Dipnote - Entries By Category

When the President Spoke in Shanghai

2009-11-20T19:43:19+00:00

About the Authors: Travis Hall is an American exchange student in Shanghai who is participating in the State Department’s “Virtual Student Foreign Service” Program. He submitted the following in consultation with Foreign Service Officer Anny Ho, who is a Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Back home in the States, I might have been a casual Obama speech watcher, but when the President of the United States drops in on your study abroad locale, you take notice! Thus I found myself walking to campus, through the rain, to meet up with some friends to watch the President’s town hall held right here in Shanghai earlier this week. After managing to fall on my face only once while making the trek (note to my apartment complex managers: while polished black tile looks great for walkways, it is less than functional in the rain), I made it to the international dormitory and gathered our motley crew of study abroad students and their Chinese roommates.

As we waited for the video to load, we discussed our expectations. What does a U.S. President say to a group of Chinese students? What would they ask if they could ask Obama a question? After hearing about President Obama from Chinese students throughout the semester, but only in the context of “He is great,” I was excited to get into a more substantive conversation. However, at this point, we had reached that magical spot in the loading of a video where you can watch AND load at the same time, so we watched Ambassador Huntsman introduce the President.

When President Obama took the microphone and said “Non Ho,” everyone in the room started clapping at once. How cool! The President of the United States just spoke some Shanghainese! For those outside of China, learning the local dialect is just about the coolest thing you can do. For example, my host dad is pretty hard to impress. But when I changed from Mandarin Chinese “ni hao” to “non ho,” that sealed the deal. Ever since, we have been as thick as thieves.

For the rest of the town hall, we switched to reading a transcript provided online, since we quickly realized that being able to speak either a bit of Chinese and English or a bit of English and Chinese made listening to overdubbed speeches almost impossible. Taken as a whole, we thought that President Obama’s benefit of cultural exchanges was right on target. We never did get to have that discussion that I hoped would develop from watching the President speak about controversial topics like Taiwan and Internet freedom, but we did talk about what cities we were from, and our Chinese friends told us where in the United States that they wanted to study. If students like myself continue to live in Shanghai, and more of my Chinese friends come to the States, then I think we are on the right path toward the kind of cooperation that Mr. Obama was talking about in Shanghai.

Watch Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes give a readout of the President's trip to Asia and learn more about the trip on WhiteHouse.gov.

Southeast Asian Youth Seek Democratic Change at Youth Engagement Summit (YES2009) in Malaysia

2009-11-18T14:15:22+00:00

About the Author: Nicholas Papp is Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

As the sun tried to break through the early morning mist in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s fantastic federal administrative center south of Kuala Lumpur, 3,000 of Southeast Asia’s most talented youth leaders began arriving in droves at the Youth Engagement Summit YES2009. Inspired by President Obama’s vision for hope and change, these active young leaders represent a rising generation working to build movements, catalyze change and transform lives in their communities, the region and beyond. World change icons including Twitter founder Biz Stone, Live8’s Bob Geldorf, chess champion Gary Kasparaov and real estate mogul Donald Trump personally spoke directly into the hearts and minds of these Southeast Asian youth motivating them to work collaboratively and in partnership to create the kind of meaningful and lasting change that can solve the world’s greatest problems.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was happy to partner with the organizers of this groundbreaking summit, strategically timed to coincide with President Obama’s trip to the region for APEC and the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. The Embassy’s public diplomacy team engaged these energized youth with the offer of a “free trip to Hollywood” via the Democracy Video Challenge. To get started thinking about the challenge, and to receive a prized Barack Obama postcard, hundreds of youth filled out a simple form completing the phrase “Democracy is…”

In her letter to the YES2009 participants, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale expressed her “sincere desire to listen … and find ways we can collaborate for our common future.” We are listening. And here is what they had to say.

Democracy is…

“…something fun, cool, exciting and 100% crazy.” – Suchada Prakanpawong from Thailand

“…being able to have choices and to make them.” – Wan Rozana Aziz Kasim from Malaysia

“…when both the people and the government talk and listen to each other wholeheartedly.” - Stephanie Kordjo from Indonesia

“…to the world what twitter is to media!!” – Ramakrishnan from India

“…giving to the people the freedom they deserve.” – Joanne Gonzales from the Philippines

“...people empowerment.” -- Rogelio Serena from the Philippines

“…freedom to do what I want to do and to be what I am. A freedom worth protecting and fighting for. A freedom worth dying for.” -- Kayzee from Malaysia

“…something which the U.S. is importing to Indonesia along with globalization. I totally support this as democracy has given a new era of leadership in Indonesia and it’s inextricably linked with tolerance of religions. I’m loving it. ^_^” – David from Indonesia

“…Hope for those who weren’t born rich; Hope for those who weren’t lucky; Hope for those who are minorities; Hope for those who feel helpless; Hope for equality and justice.” Natharat Monkolsinh from Thailand

“…just a word for Myanmar citizens. We Myanmar people are still waiting to experience the taste of Democracy. Please join together with us…” name withheld from Burma

“…Freedom to talk your own mind, Freedom to criticize your government, your politicians without fear; to have equal rights with everyone; to practice your own language and decide for your destination not some minority or government choose for you!” -- name withheld from Iran

U.S. Embassy Uses New Media to Reach Chinese Netizens

2009-11-16T15:34:21+00:00

About the Author: Athena Kwey is a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

On November 13, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing launched pages on KaixinWang and QQ, two leading social networking portals in China. Our collaboration with these sites uses local platforms in Chinese to communicate directly with the Chinese people. We hope that this outreach will facilitate our ability to share information and promote a dialogue at the grassroots level. The launch is part of our comprehensive new media effort to support President Obama’s first visit to the region.

Our blog page on QQ will provide details about the President’s events during his visit. In addition, we will share ground-level perspectives from embassy personnel as events unfold.

Our Kaixin page (similar to Facebook) will strike a more informal tone, catering to a core demographic of educated white collar workers. Our goal is to keep content fresh to meet the demands of a young Chinese audience accustomed to accessing meaningful information online. Following the visit, the embassy will continue to use these new outreach tools to connect with the Chinese online community and share both formal and informal sides of our Mission in China. KaixinWang and QQ reach a combined daily online audience in the hundreds of millions.

Follow the President's trip to Asia on WhiteHouse.gov.

An American Political Tradition in the People’s Republic of China

2009-11-16T13:43:40+00:00

About the Author: Richard Buangan serves as the Deputy Press Spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Updated: Watch the President's town hall with Chinese youth on Whitehouse.gov.

The town hall meeting is at the core of grassroots American democracy. It is a tradition that brings together members of a community -- both leaders and ordinary citizens -- to discuss and shape the direction of their futures. On November 16, President Obama brought that tradition to China -- a country with thousands of years of history, but a land where political and social values are different from ours. In Shanghai, he held an historic town hall meeting with China’s youth to talk directly with some of the young people who represent China’s future.

The planning stages leading up to the town hall were filled with months of negotiation and cooperation. Our Chinese hosts were committed to working with us to ensure a successful visit and were genuinely curious as to how an American town hall works. Together we created a unique event mixing American and Chinese elements - a first by an American president visiting China. Even the language showed the differences in political concept as the word “town hall” doesn’t exist in Mandarin. In English, this was President Obama’s town hall with China’s youth, but in Chinese, it was mian dui mian or a face-to-face dialogue.

The cultural differences are vast. The challenges of creating an event hosted by the President of the United States for China’s youth were numerous. But the popularity of this American President is high in China and shows that even young people look to U.S.-Chinese cooperation to solve global issues. This town hall meeting in Shanghai showed the youth of China that President Obama came not just to talk, but to listen.

Follow the President's trip to Asia on WhiteHouse.gov.

President Obama To Host Town Hall in Shanghai

2009-11-15T20:13:08+00:00

The President's town hall begins at 11:45 p.m. EST on November 15. Be sure to tune in at Whitehouse.gov/live.

Updated: Watch the President's town hall with Chinese youth on Whitehouse.gov.

President Obama will have a town hall meeting with Chinese youth in Shanghai, China. The event is planned to start Monday, November 16 at 12:45 p.m. local time in Shanghai, which means late Sunday night in Washington, DC at 11:45 p.m. EST.

The online community in China has been submitting questions on a variety of websites, including the U.S. Embassy in Beijing’s website, Xinhuanet and Sohu.

Holding the event in Shanghai is symbolic as the Shanghai Communique was announced there and helped pave the way for normalization and the first 30 years of formal diplomatic relations.

The Town Hall will be livestreamed on Whitehouse.gov/live. You can also join the conversation on the official White House page on Facebook or Embassy Beijing's website to view and participate in a live discussion during the event.

Follow the President's trip to Asia on WhiteHouse.gov.

Embassy Beijing Prepares for President Obama’s Arrival

2009-11-14T22:33:28+00:00

About the Author: John Morgan serves at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

I come from an airline family.

My parents both worked for Pan American World Airways, and so ever since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated by planes. When we would go to visit family in Europe for vacations, nothing was more exciting to me than getting on that 747. Sometimes I was allowed to visit the cockpit and ask the pilots what all the instruments were for. We lived near the airport, and by the age of ten I could identify any aircraft flying overhead by its tail colors. As I child I had always dreamed of seeing Air Force One flying overhead, but never had the chance.

In some ways that fascination with airplanes has stayed with me. So when I was asked to be the airport site officer for President Obama’s visit to China, I jumped at the chance and look forward to seeing Air Force One land in Beijing for a two-day stop that will advance the relationship between the United States and China. The sweeping changes seen during my lifetime have been exciting, encouraging, and positive. I’ll get my dream fulfilled to see Air Force One. But I am even more enthusiastic about how this visit will bolster a diplomatic relationship that can achieve great things in the years to come.

Follow the President's trip to Asia on WhiteHouse.gov.

In Tokyo, Our Common Future

2009-11-14T19:23:14+00:00

The White House Blog highlights President Obama's remarks at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. The President said:

"So I want everyone to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home. This is where we engage in much of our commerce and buy many of our goods. And this is where we can export more of our own products and create jobs back home in the process. This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents. And there can be no solution to our energy security and our climate challenge without the rising powers and developing nations of the Asia Pacific.

To meet these common challenges, the United States looks to strengthen old alliances and build new partnerships with the nations of this region. To do this, we look to America's treaty alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines -- alliances that are not historical documents from a bygone era, but abiding commitments to each other that are fundamental to our shared security.

These alliances continue to provide the bedrock of security and stability that has allowed the nations and peoples of this region to pursue opportunity and prosperity that was unimaginable at the time of my first childhood visit to Japan. And even as American troops are engaged in two wars around the world, our commitment to Japan's security and to Asia's security is unshakeable -- (applause) -- and it can be seen in our deployments throughout the region -- above all, through our young men and women in uniform, of whom I am so proud.

Now, we look to emerging nations that are poised as well to play a larger role -- both in the Asia Pacific region and the wider world; places like Indonesia and Malaysia that have adopted democracy, developed their economies, and tapped the great potential of their own people.

We look to rising powers with the view that in the 21st century, the national security and economic growth of one country need not come at the expense of another. I know there are many who question how the United States perceives China's emergence. But as I have said, in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another. Cultivating spheres of cooperation -- not competing spheres of influence -- will lead to progress in the Asia Pacific." Full Text

Read translations of the President's remarks in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese or Korean.

Follow the President's trip to Asia on WhiteHouse.gov.

U.S. and Asia: “Inextricably Linked”

2009-11-13T19:40:58+00:00

The White House Blog highlights President Obama's remarks with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan at a joint press conference in Tokyo. President Obama said:

"We have to understand that the future of the United States and Asia is inextricably linked. The issues that matter most to our people -- issues of economic growth and job creation, non-proliferation, clean energy -- these are all issues that have to be part of a joint agenda. And we had very productive discussions about these issues this evening.

It's true that because of the strength of our economic ties, that was not the first item on our agenda, but we are fortunately going to have the opportunity to spend a lot of time discussing that in Singapore in the coming days. As the world's two leading economies, we have spent a lot of time working together in the G-20 to help bring the world back from the brink of financial crisis, and we're going to continue to work to strengthen our efforts so that we can expand job growth in the future. And we will be discussing with our APEC partners how to rebalance our deep economic cooperation with this region to strengthen our recovery.

The Prime Minister and I discussed our cooperation on Afghanistan and Pakistan. And I did thank the people of Japan and the Prime Minister for the powerful commitment of a $5 billion over the next five years to support our shared civilian efforts in Afghanistan, as well as the commitment of a billion dollars to Pakistan.

This underscores Japan's prominent role within a broad international coalition that is advancing the cause of stability and opportunity in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And I shared with the Prime Minister our efforts in refining our approach to make it more successful in the coming year.

We discussed our shared commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and ultimately seeking a world without them. Since I laid out a comprehensive agenda in Prague to pursue these goals Japan has been an outstanding partner in those efforts. And together we passed a historic resolution in the Security Council last September. We are building a new international consensus to secure loose nuclear materials and strengthen the nonproliferation regime.

