywhere is challenging.  There are always intense interests.  I know you all are so happy about our views on Wall Street reform -- not easy, but a minor -- a minor -- change compared to what the Chinese leadership has taken on.  But the more China delivers on its proposed reforms the strong our bilateral trade and investment relationship will be.

And there's a lot of work to do, and I know that many of you have concerns that need to be dealt with in the process.  There are a number of areas where, in the next two years, we can and should make progress immediately.  We have an opportunity to improve intellectual property protection, resolve outstanding trade disputes that are holding us back.  We have an opportunity to significantly expand our cooperation on energy and climate change -- where we have overwhelmingly mutual interest.  Helping China achieve new vehicle emission standards and energy-transparent goals is that we committed to this week.

Implementing our agreement on HFCs -- we have an opportunity to protect the health and well-being of our people by increasing the safety of food and drugs.  And today we've agreed on increase of the number of U.S. inspectors who are operating in China.

We have an opportunity in the months ahead to make significant progress in negotiating a bid, a bilateral investment treaty and much more.

The third plenum also speaks to social and political reform and identifies some important near-term steps that they want to implement -- an end to China's program of reeducation through forced labor, easing the one-child policy, a commitment to deeper judicial and legal reforms.  Any major economic power in the 21st century, these are all going to become essential requirements in order to sustain growth, in my humble opinion, through the first half of the 21st century.

As was pointed out yesterday by the President, quoting back to me, I always say I never tell another man his business, or suggest to another leader what's in the interests of his country. But the interests laid out in the third plenum seem to be very much in our mutual interest.  There are many more steps China can take to open its politics and society as well as its economy.  And as I've said before, this is actually, from our perspective, in China's interest, notwithstanding it's for them to determine their interest.  Because history tells us that innovation is the currency of 21st century success.  Innovation thrive where people breathe freely, speak freely, are able to challenge orthodoxy, where newspapers can report the truth without fear of consequences.

We have many disagreements, and some profound disagreements, on some of those issues right now, in the treatment of U.S. journalists.  But I believe China will be stronger and more stable and more innovative if it respects universal human rights.

I was asked why we always talk about human rights.  The point I try to make wherever I go in the world when that discussion comes up is we are a nation of immigrants.  The vast majority of your ancestors who came to America came because their human rights were being violated.  It is stamped into the DNA of Americans.  No President, no matter how much he or she would like to avoid speaking to it, is able to remain silent without suffering consequences from the American public.  It is who we are.  Not that we're the citadel of human rights; we have much progress to make ourselves.

As businesses know well, prosperity critically depends upon predictability and stability.  The United States and our allies have guaranteed peace and security in this region for more than 60 years, providing the conditions for the remarkable economic progress in the region, particularly China.  Our relationship with China is complex, though.  We have our differences and they are real.  But there's nothing inevitable about a conflict with China -- nothing inevitable about a conflict with China.  Wholesome competition and strong competition is fundamentally different than conflict.

In fact, we see considerable common interest on the security side.  A secure and peaceful Asia Pacific enables economic growth for the entire region.  This area of the world is going to be the economic engine of the 21st century; in halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction, including North Korea, to stabilizing nuclear missile program, where we have real cooperation; in greater access to affordable and clean sources of energy.  It's easier to begin to talk about that in the United States and in China because as -- my President kids me -- I often say reality has a way of intruding.  Reality has a way of intruding.  And it has intruded in both our countries in terms of global warming and the effects on air quality -- storms, natural disasters.  And it is overwhelmingly in our mutual interest that we share the capacity each of us may have to deal with a more healthy environment.

We need to keep building practical cooperation and manage areas where we do not see eye-to-eye.  Everybody focuses on where we disagree with the Chinese.  We disagree with our allies in other parts of the world.  But China's recent and sudden announcement of the establishment of a new Air Defense Identification Zone has, to state the obvious, caused significant apprehension in the region.

And I was very direct about our firm position and our expectations in my conversations with President Xi.  But I also put this in a broader context.  The Asia Pacific region will be the driver of the global economy, to repeat myself, in the 21st century, and as China's economy grows, its stake in regional peace and stability will continue to grow as well because it has so much more to lose.  That's why China will bear increasing responsibility to contribute positively to peace and security.

That means taking steps to reduce the risk of accidental conflict and miscalculation, and reaffirming -- reaffirming that we want to have better predictability and refraining from taking steps that will increase tension.  And it means pursuing -- this means pursuing crisis management mechanisms and effective channels for communications with its neighbors.

These are some of the things I discussed with Chinese leaders.  The United States has a profound stake in what happens here because we need, and we are, and will remain a Pacific power diplomatically, economically, and militarily.  That's just a statement of fact.