And to that end, we discussed both North Korea and the situation in Iran, recognizing that it's absolutely vital that both countries meet their international obligations. If they do, then they can open the door to a better future. If not, we will remain united in implementing U.N. resolutions that are in place and continuing to work in an international context to move towards an agenda of nonproliferation.

Finally, we discussed our partnership on energy issues and climate change. The United States and Japan share a commitment to developing the clean energy of the future and we're focused on combating the threat of climate change. This is an important priority for us; I know it's an important priority for the people of Japan. And we discussed how we can work together to pave the way for a successful outcome in Copenhagen next month.

So I believe that we are off to a very successful start. I'm looking forward to continuing the conversation during dinner, as well as as we both travel to Singapore. And I am confident that we will continue to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance so that it serves future generations."

Coral Triangle Initiative Promotes Conservation and Marine Biodiversity

2009-11-05T23:00:14+00:00

About the Authors: Phillip Loosli serves as Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer at U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur and Kelly Milton serves in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

Senior officials from the six nations of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security adopted the Coral Triangle Initiative regional governance structure at the fourth Senior Officials Meeting held October 20-22 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Senior officials confirmed how the six CTI countries will collectively conserve and manage the world’s epicenter of marine biodiversity as well as established guidelines for establishing a permanent secretariat. Officials also agreed to issue a joint CTI statement to highlight ocean and coastal concerns to be delivered at the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) this December in Copenhagen. These major outcomes and further discussion regarding the location of the permanent secretariat will be presented for endorsement at the Second Ministerial Meeting to occur in Ghizo, the Solomon Islands, from November 18-19, 2009.

The Coral Triangle Initiative constitutes a collaboration of six nations that inhabit the world’s largest concentration of coral reefs and marine biodiversity, which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea. This 5.7 million square km. area of ocean and islands supports the livelihood for 120 million people and food for many more. The area is threatened by over- and destructive fishing, land- and sea-based pollution, and climate change. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono initiated the Coral Triangle Initiative on the sidelines of the December 2007 Bali UNFCCC climate change talks. The Heads of State from the six Coral Triangle countries formally endorsed the implementation of the CTI Regional Plan of Action at the 2009 CTI Summit in Manado, Indonesia, this past May.

U.S. Committed to Strong Partnership With China on Energy and Environment

2009-10-26T17:26:41+00:00

About the Author: Sumreen Mirza serves as a Policy Officer in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau Oceans, International Environment and Scientific Affairs.

The U.S. and China met this week in Beijing to review progress achieved in the second year of the U.S.-China Ten Year Framework (TYF) on Energy and Environment Cooperation. This framework encompasses action plans for collaboration on five existing priorities: clean, efficient and secure electricity production and transmission, clean water, clean air, clean and efficient transportation, and conservation of wetland ecosystems and nature reserves. In addition to identifying new activities under existing action plans, the Joint Working Group made significant progress in finalizing a draft action plan for energy efficiency collaboration. Read more about the TYF and the MOU on US-China Cooperation on Climate Change, Energy and Environment.

Alongside policy and technology cooperation, the Ten Year Framework also focuses on practical collaboration through joint projects known as ecopartnerships. The first seven ecopartnerships were established in December 2008 and involve the pairings of cities, ports, companies, research laboratories and academic institutions from both the U.S. and China . The delegates met with the Chinese partners and learned first-hand how ecopartnerships can become successful incubators for policy testing, technology demonstration, and subnational government capacity building on issues within our six areas of cooperation. Both sides are developing and implementing ways to strengthen the program. In the coming year, the Joint Working Group will develop guiding principles for selecting additional ecopartnerships. Read more about ecopartnerships.

The U.S. delegation to Beijing was comprised of 22 members representing the Department of State, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, Trade Development Agency, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Agency for International Development.

Pacific Partnership 2009 Concludes Its Journey

2009-09-24T15:24:19+00:00

About the Author: Tom Weinz served as the Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

Pacific Partnership has officially come to an end. The final projects were carried out in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a group of 29 coral atolls and five single islands with a land area of just 70 square miles spread across 750,000 square miles of ocean. The Marshall Islands have been closely associated with the United States since World War II. A complex Compact of Free Association between RMI and the United States went into effect in 1986, and a renegotiated compact went into force on May 1, 2004. The U.S. Army operates a large missile test range on RMI’s Kwajalein Atoll. Pacific Partnership 2007 also visited the Marshall Islands, so this was the second mission to RMI. There may be many more.

By any measurement, PP09 was a praiseworthy achievement. The Navy will publish final figures in the near future, which will clarify in statistics the thousands of hours of medical, dental, veterinarian, engineering and community relations activities that were accomplished since the Richard E. Byrd arrived in Samoa arrived in Samoa at the end of June. For me, the greatest legacy is and will remain the countless interactions among the multi-national providers and recipients of this mission. Friendships were forged that will continue over the years, and that will enhance follow-on missions by Pacific Partnership.

Welcome Pacific Partnership 2010. Sustainability has been of primary concern over Pacific Partnership’s relatively short life. Multi-year commitments to a fixed schedule are not currently possible, but a tentative outline of future missions would provide both continuity and encouragement to prospective recipient peoples and governments. In addition to RMI, four countries have benefitted from at least two separate Pacific Partnership missions over the past four years (The Philippines, Viet Nam, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands).

On September 23 and 24, I have been attending the Initial Planning Conference (IPC) for Pacific Partnership 2010. The list of participants includes an encouraging majority of familiar names from the Navy, NGOs, participating foreign governments and specialized contractors. These individuals, combined with extensive “lessons learned” inputs from PP09 staff still on the USNS Byrd, will contribute measurably to the continuity so crucial to this long-term program. Expect to see a return of Pacific Partnership sites, pictures and blogs about May of 2010, when I expect the USNS Mercy to return to the South Pacific.

Read Tom's previous entry: Pacific Partnership Builds Bridges in Kiribati.

Secretary Clinton Meets With Mu Sochua

2009-09-15T03:12:55+00:00

Secretary Clinton and Mu Sochua, Cambodian opposition parliamentarian, discussed the current situation in Cambodia on Friday, September 11, 2009, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Pacific Partnership Builds Bridges in Kiribati

2009-09-10T21:09:55+00:00

About the Author: Tom Weinz served as the Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

From May 4 to 8 of this year the United States and the Republic of the Philippines co-sponsored an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) disaster response exercise. Twenty-six ARF countries joined in a civilian-led, military supported activity involving the demonstration and execution of medical, engineering, land, air, and maritime capabilities of ARF’s participants. This exercise, as the Pacific Partnership missions, eventuated from the terrible tragedy of the December 2004 tsunami, which horrified the world. And it demonstrates the strong collective commitment to prepare for such an event in the future. One of the recommendations that emerged following the exercise was that any future ARF exercise “…include MEDCAP, ENCAP or VETCAP projects to bring tangible benefits to the hosting nation’s population.” That, in essence, is the definition of Pacific Partnership.

On September 2, the Pacific Partnership team cut a ribbon to open their most ambitious ENCAP construction project of this mission. For some years a major bridge connecting North Tarawa from the rest of the atoll has been dangerously semi-collapsed, preventing the 5,000 i-Kiribati (pronounced “ee-keer-ah-bhas”) living in the north from full access to most services in South Tarawa, including medical, supply and access to the international airport. During consultations over the past year, I have heard the naval engineers discussing every aspect of this impressive effort: now it is reality. Since arrival of the USNS Byrd on August 23, engineers have dismantled and removed the existing 186-foot/56.7-meter bridge. The new bridge was manufactured in England and shipped to Kiribati (pronounced “keer-ah-bhas”) in eight 20-foot sea containers, along with two 7-ton trucks and two heavy lift telehandler forklifts to move the sections out of and into position across the water. This effort brilliantly meshes a real-world need with an “exercise” in transporting and building in an area that completely lacks local infrastructure — which would be the case in most future disaster scenarios.

When USNS Byrd sailed towards the Republic of the Marshall Islands on September 5, it left thousands of inhabitants of Kiribati with a little better life. The physical bridge has a figurative counterpart, signifying a more compassionate, more involved international community that, in spite of daunting domestic economic challenges, continues to reach out to peoples and countries of the world who need and appreciate benevolent neighbors. Our future needs both types of bridges.

Read Tom's previous entry about Kiribati or his entry about the conclusion of Pacific Partnership 2009.

Pacific Partnership in Kiribati

2009-08-31T20:01:55+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz served as the Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

Pacific Partnership (PP09) is in Kiribati (pronounced “keer-ah-bhas”), whose principal atoll, Tarawa, is another infamous name from World War II. The Battle of Tarawa in late 1943 was among the bloodiest fighting of the Pacific campaign and a turning point for the war in the Central Pacific.

When I visited Tarawa as part of the site-survey team in March of this year, it was apparent that this location would challenge our mission more than any of the others. Tarawa is comprised of a ribbon of islets joined by simple stone and concrete causeways; the small islet of Betio at the extreme southwest of Tarawa is the focus of much of PP09 local medical outreach. Betio is the densest urban settlement in the Pacific Islands, with 26,000 people living in very basic conditions.

Many I-Kiribati (pronounced “ee-keer-ah-bhas”), as people of the country are known, have already been resettled to other areas and countries. The waters of the Pacific are rising, and gradually turning drinking water brackish and farmland saline. President Anote Tong has been brutally honest about the future of Kiribati. He reflected in 2008, “To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful, but I think we have to do that.”

While on USNS Byrd, I was very impressed with the numbers of volunteers taking part in daily community relations projects (COMRELS). I am now looking at the final report for COMRELS in the Solomon Islands, where the USS Mustin was also in port for Guadalcanal Day. COMRELS are staffed entirely by volunteers who have other full-time jobs. In the Solomon Islands, civilian mariners, sailors from the Mustin, Australian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, Navy SeaBees, PacFleet Band members, NGO volunteers and local citizens banded together to complete 27 different projects over 13 days.

During my experience with very different Pacific Partnership missions over the past three years, one constant has been the ever expanding role of COMRELS, directed by the different Pacific Partnership Chaplains, and developing into a “Come One, Come All” multinational team responsible for significant accomplishments, such as laying pipe for a school water system and other water-improvement or catchment projects. U.S. Peace Corps volunteers have joined these teams in the past; the Peace Corps withdrew from Kiribati in 2008, after forty-one years in the country. The COMRELS planned for Kiribati are as ambitious as those completed in Solomon Islands, thanks to the many volunteers who are serving in them.

Read Tom's previous or next entries.

Pacific Partnership: Sustainability Key to Success in Solomon Islands

2009-08-21T14:36:58+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz served as the Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

Early in this series, I reflected on how our best-laid plans often take a detour. My personal detour came in French New Caledonia, when some medical tests prevented my sailing with the USNS Byrd, and I subsequently returned to the Washington, DC area. Although I know both Solomon Islands, and PP09's specific mission, very well, I am sorry to miss what continues to be an effective and mutually beneficial undertaking. Guadalcanal Day memorial services were held early on August 7 at the well-kept American Memorial on Skyline Ridge, overlooking Iron Bottom Sound. Americans and Solomon Islanders alike gathered to reflect on the profound events that took place there in 1942-1943.

A few days later, as I was monitoring PP09 activity in Solomon Islands from my home, I read an article in the Solomon Islands “Island Sun” newspaper lauding the Pacific Partnership effort, but pleading for sustainability, an equally important concept to Pacific Partnership planners and participants. These events and emotions resonate with me, what that means, and how it impacts people in their daily lives.

Solomon Islands is at a critical juncture. In 2003, the Solomon Islands Parliament requested assistance to stabilize their country, socially and economically. The response came in the guise of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), military, police and civilian personnel from fifteen Pacific countries working to help Solomon Islanders achieve peace and stability. Sustainability is key to their plans also. Pacific Partnership responded to requests to provide assistance to both Guadalcanal and Malaita, the two key islands responsible for a better future. As I write this, the Byrd is leaving the Solomon Islands, after treating thousands of people and renovating additional schools and hospitals, and constructing teaching facilities for the local Red Cross. Though their stay was not long, PP09 personnel have done much to contribute to sustainability in health care and education for all the people of Solomon Islands.

Read Tom's previous entry en route to the Solomon Islands or his next entry about PP09 in Kiribati.

Promoting Road Safety in Vietnam

2009-08-13T15:28:58+00:00
About the Author: Nancy Carter-Foster serves as Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science.

In my previous entry, I wrote about road safety as a global issue. I’d like to share one way in which we are addressing the issue at the bilateral level.

Five representatives of the Government of Vietnam handling transportation and road safety concerns, accompanied by one representative of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF), recently visited the U.S. Department of Transportation to receive extensive briefings on a comprehensive range of road safety issues: safe road design; disability accommodations; road user education and safety interventions, including intelligent transportation systems; data collection and analysis; public-private sector partnerships; corporate sector responsibility; trauma prevention and emergency response. The group, led by a doctor from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also toured the Trauma Care Unit of the Washington Hospital Center.

The Vietnamese officials traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, where they then participated in an intensive one-day international workshop on improving and strengthening traffic crash data, jointly sponsored by the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), followed by a four-day conference on Traffic Data Records.