When I first visited China back in 1979, as has been pointed out, I came to the conclusion then that I still share now, that China's economic growth then I thought would be good for, and now I am confident is good for America and the world.  But it has never been inevitable.  It takes work to build trust and make a habit out of cooperation, to be clear, predictable and straight with one another when we disagree, and to escape the traps that set other powers before us down a path of conflict.

That is the work of leaders and diplomats, but it is also of citizens and businesspeople like all of you assembled before me. I believe that our success or failure in building a U.S.-China relationship that will define the world for our grandchildren to live in depends not just on political leaders, but on you as well.  I believe that the shared prosperity that you help create is part of the glue that will hold together this relationship.  So I thank you.  I thank you for your commitment.  I thank you for your hard work.  I thank you for staying in the game.  And I wish you all a great deal of luck because your success strengthens the entire relationship.

And if we get this relationship right, together China and America, the region and the world will be better off for it for a long time to come, and that is not hyperbole.  That is -- as an old Western movie used to say in America, that ain’t brag, ma’am. That's just fact.  It is a fact that if we get this right the prospects for the 21st century being peaceful, secure and everyone sharing in the growing prosperity is real.

So thank you all for what you do.  And may God bless you all and may God protect our troops.  Thank you very much.  Appreciate you.  (Applause.)

READOUT: VICE PRESIDENT'S MEETING WITH IRAQI PRIME MINISTER NOURI al-MALIKI

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

This morning, Vice President Biden hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his delegation for breakfast at the Naval Observatory.  The Vice President and Prime Minister had a friendly, constructive exchange.  They spoke about the security challenges facing Iraq and the entire region.  Vice President Biden reiterated the U.S. commitment to equip Iraqis to fight Al Qaeda, and Prime Minister Maliki made clear that he views the United States as Iraq’s security partner of choice.  The two leaders discussed the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to Iraq’s security challenges, to include political outreach to local leaders, as well as targeted security efforts.  They also discussed regional issues and agreed to work to continue the progress Iraq has made in strengthening its relations with Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, and other states in the region.

VP BIDEN SAYS COAST GUARD SECURITY ROLE GROWING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Biden: Coast Guard Has Growing Role in Nation's Security
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2013 - Vice President Joe Biden told the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's graduating class today they are entering a world of new threats, some that didn't even exist when they were born, and that the service's changing mission means they are not joining "your father's Coast Guard."

"No graduating class gets to choose the time into which they graduate, and you're graduating into a world that is rapidly changing," Biden told the nearly 300 men and women about to be commissioned in New London, Conn., "from challenges and missions to changing climates."

Biden noted the Coast Guard has become fully integrated into the U.S. military, playing an increasingly complex role in national security, given the types of post-Cold War threats America now faces.

"New stateless actors have stepped into the breach with the desire to smuggle weapons of terror into American ports in the belly of cargo containers to do our people great harm," he said.

Human trafficking and piracy on the high seas are occurring at rates no one would have imagined 50 years ago, the vice president said, posing growing challenges to free trade and commerce.

"More than at any time in history, every nation's economic power and viability [are] tied to the global economy and dependent on the safe passage of goods on the seas," he added.

Another responsibility for the 2013 graduating class will be increasing operations in the Arctic. Biden said the melting of the polar ice caps triggered by global warming will likely open up new international shipping routes.

"You'll operate icebreakers that allow ships to navigate waters that would otherwise be impassable from the Great Lakes in the Northeast to new passages in the Arctic," he said.

BidenHe also highlighted Coast Guard achievements, especially the dangerous missions the service is routinely called on to carry out, from helping victims of Hurricane Sandy last year to humanitarian missions further from home.

"Your shipmates have saved 3,650 lives last year alone, risking their lives," he noted.

From natural disasters to rescues at sea, Biden said, "there are tens of thousands of grateful men and women and children from all parts of the world who will tell anyone who will listen that the most welcome sight they've ever seen are those racing stripes coming toward them or the sound of that orange Coast Guard helicopter above them, lowering a bucket with a man or woman inside to save their lives.

"In this changing world, we are going to be increasingly dependent on you," he said.

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO OF NEETING TO DISCUSS NEWTOWN SCHOOL TRADGEDY

FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
             
Vice President Joe Biden listens to Annette Nance-Holt as she holds a photo of her son Blair, who was shot and killed while riding a bus from school in 2007, during a meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2013. The Vice President, along with Attorney General Eric Holder, met with representatives of victims’ groups and gun safety organizations as part of the Administration’s effort to develop policy proposals in response to the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. Colin Goddard, who was shot four times at Virginia Tech in 2007, is seated second from left. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)