At the conclusion of this first program, U.S. and Vietnamese officials agreed to jointly develop a strategy for further training programs, with the emphasis being placed on U.S. trainers going to Vietnam in a train-the-trainer arrangement with engineering institutions, official planners, and others. Efforts to coordinate these training program opportunities with the next U.S.-Vietnam Joint Consultative Meetings under the U.S.-Vietnam Science and Technology Agreement make this a cost-effective way to incorporate the training and meeting schedules in one trip, funding availability pending.

Pacific Partnership En Route to Solomon Islands

2009-08-07T19:40:24+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

The USNS Richard E. Byrd crew and PP09 personnel, after several days of relaxation in New Caledonia, are now approaching Honiara, Solomon Islands. New Caledonia is a fascinating, little-known extremity of the French Republic, and most of us took the time to explore areas around Noumea, the capital city. These islands were part of the ancient super continent known as Gondwana, and contain some of the oldest ecosystems in existence; their isolation gives them special significance as the world attempts to better understand the effects of global warming. Though still part of France, New Caledonia continues to experience tension between those who support the status quo and proponents of independence. Jean-Marie Tjibaou led the local independence movement until his assassination in 1989; his efforts culminated in the Noumea Accord of 1998, which granted New Caledonia more local autonomy and guaranteed a referendum on independence from France sometime after 2014. That agreement has not kept a vocal and sometimes violent minority from frequent strikes and protests demanding immediate independence.

New Caledonia served as the Pacific headquarters for the U.S. Army and Navy early in World War II, and a small American memorial still stands in downtown Noumea. PP09 will arrive in Solomon Islands in time to participate in ceremonies during Guadalcanal Day, August 7, which commemorates what many believe to have been the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. On August 7, 1942, the Guadalcanal Campaign began. From then until February of 1943, battles raged which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Japanese and Allied combatants. More than thirty U.S. Navy and fifteen Japanese ships, along with countless airplanes, lie in the waters off Honiara known, for this reason, as Iron Bottom Sound.

American ties to this country of Solomon Islands are well-founded in history, but how much do most of us know about this land of half a million people? That Guadalcanal is the name of SI’s largest island? That Solomon Islanders named Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana located and helped rescue a young Navy lieutenant named John Kennedy after his PT boat was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer? That Honiara’s international airport is Henderson Field, named after a U.S. Marine aviator killed in the battle of Midway? PP09 is building upon these connections by returning to assist people who are the descendents of islanders who helped and supported and died with Americans in World War II.

Read Tom Weinz's previous entry from Tonga or next entry about PP09 in the Solomon Islands.

U.S. Journalists Released From North Korea

2009-08-05T16:11:24+00:00
During a press availability today in Nairobi, Kenya, Secretary Clinton spoke about the release of two journalists from North Korea. Secretary Clinton said:

"We have been working hard on the release of the two journalists. We have always considered that a totally separate issue from our efforts to reengage the North Koreans and have them return to the Six-Party Talks and work toward a commitment for the full, verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. I was very pleased to get the news that my husband's plane had taken off from Pyongyang with the two young women on board. They are on their way to California where they will be reunited with their families. I had a very brief conversation with my husband, we did not go into the details of some of the questions that you are asking, there will be time to talk about that later. This was mostly just to communicate directly how relieved and pleased he was and we are with the successful completion of this mission.

As I said in a long set of remarks in Thailand about two weeks ago, the future of our relationships with the North Koreans are really up to them. They have a choice; they can continue to follow a path that is filled with provocative actions which further isolates them from the international community, which resulted in the imposition of sanctions by the Security Council and the full cooperation of the international community, including and led by China, for the implementation of those sanctions under the resolution. Or they can decide to renew their discussions with the partners in the Six-Party Talks. We have always said there would be a chance to discuss bilateral matters with the North Koreans within that regional context and that is still the offer today."

Supporting the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue: Our Internships on the China Desk

2009-07-30T22:08:24+00:00
About the Authors: Caroline Guenther, Tony Nguyen, Reagan Thompson, and Thao-Anh Tran are interns in Office of Chinese & Mongolian Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Being at the banquet of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) next to, respectively, the former head of the World Bank for China, the head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a lieutenant in the People’s Liberation Army, and the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was an opportunity we never imagined our internships would provide.

The S&ED was the Obama Administration’s inaugural round of talks with the Chinese government. The Dialogue provided an opportunity for high-level U.S. and Chinese officials to speak frankly on topics ranging from a denuclearized North Korea, climate change, and health care. For example, when Zhang Guobao, director of the Chinese National Energy Administration, presented his opinions on climate change and the current global situation, he spoke very candidly. He stated that he was not a diplomat and said he disagreed with several U.S. stances on climate change. It was so surprising for us to witness such open discussions, but we began to understand that sincerity and honesty are essential if the United States and China are going to work together.

When we all first arrived on the China Desk, we imagined ourselves drafting memos, requesting clearances, and occasionally attending meetings. Yet, as we got closer to the S&ED, we found ourselves totally engaged in the coordination and execution of the event. From preparing briefing books for Secretary Clinton, to seeing President Obama in person, to note-taking at the joint press conference, we were entrusted with responsibilities that interns could only dream of receiving. Despite the fact that we found ourselves working as late as 1:00 a.m., pizza dinners promoted camaraderie among the office staff.

We feel honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to participate in such a high-profile event. We were even able to meet the two most senior Chinese officials at the Dialogue, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vice Premier Wang Qishan. We talked with Dai and Wang in Mandarin and conveyed our sincerity in wanting to learn more about China. To top it all off, Secretary Clinton personally thanked the S&ED team!

As students of international relations, the events of the past few days were a rewarding way for us to see textbook theories in action. It became clear that although the United States and China may have differences, we agree on a multitude of issues and we are optimistic about the future of bilateral relations with China. We witnessed what good can come of hard work, creativity, and a never-ceasing desire to represent the United States well. Our experiences speak to the care of the “China Desk” at the State Department, the dedication of the State S&ED Coordinator, Erica Thomas, and the unlimited opportunities offered by the institution that is the Department of State.

Consular Officers Respond to Jakarta Hotel Bombings

2009-07-30T14:14:24+00:00
About the Author: Lindsey Zuluaga serves as a Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Two weeks ago, I arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Friday morning, July 17 to begin a day of visa interviews for Indonesians. As a consular officer, I spend most of my day on the visa line. But from the crowd huddled around the TV in the waiting room, I could tell it might not be a typical day -- Indonesian TV was reporting explosions at two luxury hotels in Jakarta. No cause was yet determined, and with a full load of interviews scheduled and a room full of applicants, we tried to focus on the task at hand.

This was harder than I thought, as news coverage of the events in the background was constantly blaring, and emails from my public affairs colleagues every few minutes confirmed that these were bombs, not just explosions, and likely terrorist attacks. As soon as we learned that American citizens could potentially be among the victims, Consul General Jeff Tunis pulled some of my colleagues off the visa line and immediately sent them to the scene. I was one of just three consular officers asked to stay and finish the heavy load of interviews.

All day, everyone in the consular section provided assistance to Americans, whether at the bombing site, at local hospitals locating and assisting American victims of the blasts, or at the embassy compound, where we provided emergency passports and tracked down Americans whose families called for information about their loved ones’ welfare and whereabouts. Of the fifty people injured by the Jakarta blasts, six were Americans, but there were no U.S. fatalities.

The next day I went to the Metropolitan Medical Center Hospital in downtown Jakarta to check on American victims. I walked through the hospital entrance to find a waiting room of chaos -- reporters fishing for stories, cameramen snapping photos, family members looking for loved ones, and hospital staff trying to keep order in the midst of it all. The receptionists were hesitant to let us into the hospital, and I had to convince them I was not a journalist. Eventually, I met several American victims with their family and friends in their hospital rooms. One person had a fractured leg and burns all over his body, and I was taken aback to see him drawn up in his bed with so many bandages. Another American was just coming out of surgery to have shrapnel removed from her shoulder, and I visited her in the ICU. She was barely able to sit up, and clearly traumatized. Both were quietly eating breakfast at a hotel café when the bombs struck.

Some needed to be medically evacuated out of the country for additional medical care, and were apprehensive about the procedure. I tried to reassure them, and worked with my colleagues to process and deliver emergency passports, although some could barely manage to sign the forms because of their injuries. We also ensured that all personal effects that were retrieved from the bombing sites were returned to the victims.

The Jakarta bombings were tragic. Nine people lost their lives, and many others were severely injured. My heart is still in my stomach when I think about it. But I am proud that our embassy was there right away to help our countrymen in their time of need. As I was heading out the hospital door at the end of the day, one of the victims leaned over to me and said, “Thanks for everything. I don’t think I would have been able to go through this without the embassy’s help.” Comments like these make service so rewarding.

Pacific Partnership Departs Tonga

2009-07-30T01:43:47+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

"Synergy" is a word that is often touted, but seldom realized. PP09's final days in Tonga, however, were memorably synergistic. On July 24, much of the community of Faleloa gathered at the newly refurbished primary school for brief speeches, graceful Tongan dances performed by the school children, and a shared meal. Since most of the people of the area have never been near a helicopter, we flew one of USNS Byrd’s EH-96 Pumas for everyone to enjoy. All the children lined up to climb into the copter, and many pictures were taken of child “pilots.” That evening, Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele hosted a dinner for an eclectic gathering of sixty: Tongan officials, the PP09 leadership, U.S. Peace Corps volunteer translators and PP09 representatives from different sites, specialties and countries. Typically, the evening ended with music by the Pacific Fleet Band, and joyous dancing.

The grand finale, a true Tongan feast, took place on Saturday, July 25. The day opened with Prime Minister Sevele and his party being welcomed to the Byrd for a tour. Since Byrd’s bridge sits nearly ten stories above the surface of the water, the Tongan officials enjoyed a commanding view of the several islands in the vicinity. An official ribbon cutting took place in the afternoon at Hihifo primary school, followed by an array of food such as few of us had ever experienced. Since Tongans from every part of the island (two islands actually, joined by a narrow causeway) came to express their support and appreciation, it seemed an enormous gathering for this small town. I wished we were making a documentary (which was discussed at one point) in order to show this warm farewell in greater perspective.

Currently, we are half way to the French colony of New Caledonia, three and a half days west of Tonga. Noumea, the capital city, offers good airline connections, and 17 PP09 volunteers will change places by leaving the Byrd to fly home, their replacements arriving by air to board the Byrd for the rest of the mission. And all of us intend to enjoy some relaxation and some wonderful French cuisine.

Read Tom Weinz's previous or next entry.

U.S. State Department Opens House for U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue

2009-07-29T22:25:47+00:00
About the Author: Richard Buangan serves as the Deputy Press Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Related Entry: First Strategic and Economic Dialogue Elevates U.S.-China Relationship

Credit for a successful U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) doesn’t belong just to the policymakers. July 27-28, the two days of the S&ED, were filled with fast-pace negotiations and last minute press briefing by both sides. To accommodate the hundreds of U.S. and Chinese negotiators and journalists that converged on Washington to cover the S&ED, some rooms in the State Department were transformed into special negotiation rooms, press briefing rooms, and break rooms for the Chinese and U.S. delegations. Special signs were created bearing a unique S&ED logo that directed participants in English and Chinese to various locations. The entire ornate 8th floor Diplomatic Reception Rooms were opened up for an elaborate dinner hosted by Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner in honor of their counterparts Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and over 200 guests representing the depth and breadth of the U.S.-China relationship. State Department workers and volunteers labored day and night to build stages, set up conference tables, decorate floral arrangements, and simply direct visitors to all the open spaces where delegates from both sides were allowed to roam free. Even members of the media representing both countries were given their own press filing center complete with full internet access, technical support, and even a food counter.

It was a shining example of the State Department putting it best foot forward to make visitors feel welcome and providing an environment conducive to diplomacy and the art of negotiation.

First Strategic and Economic Dialogue Elevates U.S.-China Relationship

2009-07-29T18:40:47+00:00
About the Author: Richard Buangan serves as the Deputy Press Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

In this city of acronyms and abbreviations, the term "S&ED" gained added meaning this week as hundreds of our Chinese counterparts converged on the city of Washington to join us in launching the first U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Born from the economic-leaning Strategic Economic Dialogue launched during the Bush administration, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue was an initiative of President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao to elevate the U.S.-China relationship to provide a forum in which a host of issues can be considered. Secretary Clinton hosted her counterpart Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Treasury Secretary Geithner hosted Vice Premier Wang Qishan for extensive talks that were divided into two “tracks:” the strategic track and economic track. President Obama, realizing the importance of such a forum, joined the discussion by addressing delegates at the opening session.

The S&ED promises to underscore the Obama Administration’s commitment to nurturing what many believe to be one of world’s most important bilateral relationships. As a U.S. diplomat working in Beijing, I can testify to the enormous amount of discussion that happens on a wide-range of issues, from climate change, to the global financial crisis, to energy security. Often times, these discussions take place at different times of the year, by different cabinet-level secretaries, at different places. The U.S.-China S&ED seeks to be the overarching forum from which the United States and China can share ideas that provide a framework for the more detailed discussions that will happen elsewhere.

Read Richard Buangan's next entry about the S&ED: U.S. State Department Opens House for U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

Moon Landing Celebrations Down Under

2009-07-23T22:56:47+00:00
About the Author: David Atkinson serves as Economic Officer at U.S. Embassy Canberra.

Chargé d’Affaires Daniel Clune joined Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Kim Carr, CSIRO CEO Megan Clark, and Senator Annette Hurley at a ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20. In addition to celebrating the first moon landing and the role Australian tracking stations played in that mission, the event also marked the retirement of DSS-46 -- “The Dish” (famous from the film of the same name) -- used to take in the first video and audio from Tranquility Base. The dish had initially been installed at the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station and then later moved to the Canberra Deep Space Communications Center.

The Chargé thanked those Australian technicians who had worked on Apollo and other space programs since, and read a letter from Neil Armstrong to the Honeysuckle Creek and Canberra crews who supported Apollo 11 on its historic flight. The Chargé was also interviewed by Channel 7 news, and had the chance to again to highlight the important role Australians played in the Apollo program, thank them for their efforts, and mention U.S. plans to return to the moon.

Related Entries: The Journey After "One Giant Leap for Mankind" and U.S. Diplomacy Supports Space Exploration

U.S. Committed to Nations of Southeast Asia

2009-07-22T21:28:47+00:00
Interactive Travel Map | Text the Secretary

Today, Secretary Clinton spoke at a press availability during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Thailand.

Today, Secretary Clinton participated in a press availability at the ASEAN Summit in Laguna Phuket, Thailand. The Secretary stressed America’s commitment to strengthen our presence and engagement in the region and build a deeper, more dynamic partnership with ASEAN. Secretary Clinton said:

"The United States is back in Southeast Asia. President Obama and I believe that this region is vital to global progress, peace, and prosperity, and we are fully engaged with our ASEAN partners on the wide range of challenges confronting us, from regional and global security to the economic crisis to human rights and climate change.

After this, I will have the honor of signing, on behalf of the United States, the Instrument of Accession to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. This treaty seals our commitment to work in partnership with the nations of ASEAN to advance the interests and values we share.

I am also proud to announce that the United States intends to open a U.S. mission to ASEAN headed by an ambassador in Jakarta in the very near future. I have instructed my staff to begin consultations with the ASEAN secretariat, the Indonesian Government, and the United States Congress on the steps needed to open such a mission. As a first step, we will shortly assign an experienced diplomat to Jakarta to work with ASEAN on this effort.

Tomorrow, I will host the first ever ministerial meeting between the United States and the countries of the Lower Mekong – Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand – to discuss our shared interests and our emerging partnership on issues related to water, health, and the environment.

I would also like to announce the Obama Administration’s commitment to deepen our engagement in Asia on the critical issue of climate change. We have asked the United States Congress for a seven-fold increase in our USAID climate change funding for this region. And we are planning to launch a new regional climate change initiative to support cutting-edge research and scale up investments in innovative climate change and development solutions in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. We will ask for a high-level dialogue on climate change within ASEAN so that together, we can help the world confront the threat of a warming planet and a transition to a clean energy future.

These steps are important because Southeast Asia and ASEAN are critically important to our future. ASEAN’s ten members host nearly 600 million people, including two of our treaty allies and the world’s third-largest democracy, which just completed very successful elections in Indonesia. The region is our sixth-largest export market, hosts more U.S. business investment than China, and straddles critically important shipping lanes.

So ASEAN is a region of great diversity where people of different backgrounds, religions, and every other diversity of the human experience are working to build a community. Just this week, ASEAN agreed on the outlines of a human rights body that can help promote the values we share with many of ASEAN’s member countries, and hopefully contribute to positive change in Burma.

On a personal note, let me say how shocked and saddened I was by the vicious terrorist attacks in Indonesia last week. We stand by Indonesia in these difficult times and we celebrate their successful election and the vibrancy of their democracy. The Obama Administration is proud to embark on a sustained, comprehensive partnership with Indonesia. And it will span all aspects of our relationship – diplomatic, political, strategic, cultural and so much else. I am convinced this partnership will yield very positive results.

So these are all important steps that the United States wants to take with our ASEAN partners, and to encourage ASEAN as it moves down the path it has set for itself. I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk about my meetings with the foreign ministers of our partners in the Six-Party process. We discussed the need for a vigorous, unified, and transparent implementation of Security Council Resolution 1874. We consulted on the steps that we are taking individually and the actions that we can take in concert to enforce the financial measures, the arms embargo, the inspection provisions, and other elements in the resolution.

All four of the other foreign ministers agreed that full implementation is important to demonstrate unanimity and resolve in the face of North Korean provocations, and to make clear that complete and irreversible denuclearization is the only viable path for North Korea. We do not intend to reward North Korea just for returning to the table, nor do we intend to reward them for actions they have already committed to taking and then reneged on. The path is open to them, and it is up to them to follow it. Unless and until they do, they will face international isolation and the unrelenting pressure of global sanctions."

Read the transcript of Secretary Clinton's press availability at ASEAN.

All Smiles in Thailand at Secretary Clinton’s “Townterview”

2009-07-22T16:36:47+00:00
Interactive Travel Map | View Video at The Nation

About the Author: Cynthia Brown serves as the Assistant Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

The cloudy and wet skies outside did little to dampen the anticipation and excitement of those awaiting the arrival of Secretary Clinton at the Thewarat Sapharom Throne Hall on the grounds of the Phyathai Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. I am bleary-eyed and jetlagged, having arrived back to Bangkok in the early morning hours from a week-long trip back to the United States, but the energy surrounding the Secretary’s televised “Townterview” (townhall + interview = townterview) this morning has my adrenaline flowing. There is a buzz in the room. The feeling is electric. Though it is not the first time that Secretary Clinton has visited Thailand, it is clear that Thailand wants to make sure she feels welcome.

Lights. Camera. Action. It is showtime!

The audience of more than 200 erupts in applause as Secretary Clinton steps on stage alongside her hosts, Khun Suthichai Yoon and Khun Veenarat of The Nation Channel. Introductions, some light chatter, and then the questions begin. They dance between personal and policy covering topics from U.S.-Thai relations to the economic crisis in America…from advancing the role of women to the return of democracy in Burma...from broadening educational exchange to what it is like to be a mother...from her run at the presidency to what she talks about at home with her husband. The interview runs the gamut, yes, but there is one underlying message. Thailand is a friend. Thailand is an ally. Thailand is an invaluable partner in the region.

As the event draws to an end, I look over at the university student on my right and see her smile in appreciation and admiration. I can’t help but grin too. I note similar emotion worn on the faces of the Deputy Minister of Commerce and the coordinator of local media activism network with whom I work closely. People are excited. People are happy. People are impressed. But perhaps more than that, people are grateful. Secretary Clinton has come to Thailand. She has shown not just with words, but with actions that Thailand is truly one of America’s closest friends and allies in the region.

Pacific Partnership: A Day of Rest in Tonga

2009-07-22T15:10:47+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

During one of our feedback sessions in Samoa, an older gentleman who had lived all over the world suggested that Pacific Partnership personnel should take one day, or at least one afternoon, and just spend time with the people of a village or area where they were working. His point was that many of us would never be in Samoa again, and may never meet another Samoan, so we should relax, get to know each other, and generally recharge our batteries. No one disagreed with these points, but most of us thought we couldn’t do that and still complete all of our dedicated projects.

The Tongans changed the suggestion above into a mandate. In Tonga, Sunday is a day of family, worship, and rest. All of us were gently reminded that we too would “rest,” whatever that might mean to us. Of course, we all enjoyed our day of rest immensely, and spent it variously, from attending the local churches (where the a cappella harmonies moved everyone, and reminded some of us of childhood choirs back home) to lazy picnics and even some exceptional scuba diving (which had to be approved by the village leaders, as it bordered on the too active). Furthermore, nearly everyone returned to work on Monday refreshed, invigorated, and ready to work harder and smarter to make up any lost time.

But in fact, almost every project is ahead of schedule, entirely due to the overwhelming participation of Tongans, both officially and as community volunteers. TDS soldiers and Royal Tongan Marines, as mentioned in an earlier piece, had prepared all of the renovation sites by demolishing or removing roofs, siding, windows, etc. In addition, Tongan engineers used PP09 building materials to install all the new trusses and roofs on the schools and community centers chosen as PP09 projects. And every day, local community volunteers simply appeared and mixed cement, carried debris, fed the workers, and painted. So many volunteers participated, in fact, that we are now able to patch a roof and paint some schools that were not originally on our list. So much for time lost to a day of rest.

Unfortunately, we are losing time due to the weather. RHIBs between shore and the Byrd had to be suspended at 3 p.m. yesterday, stranding 47 PP09 workers ashore. Everyone found temporary shelter in the community; current plans call for a trip to the Byrd for breakfast and a quick shower before returning to work on Wednesday. (As I write this early Wednesday morning, the rain and wind continue.)

Read Tom Weinz's previous or next entries from Tonga.

U.S. Consulate General Welcomes Shanghai Expo 2010

2009-07-21T16:29:47+00:00
About the Author: Beatrice Camp is Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, China.

Shanghai is going all out for the May-October 2010 World Expo, and the United States’ commitment to participate made big news here. The Shanghai Expo, the next in a long line of world fairs, is the first to be hosted in China. The United States itself has hosted a number of historically significant world fairs, including Chicago 1893, which introduced the Ferris Wheel; St. Louis 1904 (the venue for the famous movie Meet Me in St. Louis); Seattle 1962 (the Space Needle); and New York 1964 (the Unisphere). In line with the Shanghai Expo theme of “Better City, Better Life," the USA Pavilion is focused on “Rising to the Challenge" through sustainability, teamwork, health, and opportunity.

We may have taken our time before confirming our participation, but we moved with rocket speed since the middle of the year. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed José H. Villarreal as the U.S. Commissioner General on July 1. Following his appointment, José visited Shanghai and signed our participation contract with the Expo Bureau on July 10. Exactly a week later, the Commissioner General and I were on stage with Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Chinese officials for a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of our future pavilion. Secretary Clinton joined us in spirit by sending a letter of congratulations. We’re reciprocating by shipping her a shovel and a hard hat.

The USA Pavilion is dependent on private sector funding, and many of our corporate sponsors participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. Despite the 99 degree temperature at the construction site on July 17, it was an exhilarating moment. We lingered after the ceremony for photo ops with business supporters, wielding the red-bow-bedecked shovels and celebrating the launch of a pavilion that will present America’s story to an expected 70 million visitors over a period of six months. As Secretary Clinton noted in her letter of congratulations, "The Shanghai Expo represents all that the nations of the world can accomplish when we work together, the global challenges we can meet through collective action, and the progress we can achieve through international cooperation."

I’m looking forward to 2010 and to a USA Pavilion that will bring the best of America to China and to this dynamic city.

Secretary Clinton Op-Ed Appears in Bangkok Post

2009-07-20T22:22:47+00:00
Interactive Travel Map | Text the Secretary

Secretary Clinton's op-ed, "Strengthening Partnerships in Southeast Asia," appeared in the Bangkok Post. Thai language version at Matichon Online.

The United States and the nations of Southeast Asia are old friends facing new challenges, and we must forge new partnerships to meet the demands of our changing times.

No one nation can meet today's global challenges alone, from climate change and the economic crisis to threats of nuclear proliferation and violent extremism. And Friday's tragic attacks in Jakarta remind us that no nation will be secure if we do not meet these challenges together. That is why our cooperation - bilateral, multilateral, and people to people - is so important. We will not always agree on every issue. But only by working together, in a partnership built on mutual responsibility and mutual respect, can we ensure a safer, freer, and more prosperous future for all our people.

The United States is a trans-Pacific as well as trans-Atlantic nation, home to 13 million Asian-American citizens who enrich our culture and economy, and bound to the region by history and common interest. We are committed to active partnerships in Asia, and this week I am returning to Thailand for meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Asean Regional Forum (ARF). These multilateral institutions have a vital role to play, but as the challenges we face evolve, so too must our institutions.

The United States supports a strong Asean that can provide real results for the people of the region. We were the first Dialogue Partner to name a permanent ambassador for Asean, ensuring that our lines of communication are open and our efforts closely coordinated. And earlier this year, I announced that the United States would pursue accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. We have since made great progress, and hope to celebrate our accession soon.

In the days and months ahead, the United States will seek new opportunities to work with Asean and partners across the region, including our key treaty allies Japan, Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines, to advance our mutual interests and meet our shared challenges.

We will work with governments, civil society, and citizens to advance responsible governance, democratic institutions, and respect for human rights in Southeast Asia. These are core values for the United States and for Asean, and they are enshrined in the newly implemented Asean Charter.

The situation in Burma is particularly challenging for Asean. We look forward to working with Asean members on finding ways to bring positive change to Burma that will benefit all of the Burmese people and the region as a whole.

As President Obama said in Egypt and Ghana, democratic and economic development go hand-in-hand. Democracy and the rule of law can transform people's lives and open new doors of opportunity. This is true in Southeast Asia and around the world, and is especially important as we grapple with the effects of an economic crisis that has hit people hard on both sides of the Pacific.

To promote economic recovery and greater shared prosperity, we will continue working to expand trade and investment. Last year, two-way trade between Asean and the United States exceeded $178 billion, and there is no doubt that our economies' fortunes and our nations' futures are more intertwined than ever before.

We also share an interest in a peaceful Asia free from the threats of proliferation, aggression and crime. That is why the United States will continue to seek cooperation from Asean on the enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea, and will pursue law enforcement partnerships to combat human trafficking, drug smuggling, and organised crime.

I want to applaud Thailand for its new, comprehensive anti-human trafficking law that came into force in June 2008. The prosecutions and victim assistance we expect to see as a result of this new law's passage will be an important step in the right direction in combating a pressing human rights issue in the region and beyond.

On these and a range of other issues of common concern, including climate change and global health, progress will only be achieved through partnership between not just our governments, but also our people. Entrepreneurs and educators, doctors and scientists, friends and families have all joined hands across the Pacific in cooperation. This is especially true for the United States and Thailand. Our governments and our people have developed strong ties over 175 years of relations.

Of course every country has its challenges, and no democracy is ever a finished product. The challenge for the people of both the United States and Thailand is to leave our democracies deeper and stronger than we found them. It's hard work, but just as I have faith that each generation of Americans will meet that challenge, I am confident the people of Thailand will do the same. As they do, they can always count on the friendship and support of the United States.

Working together - in Thailand, across Southeast Asia, and around the world - is the key to building a brighter future for us all.

Tonga Welcomes Pacific Partnership

2009-07-18T00:34:47+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

Pacific Partnership's second mission is to the Kingdom of Tonga, approximately 500 miles south of Samoa. USNS Byrd arrived in the early morning darkness of July 13 (Samoa is just east of the international dateline, and Tonga is just west of it. It is exactly the same time of day in Tonga as in Samoa — but one day later) and we awoke to grey skies and heavy rain. As with Samoa, our movement of equipment and materials to shore was hampered by weather.

Tonga is a country of 170 islands (about 40 of which are inhabited) with a population of just over 100,000 people. Our mission sites are all concentrated on islands in the Ha’apai group, roughly in the middle of Tongan territory and the least developed and accessible of Tonga’s three island groups. Because the waters near Pangai, the largest city in the area, are too shallow for the Byrd, all movement to and from shore is by Australian landing craft, helicopter, and by Byrd’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, or RHIBs.

July 13 witnessed a flurry of activity, putting all medical and engineering equipment into place on shore. Thanks to significant advance work by Tongan Defence Services (TDS) personnel, who demolished parts of buildings and installed several new corrugated metal roofs prior to our arrival, PP09 engineers will be able to complete more projects during the mission. (Note the Brit/Aus spelling of “defence.” Tonga’s military is highly respected for their discipline and professionalism. Tongan Royal Marines served in Iraq with U.S. forces, and TDS soldiers serve currently with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, or RAMSI.)

On July 14, with ENCAPS, MEDCAPS and DENCAPS fully under way, a group of us participated in the opening ceremonies at a local school. The Reverend Doctor Tevita Palefau, Minister of Education, Women’s Affairs & Culture, noted in his opening address that, in spite of serious economic concerns in the United States, America still cares enough about others to carry out this mission. Since Tonga spends 28% of its annual budget on health and education, he said, Tongans are especially appreciative of the PP09 assistance. Local school children, some in classes conducted by American Peace Corps volunteers, took an active role in the opening ceremonies. As always, we are most grateful for a propitious beginning and a warm local reception.

Read Tom Weinz's previous entry from Samoa or his next entry from Tonga.

Pacific Partnership: Acts of Kindness Make the Mission

2009-07-13T17:43:47+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

“The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person’s life.”

Samoa’s deputy prime minister quoted these words of William Wordsworth during his dedication speech for work done at the National Hospital. Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09) is fully choreographed to achieve maximum results during relatively short visits. But the multifaceted, multitalented men and women carrying out this mission are interacting in uniquely spontaneous ways which will be remembered by countless individuals throughout their lives.

Without doubt, the medical focus of PP09 is central, and here are some impressive numbers: at our four MEDCAP sites, doctors met with 2,144 patients; dentists cared for 601 patients; optometrists tested 685 individuals (and dispensed free glasses as needed.) PP09 experts presented educational exchanges and classes to more than 3,500 local students, nurses, doctors and teachers, and participated in more advanced subject matter exchanges with 224 people. PP09 biomedical technicians repaired 44 pieces of equipment that were not functioning when we arrived in Samoa. (The veterinarians also provided outstanding service, but more on that in a later piece.)

One two-year-old boy in the village of Lalomanu will grow up with the story of how his life was saved by a U.S. Navy surgeon. The child was brought to the medical clinic critically dehydrated from severe gastroenteritis. When routine attempts to rehydrate the boy failed, a successful surgical procedure was used to insert an IV tube and he was rushed to Apia. After two days in the hospital, he was released in good condition.

Speaking with a local woman at one of the PP09 closing ceremonies, I asked whether she considered our brief stay worthwhile. She responded sincerely, in words that echoed other Samoans’ expressions during the past ten days: “We are so happy to have you here, and we hope you will return very soon!”

This has been a very personal experience. Our band has played for kids with special needs and marched with the police band in the streets of Apia. Similarly, all of us have worked both for and with our Samoan counterparts. And it makes Samoans and Americans and our several partner nation participants a little wiser, a little more understanding, and even more appreciative of random acts of kindness and love.

Read Tom Weinz's previous entry from Samoa or his next one from Tonga.

Pacific Partnership: The Vessels That Carry the Mission

2009-07-10T17:46:23+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

In a comment last week, one of DipNote's readers, Eric in New Mexico, asked whether a decommissioned aircraft carrier might be converted into a humanitarian mission ship. I put that possibility directly to Captain Jaeger of USNS Byrd, and he responded as follows:

“The total cost to convert an ex-carrier would be roughly triple the cost of building a new ship. Replacing corroded water and sewage systems, and reconfiguring the work areas into a hospital configuration would also be less efficient than designing new space. The Navy is currently looking at the new T-AKE design (as the Richard E. Byrd) and considering hospital configurations which would eventually replace the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy.”

Eric’s question led me to think about the ships, or “platforms,” which have carried Pacific Partnership. The USNS Mercy (PP2006, 2008, 2010) is a state-of-the-art floating hospital. It has a patient capacity of 1,000 beds, with 12 operating rooms, as well as radiological services, a comprehensive laboratory, dental and optometry wards, a morgue, and two oxygen-producing plants. Mercy was built as an oil tanker in 1976, and converted to a hospital ship when still relatively new (1984). The ship is usually in reduced operating status in San Diego, and her crew is part of the Naval Medical Center. Mercy brings an unrivaled medical platform to Pacific Partnership, but is less effective for engineering projects.

The USS Peleliu (PP2007) represented the first “grey hull,” or active duty ship, to host Pacific Partnership. Peleliu is an amphibious assault ship, and many Pacific Partnership planners think she was the most effective platform of all. Peleliu carried two large CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, which could transport 30 passengers, or impressive loads of supplies and equipment. She carried the marvelous LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion), which can access remote island beaches in spite of shallow surrounding waters. Her massive well deck also held a standard landing craft; a ramp led from the well deck up to a storage deck, which contained an assortment of heavy construction vehicles and machinery.

The USS Dubuque, originally chosen for PP2009, was also an amphibious ship (with a well deck and landing craft.) The USNS Richard E. Byrd, a supply ship, has replaced Dubuque, and is at the beginning of her mission. She is a beautiful ship. If she performs well on PP09 and Captain Jaeger is correct, we may see a new “Mercy” in Pacific Partnership’s future.

Read Tom Weinz's previous or next entry from Samoa.

Pacific Partnership Celebrates Special Fourth in Samoa

2009-07-07T16:08:23+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

I read a New York Times editorial today (online) that commented on the sameness of Fourth of July: “…the weather and the menu and the fireworks and the friends and family you celebrate with.” Pacific Partnership personnel, and many of the crew of the USNS Byrd, celebrated a very different Fourth of July. To be sure, there were elements of tradition: a softball game between U.S. Peace Corps volunteers and PP09 personnel, a menu of hot dogs and barbecued chicken, sparklers for everyone who wanted one. The American Embassy, as in hundreds of other locations around the globe, planned and hosted the celebration. Entirely by chance, an American couple from Florida who had been visiting the Robert Louis Stevenson memorial on a beautiful hillside in Apia, wandered into the gathering, which was held at the mansion (now a museum) of the famous author. They marveled at this Fourth of July, unlike any they had ever attended.

The Samoan Head of State joined us but went out of his way to keep the party very informal. The printed programs contained the Declaration of Independence, translated by a local professor into the Samoan language. Miss Samoa 2009 and her sister sang the national anthem. American Charge’ d’Affaires Robin L. Yeager read messages from President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton. A brass and percussion quintet from the Pacific Fleet Band offered rousing renditions of New Orleans classics. It rained off and on, but no one noticed. Everyone was having a great time celebrating the American National Day.

There were at least ten different countries represented at our celebration, and I was struck by how much they knew about our nation, and our leaders, and how fascinated many of the Samoans were with some of the phrases of our Declaration of Independence, translated into their own language. Many of them also expressed their appreciation for the Pacific Partnership mission and are looking forward to the coming week, when both engineering and medical efforts will focus on the National Hospital in Apia. It was a very special Independence Day -- for all of us.

Read Tom Weinz's previous entry from Samoa or his next entry about the vessels that have carried the Pacific Partnership missions.

Conserving Indonesia’s Tropical Forests

2009-07-06T18:21:23+00:00
About the Authors: Tristram D. Perry serves as a Public Diplomacy Officer and Machut Shishak as the Environment, Science, Technology and Health (ESTH) Officer at U.S. Embassy Jakarta.

The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Indonesia, Conservation International and Yayasan Keanekaragaman Hayati Indonesia (KEHATI) announced on June 30 that they have concluded the largest debt-for-nature swap under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) since its passage in 1998. The agreements will reduce Indonesia’s debt payments to the United States by nearly $30 million over the next eight years. In return, the Government of Indonesia has committed these funds to support grants to protect and restore the country’s tropical forests. Grants provided under the TFCA program will support activities such as conserving protected areas, improving natural resource management, and supporting the development of sustainable livelihoods for communities that rely on forests.

Indonesia is one of the most biologically-diverse countries on earth. Funds generated by this program will help Indonesia protect several forest areas on Sumatra, Indonesia’s second largest island. These forests are home to species found only in Indonesia, including the endangered Sumatran tiger, elephant, rhino, and orangutan. In addition, these forests provide important ecosystem services such as maintaining the quality and quantity of freshwater supplies and carbon sequestration.

Related Entry: Shark Dive Highlights Indonesia's Underwater Biodiversity.

We the People…

2009-07-03T20:46:23+00:00
Secretary Clinton's 4th of July Message

About the Author: Evelyn Boettcher serves as a Public Affairs Section Intern at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

The July 4th Reception was held on June 26, 2009; it was the first such celebration at Embassy Beijing's new compound, which opened last summer. This year’s celebration focused on showcasing the diversity of American life with the theme: "We the People of the United States."

Route 66 style road signs led more than 700 guests on a road trip across America highlighting four distinct regional cuisines and cultures. The embassy's atrium hosted the "New Orleans Gumbo Shop," where guests sampled traditional gumbo while listening to contemporary American music ranging from Frank Sinatra to Aaron Copland. A "California Wine Tasting Lounge" offered samples of six California wines as jazz music from the State Department’s “The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” CD played softly in the background. The Cherry Garden of the embassy was transformed into "Coney Island Carnival" -- bringing the legendary New York area to the international guests. Kansas City barbeque came hot off the grill outside on our embassy patio with live music from the Woodie Alan Blues Band. A highlight of the afternoon occurred when Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Bill Weinstein joined the band onstage with his harmonica.

The official program featured the embassy’s Marine Security Detachment presenting the colors and Chinese and American national anthems being performed a capella by the Beijing Playhouse Choir. With the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun standing just a few feet away, Charge d’ Affairs Dan Piccuta first introduced Secretary Clinton who spoke to us via videotaped message. Charge Piccuta reminded everyone in the soaring atrium of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing of the democratic principles upon which our nation was founded. He emphasized the ideal that forms the basis of our democracy: the fundamental value of a government elected by and for the people. Piccuta said that in the history of our country, our ideals of freedom of speech, thought and action were at one time denied to many citizens based on their race or gender. But what makes America great, Piccuta said, is that Americans find the strength to admit when we are wrong and seek to correct mistakes from the past. He toasted the achievements of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by saying that they are symbols of the diversity, strength and freedom that can be found in the United States.

Our embassy also prominently displayed booths commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing and Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. Guests could even pose for pictures on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle painted with an American flag! But despite all the fun that we had, our primary message to visitors was that the United States is built on diversity, strength and freedom. These values written in our Constitution and Bill of Rights --- those of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness --- are the values that "We the People of the United States," here at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, chose to highlight this Fourth of July, 2009.

History Resonates at July Fourth Celebration in Vietnam

2009-07-03T18:38:23+00:00
Secretary Clinton's 4th of July Message

About the Author: Angela Aggeler serves as Assistant Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Just say Fourth of July to many of us in the Foreign Service and our first thought is of an official reception. I immediately imagine standing in the backyard of the Ambassador’s Residence (could be anywhere), heels sinking into rapidly degrading lawn, sweating fiercely (usually), clutching an empty glass and trying to make myself understood in the local language. All to say these events can be, at a minimum, hazardous to one’s wardrobe.

This year seems different though, and I feel quite moved to be here in Vietnam for our Embassy event. For starters it’s in a hotel with air conditioning and good solid flooring. But even more compelling is the grand echo of history reverberating around us. Ambassador Michalak wrote a statement for this year’s Independence Day, invoking what has been called the most famous sentence in the English language: “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Yet in 1852, in a famous Fourth of July speech Frederick Douglass demanded to know what the meaning of Independence Day was for our nation’s slaves. Today, 233 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 157 years after Frederick Douglass’ speech against slavery in the U.S., we have an African American President, who took office in our 43rd peaceful transfer of power of our nations office – watched by millions of people here in Vietnam.

Many Americans are surprised to learn that these moving words were evoked here in Vietnam as well, in 1945 by Ho Chi Minh. Quoting that famous sentence verbatim, he added, “This immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in 1776. In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free.”

It was only 14 years ago this month that President Clinton announced the normalization of bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam - again, reverberations of history: a sad, shared history of tragic loss of beloved life on both sides. And though, as with race in the United States, we have much work ahead of us, there is so much that is good that is moving briskly forward. We are cooperating on education, security, trade, health, climate change, governance and myriad other issues. And at our Independence Day reception, Ambassador Michalak and a Senior Vietnamese Minister will raise a toast to our two countries, with genuine wishes for the prosperity, security and a deepening friendship. Reconciliation is an extraordinary force for change.

Celebrating July Fourth in Jakarta

2009-07-03T14:50:23+00:00

Secretary Clinton’s 4th of July Message

About the Author: Ted Osius serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Arriving in Indonesia a week ago, I’m here in time for our National Day celebrations. Jakarta is booming, with gleaming malls and lots of traffic, and I am busy settling in to my new house, new city and new position at the U.S. Embassy Jakarta.

Sam, our Labrador retriever, just emerged from quarantine and is happy in his new home. My sister Meg’s visit began this week. Meg and I will accompany the Ambassador to Independence Day events here in Jakarta and later in Surabaya (East Java) and Medan (Sumatra).

For a U.S. diplomat, Independence Day overseas is more formal than it is at home. Instead of doing what most Americans do to commemorate the Fourth of July, at embassies worldwide the celebration of our nation’s birth is held inside a large hotel ballroom, without a hot dog, sparkler or beer can in sight.

Often it takes place on a different day than the Fourth. In Jakarta, we held it last night, the 2nd. Embassy staff, foreign dignitaries and VIPs from the host country mingled, while the ambassador spoke about the nature of the bilateral relationship.
Ambassador Hume’s remarks were brief, yet they hit all the right notes. Saying he was humbled by the opportunity to strengthen relations between the world’s second and third largest democracies, he spoke about some of the values Americans and Indonesian share: respect for diversity, religious freedom, and free and fair elections. In fact, Indonesians will exercise their civic duty by voting in their Presidential elections next week.

As the Ambassador welcomed on stage a children’s choir from President Barack Obama’s former elementary school in Jakarta, our guests shared a moment of hometown pride in our new president, who grew up just down the street from my new house in Menteng. My neighbors love the fact that President Obama enjoys eating nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) just as much as he does Five Guys’ hamburgers.

Secretary Clinton, visiting Jakarta in February, underscored the U.S. commitment to Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Since then, we’ve seen swift progress in building a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia.

In April, the U.S. Export-Import Bank approved over $1 billion in financing for Indonesian airlines to upgrade passenger fleets, improve aviation safety and increase their business. In May, the United States sent a large delegation of top scientists, technology experts, as well as officials to the World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Manado. In early June, Secretary Clinton announced $10 million for higher education funding for Indonesia, including projects for English language teaching and encouraging U.S.-Indonesia educational links.

And just this week, our governments agreed to redirect $30 million dollars of debt to protect Sumatra’s tropical forests. These are the kinds of projects which reflect the strong partnership our two countries are building.

Although I’ve just arrived here, it’s clear that U.S.-Indonesian relations are surging, and I’m happy to be here to help catch the wave.

U.S. Embassy Tokyo Celebrates Independence Day

2009-07-03T04:28:23+00:00
Secretary Clinton's 4th of July Message

About the Author: Lori Shoemaker serves as the Assistant Press Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Enjoying great food is often a part of Independence Day celebrations in the United States, and it was certainly a part of our embassy’s Independence Day celebration in Tokyo, Japan, which is a competitive culinary market. Japanese today enjoy one of the highest quality food supplies and food cultures in the world, with Tokyo restaurants sporting 227 Michelin stars.

We offered our Japanese guests a wide spectrum of American foods, which this year included a special menu inspired by the First Family’s garden on the South Lawn of the White House. Some well-known figures in the world of cuisine were involved in the menu. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who was named by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Japan office as “Honorary U.S. Food Ambassador to Japan” in recognition of his unique ability to create a special connection between American and Japanese cuisine, unveiled in advance of the event several new Independence Day menu items, including Alaskan Crab and California Rice Salad and California Green Gazpacho. At the Independence Day reception itself, Iron Chef expert commentator Yukio Hattori participated in a tasting of the menu with our Chargé James P. Zumwalt. (Chargé Zumwalt, by the way, has his own blog on our embassy website.)

The United States is foremost among reliable foreign suppliers to Japan, which imports about 60 percent of its caloric needs. Japanese companies have invested in American agriculture and purchased U.S. agricultural products for over 60 years. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, in partnership with nearly fifty non-profit American food associations in Japan, has been in the lead of bringing what is new and exciting about American food to the Japanese people and fostering our already strong food and agricultural trading relationship.

Our Independence Day celebration also included an inspiring ceremony reaffirming our enduring and productive alliance with Japan, and recognizing the ideals of freedom, justice, and democracy shared by Japanese and American citizens. A popular Japanese-American singer sang both national anthems, the 7th Fleet Band provided great music, and our own embassy Marine Security Guards performed the Color Guard Ceremony, my favorite part of the event.

Nevertheless, on this year’s occasion celebrating America’s birthday, I feel that we best expressed our sincere appreciation to our guests through the delicious food made with American ingredients.

Pacific Partnership Contributes to Samoan Communities

2009-07-02T23:05:23+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09).

Organizations love acronyms, so I had best introduce some of the most important ones right away. The U.S. Navy calls its humanitarian outreach “civic action programs,” or CAPs. By affixing the first few letters of each specialty (engineering, medical, dental, veterinarian), we are blessed with the catchy ENCAP, MEDCAP, DENCAP, VETCAP. There are also “community relations” programs: COMRELs. COMRELs are made up of volunteers, primarily from the ship’s crew, who go out each day and contribute in some way to the local communities. They may play soccer with local children, join a local group of volunteers to clean up a field or participate in some other local program, or help paint a school, hospital ward—whatever might be suggested by community groups. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, I see great similarities in the people-to-people relationships that are formed during Pacific Partnership visits, short term though they be. (By the way, the U.S. Peace Corps has an active program here in Samoa, and some of the volunteers will assist during PP09 with translation and other participation, according to their talents and interests.)

On July 1 (Samoa lies just east of the international date line; at noon in New York, which is 9 a.m. in Seattle, it is 5 a.m. on the same day in Samoa), our anxious crew awoke to rain coming down in sheets. The rain was so heavy that nothing was able to begin according to schedule. Somehow, the engineers, who are not easily deterred from their intended tasks, managed to raise their tents (they will camp at the National Hospital for the entire program, allowing them to work sun-up to sun-down on their ENCAP) and begin renovation of a family hall at the hospital. It is common here for families to provide food for members who are in the hospital, and to spend time with the person who is hospitalized. Although there is a large hall on the hospital grounds for family members to use, it had fallen into serious disrepair over the years. PP09 will completely renovate it during our stay.

A small MEDCAP also got underway today in the town of Lalomanu, in the southeastern part of Upolu. In spite of the downpour, more than 150 patients visited the clinic. I hope to visit that MEDCAP early July 2, and still make it back to Apia in time for the official opening ceremony, which will take place in a large park at the edge of Apia Harbor. The Prime Minister of Samoa will officially welcome PP09; Commodore Andy Cully, who leads PP09, will speak, as will Chargé Robin Yeager, officer in charge of the American Embassy in Apia. So we are very hopeful that the rain will stay at sea for the day.

Read Tom Weinz's previous entry from aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd or his next entry from Samoa.

Pacific Partnership Marks First-Day Success in Samoa

2009-07-01T15:20:23+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009.

The Scottish poet, Robert Burns, noted that our best laid plans “…gang aft agley.” Aye, Robbie, and June 30 was a fine example. The USS Dubuque was originally chosen for Pacific Partnership 2009; it is an amphibious ship with a well deck, which is an internal deck that can hold a landing craft. The landing craft is loaded within Dubuque itself, and is simply floated out to sea when ready. But in May, several Dubuque crewmembers contracted H1N1 flu, and the USNS Richard E. Byrd replaced the Dubuque. Byrd is a cargo ship and uses cranes to lower cargo onto piers or other fixed platforms. But Apia’s pier was busy today, so Byrd had to transfer all the cargo for the mission onto a local ship, the Samoa Express. Imagine two ships in heavy swells, trying to transfer cargo from one to the other without mishap. Thanks to expert seamanship, and a great deal of patience, the Samoa Express reached Apia and offloaded cargo at 6:00 p.m. Our weary crew and drivers then transported everything to National Hospital, where the medical mission will kick off on July 1.

The Samoa Express must now carry all the materials needed for the island of Savai’i (which I erroneously called “smaller” in my previous piece; Savai’i is physically larger, but has a population of about 45,000--approximately a quarter of Upolu’s) overnight on a four to five hour trip to two additional sites. Thanks to a pre-positioned team member waiting on Savai’i, and two intrepid Navy medical personnel willing to ride the Samoa Express all night, we expect to have everything in place and ready to go as scheduled. Yes we can.

In the meantime, volunteers from Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the United States have been arriving via commercial air and picked up by PP09 coordinators. Two fast rubber inflatable boats make the trip from Apia marina to the Byrd hourly until midnight, or later should one of the incoming flights be delayed. So everyone will get to bed a little later than planned tonight, weary from the extra effort required in overcoming unforeseen obstacles, but a wee bit proud to have taken them in stride.

Read Tom Weinz's previous entry from aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd or his next entry from Samoa.

Pacific Partnership 2009 Sets Sail for Samoa

2009-06-29T21:04:23+00:00
About the Author: Tom Weinz is the dedicated Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd for Pacific Partnership 2009.

The annual humanitarian mission, this one known simply as Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP2009), is about to begin. It will commence on the two major (and the one very small) islands of Samoa, which are called Upolu and Savai’i, and will continue across thousands of miles of the Pacific over the next several months, visiting five island nations, ending in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on September 18.

The devastating earthquake-induced tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004, killed more than 200,000 people in 13 countries, more than 128,000 in Indonesia alone. The United States Navy responded forcefully to that disaster, both with ships in the area immediately following the tragedy, and later by sending the large hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, to help assist some of the tens of thousands of Indonesians affected by the destructive flooding and its aftermath. Out of the experience of that event, Pacific Partnership was born. The USNS Mercy conducted five-nation humanitarian missions in 2006 and 2008; the USS Peleliu undertook a similar mission in 2007. The USNS Richard E. Byrd was selected for PP2009.

As I write this, the Byrd is approaching the smaller Samoan island of Savai’i, carrying 110 doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, engineers and support personnel. U.S. Navy personnel are in the majority, but there is a substantial number of participants from partner nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other U.S. and international government agencies. Others will arrive by air over the next two days, as will several U.S. Navy planes carrying additional personnel and materials; a ten-person advance team has been here in Samoa working with the U.S. embassy and local officials since June 3. Our small American embassy in Apia, the capital, has played a major role in the preparations, from issuance of the initial diplomatic note of request to the Samoan government, to providing local expertise and contacts within the pertinent ministries.

The Byrd carries two helicopters and a number of small boats. In addition, local boats, trucks, cars, ferries, and volunteers will be utilized to move everything and everyone necessary to carry out the medical programs and engineering renovations (primarily to schools and hospitals) that will work in pre-selected sites on both islands over the next ten days. (A one-day medical program, and another one-day engineering program will be carried out on the tiny island of Apolima, which lies between the two major islands.) As of this moment, all of us who have been working on this mission for a very long time are ready to move everything into place for Day One of PP09 on site: June 30 at the National Hospital in Apia.

Read Tom Weinz's next entry from aboard the USNS Richard E. Byrd.

U.S. Embassy Manila Highlights Wildlife Rescue

2009-06-15T17:59:20+00:00
About the Author: Caron De Mars serves as U.S. Embassy Manila's Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer.

The Philippine Wildlife Rescue Center was the perfect backdrop for showcasing public service announcements featuring Dr. Jane Goodall and the ideal venue for Filipino youth to learn about the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products on World Environment Day, June 5, 2009. U.S. Embassy Manila invited the Director of the Philippines Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau and a volunteer veterinarian to talk to 50 students about wild animal rescue, care, rehabilitation, and release facilitated by the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center. The students also toured the Wildlife Rescue Center, handled some of the birds and reptiles, and received coloring books on the illegal wildlife trade. We shared copies of the Jane Goodall PSAs with the zoo's volunteers, and they gave the U.S. embassy posters from their anti-wildlife trafficking campaign.

The Philippine Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau owns the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center and uses it as a repository for animals that are rescued from illegal air and sea shipments; wild animals confiscated from private owners; and endangered species sold in local pet stores. Manila is a transit point for illegally traded animals and products and the Rescue Center contains confiscated animals and parts from the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The Center’s volunteer group, MyZoo, helps rescue illegally traded wild animals and aims to release the animals back to their natural habitat. MyZoo educates the public to conserve biodiversity; appreciate endemic species; and improve the image, facilities and programs of different zoos.

Embassy Manila invited students from a non-governmental organization-supported school that educates children from the poorest communities in Manila. The organization provides educational and after-school activities for over 800 children, livelihood projects for teens and adults, and health care and religious services for the entire community. Many of the funds for these programs are generated by selling trash to junk shops, recycling paper and aluminum, and selling handbags and jewelry made from recycled material. Many of these recycled accessories made by the students’ parents were on display and for sale at the Wildlife Center on World Environment Day.

President Obama’s Cairo Speech Inspires Interfaith Dialogue in Tokyo

2009-06-05T19:12:20+00:00
About the Author: James P. Zumwalt serves as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Many of you have seen and heard President Obama’s speech in Cairo about America’s renewed commitment to seek common ground with the Muslim world. I was proud and happy to hear these words, because I share the President’s view that religion can bring people together.

On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo invited ambassadors from countries with major Muslim populations, Japanese politicians, scholars, and journalists to gather over lunch and view the President’s speech. We discussed ways to strengthen our ties to Muslims in Japan. I felt excitement about this important dialogue, which is very much a tradition at our embassy in Tokyo. For example, over the past four years, the embassy has hosted an Iftar celebration during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for Muslim ambassadors in Japan. As a gesture of appreciation, last year these same ambassadors hosted a Christmas party for the U.S. embassy staff.

In his speech, President Obama highlighted the importance of interfaith dialogue, such as service projects in America that bring together Christians, Muslims and Jews as well as Buddhists, Hindus, and people of many other faiths.

Personally, I know the importance of religious freedom. My wife Ann is a Buddhist. Before we married, we attended the Buddhist temple in Washington, DC, so I could learn about Buddhism. She joined me in counseling sessions on marriage with a Protestant minister. We held our wedding ceremony at the Nishi Honganji Buddhist temple in Los Angeles, a special place for my wife, because her uncle had been a priest at the temple, and her brother had been married there. We knew that for our relationship – indeed, for any relationship – to succeed, mutual respect, understanding, and appreciation would be essential.

I’m very interested to hear your thoughts about the President’s speech.

Shark Dive Highlights Indonesia’s Underwater Biodiversity

2009-05-15T16:04:42+00:00
About the Author: Nicholas Throckmorton serves as ASEAN and Regional Economic Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R. Hume dived into a shark tank at Sea World Indonesia to celebrate Earth Day 2009. The Embassy organized a day of environmentally-themed, youth-oriented activities for approximately 100 Indonesian children from several Jakarta public schools and a foundation serving youth with cancer. This year’s celebrations were aimed at calling attention to Indonesia’s unique underwater biodiversity and Indonesia hosting the World Oceanic Conference in Manado and Coral Triangle Initiative Summit, May 11-15, 2009.

U.S. corporations, including Starbucks, General Motors, Coca-Cola, and McDonalds generously sponsored the Embassy’s Earth Day event, providing transportation, books, games and refreshments for the participating children.

U.S. Welcomes UN Security Council Statement on North Korea Launch

2009-04-14T13:34:58+00:00

White House Statement

Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered remarks on North Korea following a Security Council stakeout. Ambassador Rice said:

“[T]he United States is very pleased that the [UN Security] Council today issued a strong, unanimous statement, clearly and unequivocally condemning the launch of April 5; making it plain that that launch was in contravention of Security Council Resolution 1718; and making it clear that any such future launches would also be in contravention or violation existing Security Council resolutions. It clearly demands that there will be no further such launches, and through the mechanism of the existing sanctions regime under 1718 allows for the substantial strengthening and augmentation of that regime.”

Related entry: North Korea’s Missile Launch a Violation.

New Year Celebrations Reflect Hope of New Beginnings

2009-04-13T15:37:58+00:00
Secretary Clinton extended New Year’s greetings to people in Thailand, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia and Bangladesh and to all people everywhere who share in the cultural traditions of these celebrations.

The Secretary said, “All New Year celebrations reflect the hope of new beginnings…[W]e must all stand together to embrace the New Year’s promise of rebirth and renewal. It is our shared hope for the future – our shared dream of a better world for our children – that brings us all together to celebrate our common humanity.”

Read the Secretary’s messages:

Nepali New Year (Bikram Sambat) Message | Thai New Year | Bangla New Year - Pohela Boishakh Message | Lao New Year | Khmer New Year

U.S.-Australia: Shared Security, Shared Prosperity

2009-04-10T02:07:58+00:00

Today Secretary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates met with their Australian counterparts to further the United States-Australia alliance and to discuss global and regional security issues. The talks marked the 24th anniversary of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) and 58 years of strategic partnership under the ANZUS alliance. Secretary Clinton said:

“Today, it’s been a great pleasure to host not only my colleague, Secretary Gates, but also Foreign Minister Smith and Defense Minister Fitzgibbon for this year’s Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations. As President Obama said a few weeks ago when he met with Prime Minister Rudd, there are few countries that have been closer than the United States and Australia. And I think holding this AUSMIN meeting during the Obama Administration’s first 100 days underscores the importance we attach to our alliance and our belief in the strength of our partnership to meet bilateral, regional, and global challenges.

We had a far-reaching discussion that was indicative of the shared values and common approaches we take on many issues. We talked about our cooperation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, how we will intensify our efforts to defeat extremism, strengthen the rule of law, and promote economic development. We look forward to discussing these issues with the international community at the April 17th Pakistan donors conference in Tokyo.

We also discussed Iran and the ongoing efforts of the international community to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. We discussed the important goal of nonproliferation and a world without nuclear weapons, and how we will work together to strengthen the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty regime.

And of course, we talked a lot about Asia. The United States is back engaged more fully in Asia. We need to expand our partnerships in the Asia Pacific region to address a wide range of concerns, from security issues to the economic crisis to climate change. We appreciate the constructive advice of our friends, and we are listening. Our commitment to a more rigorous, persistent engagement with the countries of Asia goes hand in hand with the work we do together with Australia. And our conversation underscored what a valuable partner Australia is in this endeavor, how we can use smart power to achieve shared security and shared prosperity.

The AUSMIN communiqué, which has been agreed upon and distributed, highlights several other outcomes of the meeting today. But let me just conclude by saying what a pleasure it was for me personally to host this important meeting, how very pleased I am with the discussions we had, and how much I’m looking forward to building on our valuable and enduring friendship.”

Through Their Eyes: Views of Refugee Camp Life

2009-04-08T16:49:40+00:00
About the Author: Adam Zerbinopoulos serves as the Deputy Refugee Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.

Last summer, thirteen Burmese ethnic minority refugees were each given a disposable camera and a simple request: document the people, places and events that make up your life. The participants represent the diversity of Mae La, Thailand’s largest refugee camp: they are men and women from different religious and ethnic groups, with different ages and educational backgrounds and different experiences of life outside of camp. Though many had never used a camera before, all produced vivid, engrossing scenes of camp life.

The pictures show people at work and play. There are people studying, worshiping, eating, relaxing and mugging for the camera. Some of the photographers focused on family life; others dwelled on natural scenery and their physical environment. One showed off her weaving and handicrafts while another chronicled his voyage through the process of resettling to the United States. Occasionally the quotidian scenes are punctuated by scars or barbed wire, reminders of difficult realities that are never far from the surface of refugees’ lives.

The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, through implementing partners like the International Rescue Committee and American Refugee Committee, funds a variety of assistance programs benefitting the residents of Mae La and eight other camps along the Thai-Burma border. These programs provide vital food and nutritional support, medical care and other necessities. In addition to this material assistance, resettlement to America has provided a durable solution to tens of thousands who have suffered terrible oppression in their native Burma.

To see more of these remarkable photographs and learn about U.S. humanitarian assistance to refugees and migrants, please visit the photo gallery of Embassy Bangkok’s Refugee and Migration Affairs section.

U.S., New Zealand Sign Arrangement To Combat Nuclear Smuggling

2009-04-07T18:23:40+00:00

Today Secretary Clinton and New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully signed an arrangement for cooperation on nonproliferation assistance. Secretary Clinton said:

“The United States and New Zealand have a long history of partnership, and today we had the opportunity to discuss a broad range of issues. ...[T]he minister and I will be signing an arrangement to combat nuclear smuggling. And I want to thank the minister and his government for their commitment to address this global threat. This is a prime example of how our two countries share a vision and work collaboratively on issues of common concern.”

Read the Secretary and Foreign Minister’s remarks at the signing ceremony of the U.S.-New Zealand Arrangement For Cooperation on Nonproliferation Assistance. This arrangement supports collaborative work between the United States and New Zealand to secure nuclear and radioactive materials that could be used in a nuclear or radiological weapon and to detect and deter illicit trafficking in these materials by improving monitoring capabilities at priority border crossings, airports, and seaports.

North Korea’s Missile Launch A Violation

2009-04-06T17:25:40+00:00
President's Statement | Ambassador Bosworth's Briefing

Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said:

"The United States expressed its strong view that the launch yesterday constituted a clear cut violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718, and it is our view that this action merits a clear and strong response from the United Nations Security Council. We will be embarked on additional consultations with partners in the Security Council as well as allies and concerned parties outside of the Security Council towards obtaining that kind of outcome."

Read the full text of Ambassador Rice's remarks here.

Establishment of U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue

2009-04-02T17:57:40+00:00
President Obama named Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner as Special Representatives to the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Secretary Clinton and Secretary Geithner issued this joint statement:

"We are honored to have been appointed by President Obama as Special Representatives for the United States to the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The Dialogue is a result of an agreement reached between the United States and China by President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao.

The dialogue will focus on addressing the challenges and opportunities that both countries face on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global areas of immediate and long-term strategic interest. Through the Dialogue, and in its strategic and economic tracks, we look forward to pursuing in-depth discussions with our Chinese counterparts to enhance the welfare of the citizens of both countries. We intend to meet once a year in alternate capitals, and we look forward to welcoming the Chinese to the United States for the first round of the Dialogue this summer.

We look forward to working closely with our respective Chinese Co-Chairs, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, as well as our colleagues in President Obama’s Cabinet in promoting U.S.-China cooperation."

U.S., Australia Reaffirm Commitment To Face Challenges Together

2009-03-25T14:25:40+00:00
Secretary Clinton and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered remarks yesterday after their meeting in Washington.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I am delighted that we’ve had the opportunity, first with the President and now here at the State Department, to discuss a range of important issues with the Prime Minister and with his delegation. America doesn’t have a better friend in the world than Australia, a friend through good times and hard times on so many of the historic and difficult challenges that have faced the United States and Australia, both singly and together. And we have reaffirmed out commitment to working closely on the range of difficult problems, but also exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

So, Mr. Prime Minister, again, welcome here to the Benjamin Franklin Room in the State Department.

PRIME MINISTER RUDD: Thank you very much, Secretary of State. It’s good to be back here in the State Department. I’ve been here many times before, and it’s good to be here with you as Secretary of State. We regard you as a genuine friend of Australia, and it’s good to have had this discussion with you.

The Secretary is convening soon a conference in The Hague to galvanize international support for the good people of Afghanistan. This is something which Australia strongly supports. Foreign Minister Smith will be attending. This sort of collaborative effort is important for the future of Afghanistan. It is also further evidence of the strong leadership which we see from the Obama Administration and through the Secretary of State in so many areas of foreign policy.

The only other thing I would say is the Secretary of State’s recent visit to East Asia, I believe, sent a very strong and positive signal to our part of the world about this Administration’s engagement with the Asian Pacific, which will be such a dynamic part of the 21st century.

So, Secretary of State, thank you for hosting me to the State Department today.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Prime Minister. Thank you all.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, one question if you would. The Polish foreign minister was quoted over the weekend with some unusually strong language saying that the Poles had taken considerable risk in agreeing to cooperate in American missile defense plans and that they are waiting on the current Administration’s announcement of its further plans with regard to missile defense and that he hopes that the Polish trust in the Americans was not misplaced. I’m paraphrasing, but it was close to that.

Now given the unusual nature of that language, what can you tell us about whether or not the Poles, to put it colloquially, are being left high and dry?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we have a very long and deep relationship with Poland and with the Polish Government and the Polish people. We are going to continue to consult with them and work through the issues concerning security that are of, you know, great interest to not only the Poles but all Europeans and the United States. As members of NATO, we take seriously our alliance commitments and I’m very confident that we will work through whatever issues lie ahead on any front. And that’s part of what will be discussed at the upcoming NATO summit.

Thank you. Thank you all.

Advancing the Cause of Women Advances Everyone

2009-03-11T21:09:45+00:00
About the Author: Kathleen Stephens serves as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

In celebrating International Women’s Day, I am reminded of Secretary Clinton’s recent visit and the impact she had that day on thousands of young Korean women.

While Secretary Clinton’s visit to Korea from February 19 to 20 was packed with significant events and discussions, the consensus was that the highlight of the visit was the extraordinary conversation the Secretary conducted at a town hall meeting with over three thousand women students at Ewha Womans University.

As one of the top universities in Seoul and the largest female educational institute in the world, Ewha was the perfect place for Secretary Clinton to engage with future women leaders. She began by talking about the centrality of women’s rights not only in promoting human rights but also to foreign and security policy writ large. The Secretary then opened the floor to questions, and there were many. While some in the Western press were nonplussed that many of the Ewha students’ questions were not about foreign policy, I think we were all very interested in the Secretary’s answers.

The sense of shared concerns and shared experience in that huge auditorium was palpable, as Secretary Clinton responded to an array of questions, both professional and private. Several weeks later, both Korean women and men, are still abuzz about Secretary Clinton’s sincere, thoughtful, and personal reflections.

In a country where the emphasis on family is so important, many of the attendees remarked on what a rare opportunity it was to see a more personal side of the Secretary. They appreciated her hard-won wisdom in discussing the challenge of balancing a family with a career. They welcomed hearing about her daughter, her life as the First Lady, and the experiences of her youth. In turn, Secretary Clinton saw firsthand the talent, energy, and ambitions of Korea’s young women.

As we mark International Women’s Day, I think again of how I identified with many of the experiences and feelings the Secretary described last month in Seoul. I respect the accomplishments of women like the Korean National Assemblywomen the Secretary met, Ewha’s President Lee Bae-yong, and Korean astronaut Yi So-Yeon -- women who pushed and still push the envelope (in Yi’s case literally) every day. Their examples show the way toward a future where women’s rights will be so obvious that promoting them will no longer be necessary.

While we laud women’s progress, as Secretary Clinton noted, such progress is not inevitable or inexorable. We still live in a world in which three-fifths of its poorest people are women. Young girls constitute seventy percent of the children who are not in school worldwide. Half a million women die every year in childbirth. In the U.S., as in Korea, as in the rest of the world, we still have some ways to go. I think of what Eleanor Roosevelt said: “It is not enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” We must continue to work together, whether an Ewha student, a National Assembly Member, a Jeju woman diver, an LPGA golfer, an Ambassador in Korea, or a Secretary of State, to advance the cause of women. In so doing, we advance the cause of us all.

Working Mothers Live With Perceptions, Realities

2009-03-11T20:00:45+00:00
About the Author: Donna Welton serves as the Consul General at the U.S. Consulate-General in Sapporo, Japan.

My friends always tease me about the glamorous life of a diplomat. I am sitting here writing on my rather downscale, government-issued computer in my "glamorous" office, surrounded by weeks of papers, a sticky note to remind me to call the only English-speaking piano teacher within four hours of here for my daughter, and a gym bag under my desk (if I keep it underfoot, it will annoy me enough to actually go to the gym, or at least that is the reasoning). I feel anything but glamorous. I feel like a working mother. Which is what I am. Every day you say, "Well, at least I got here. At least I am presentably dressed." And, for the record, I hate making school lunches. Tuna in the morning, horrible.

So, to mark International Women's Week, I decided to play to my strengths.

I was invited some time ago by a group of software and IT professionals to speak to their semi-annual gathering. (When you are Consul General, people like to invite you "to speak." Usually this involves a luncheon at a hotel, everyone eats quickly, and you talk about U.S. policy in the region or the financial crisis while the coffee and dessert are served, quickly, before everyone falls asleep. In Japan this is a real danger because they work late, and they have a very rapidly aging population.) Actually I was invited to speak to the women's group, the stepsisters to the bigger group of male professionals. Japan is not that progressive. The gender wage gap alone is the largest among OECD countries. (If you are interested in the research on this, one good place to take a look is this report.) I do feel strongly about that other half of the population who do not get full opportunity in the world's second largest economy and how this affects Japan's growth and productivity. Not to mention innovation.

I negotiated. I said, "I will talk if both groups attend." They said, "Okay, we will invite the men, too." So I arrived with my speech on the need for family policy, not women's policy, statistics at the ready. We entered into the question and answer period. People shared their stories. We talked a bit about what a consulate does. Many people were curious about President Obama and what he means to the United States. It was a good exchange. Then the guy in the front asked me his question: "Well, you have been divorced twice, does that mean you don't want to get married again?" I could sense my economics specialist, Ms. Baba, going into apoplexy in the back. I said sweetly, "Of course not, I am all for marriage, I was just married to the wrong guys before." Next question? Baba-san was still recovering.

This morning we received an email from one of the participants, one of the women. She works at the largest bank in the region. It really made my day, almost making up for the school lunches. She wrote to Baba-san, "Today after hearing a good speech for a change (laugh), I felt a lot more energized. I am looking forward to the next time we can meet. It will be good to have some stimulating conversation. I am jealous that you get to work for such a glamorous Consul General."

I guess I just have to learn to live with it.

Be True to Yourself

2009-03-11T18:36:45+00:00
About the Author: Nini Forino serves as Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Just recently, Secretary Clinton stopped in Tokyo on her maiden journey as Secretary of State, and I was honored to take part in the planning of her visit. I was there at the town hall meeting with University of Tokyo students, where she told a student that the best advice she could give young women is to “be true to yourself” and to “do what you believe is important and meaningful in your own life.” Three weeks later, I found myself in the company of distinguished Japanese women from different backgrounds who seemed to have taken the Secretary’s advice, living meaningful lives, doing what they believe in.

I met these women at a reception I organized to celebrate International Women’s Day. We invited a select group of Japanese women, many of whom were alumni of the International Visitors Leadership Program, a State Department exchange program. Japanese professional women often find few opportunities to network with other women, and this reception offered them a casual venue not only to share ideas, but also to reconnect with fellow alumni and with the Embassy.

Hosted by the Chargé d'Affaires, Jim Zumwalt, and his wife and fellow Foreign Service Officer, Ann Kambara, the evening was marked with great conversation, good food and new friendships. The highlight was the awarding of the Woman of Courage Certificate to our Embassy nominee, Ms. Nami Takenaka. Instituted in 2007, the Woman of Courage Award is the only Department of State award that pays tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide who courageously champion equal rights in their communities. Ms. Takenaka is a single mother of a physically and mentally disabled child. Against all odds, she not only improved the life of her daughter, but also touched the lives of thousands other physically challenged individuals, through her volunteer work and activism.

To top off what has been a whirlwind of exciting activity this past month, I was invited to speak at a panel of working moms at my 7-year-old daughter’s junior school assembly, also to celebrate International Women’s Day. In response to a question about work-family life balance, I recalled what Secretary Clinton had said at the town hall meeting. She said that one of the pleasures she had in her life was raising her daughter and working at the same time, and that she was fortunate to have been able to do that because she had a supportive spouse. Standing in front of the roomful of young girls, with my daughter and husband watching proudly, I couldn’t help but feel the same way.

Vietnamese Women Navigate Life With Courage

2009-03-11T17:33:45+00:00
About the Author: Angela Aggeler serves as Assistant Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

It takes nerves of steel just to navigate your motorbike through Hanoi’s terrifying traffic scene, let alone struggle to fulfill the accepted role of a woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister while trying to expand your new role as a professional and a career person in this wonderful but tradition-bound country. A couple weeks ago, I interviewed a brilliant young female candidate for one of our exchange programs. This 23 year old law student had lost both parents as an infant and been raised by grandparents who struggled to feed themselves. Through sheer determination and hard work, she received scholarships to an elite high school and then university. She described to me the regularity with which she was told – by family, teachers, colleagues and friends – that women shouldn’t be attorneys. But she was having none of that and had committed herself not only to graduating from one of Vietnam’s top law schools at the head of her class, but working to create more legal aid clinics for the underprivileged.

Women of courage abound here. An extraordinary alumnus of our International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) started the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women, Adolescents (CSAGA.) It’s a cumbersome acronym but an inspiringly efficient and active NGO. CSAGA started Vietnam’s first domestic violence help line and developed a number of programs to support and protect this country’s most vulnerable citizens. As with many countries around the globe, domestic violence is sadly common in Vietnam and crosses all economic and social boundaries. CSAGA was instrumental in pushing the first Vietnamese law ever to combat this scourge, though each day the phones continue to ring on their help line.

So CSAGA’s founder, an active participant in the year-old Vietnam Alumni Association, took advantage of one of the alumni grant opportunities, got a couple other women’s groups together, and drafted a proposal to take this issue further down into the grass roots. The Proposal, which was happily (and unsurprisingly) accepted, includes the organization of a series of provincial workshops and seminars on combating Domestic Violence and – a first for Vietnam – the importance of volunteerism in addressing these issues. The workshops, which started in November 2008 and will continue through this April, will include hundreds of local commune and provincial leaders. The alumni are also working with local television to create a panel discussion on empowering women and protecting all citizens from violence in the home. And there’s a victims’ art exhibition planned, and a new clinic, and more seminars and, as they tell me each time we meet, so much more to do.

In Vietnam, every day is women of courage day.

Marking International Women’s Day in Beijing

2009-03-11T15:30:45+00:00
About the Author: Brooke Spelman serves as a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Whenever I pass through Tiananmen Square I'm awed by how huge and expansive it is, and today was no different. The sun was shining -- rare for a Beijing winter day -- the sky was clear and there were bright, red Chinese flags billowing in the wind as we arrived at the north entrance of the Great Hall of the People.

On Friday, March 6, the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) invited a group of us from the Embassy to attend their annual celebration of women, held every year at China's parliament building, currently hosting the annual session of China's National People's Congress (NPC). As we walked up the grand staircase into the red-carpeted entrance hall, we were joined by groups of women from all around the world, some dressed in national costume, others taking pictures of the magnificent Chinese vases that lined the walls of the hall. We were then led into the reception area and were greeted by ACWF staff who directed us to our table in preparation for the festivities.

The celebration began with a welcome address by Chen Zhili, ACWF President, former State Councilor and Minister of Education, and current vice chairman of standing committee of 11th National People's Congress. Speaking to an audience of 1,600 women (and a few men), she touched on the challenges and opportunities faced by China last year -- the severe snowstorms in South China, the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan Province, the Beijing Olympic Games and the launch of the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft -- and how China will never forget the "unselfish assistance that people and governments worldwide offered" during this time. She expressed pride at the "great headway" that had been made by Chinese women over the past 30 years, during which China had been undergoing reform, and congratulated the ACWF on its 60th birthday. She called for an increased focus on women's rights, gender equality, and for improving the lives and access to jobs and education of women in rural communities.

During her speech I start to think about the messages the Secretary made during her recent trip to Beijing, and about the women's rights themes she evoked in her op-ed piece, which was published in the Chinese media on Monday. She said that "women's rights is not only a continuing moral obligation -- it is also a necessity" as we face the global challenges ahead of us. Only through empowering women can we build "stronger economies, more vibrant civil societies, healthier communities, and greater peace and stability." What a powerful message.

Isn't every day women's day?

Ambiga Sreenevasan: “Gender Equality Is a Responsibility for All Malaysians”

2009-03-09T17:15:45+00:00
About the Author: Ruth Bennett serves as the Public Affairs Advisor for the Office of International Women’s Issues. This entry is one in a series of profiles of the 2009 International Women of Courage Award recipients.

Malaysian Bar Council President Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan is a high-powered, high-profile advocate for good governance, democracy, and human rights.

Elected in March, 2007, Dato’ Ambiga is the second female Bar Council president in that organization’s history. Six months after assuming her leadership, she organized the “March for Justice,” in Malaysia’s administrative capital, calling for judicial reform and investigation of a tape allegedly showing a key lawyer fixing judicial appointments and judges’ case assignments. Her public actions, and an intense lobbying campaign, led to a Royal Commission and a finding of need for corrective action.

Dato’ Ambiga has also consistently supported the rule of law during her tenure, condemning the politically-motivated arrests of two journalists, and the government’s banning of an ethnic Indian activist group and arrest of its members.

Dato’ Ambiga’s most controversial work is in the areas of religious freedom and women’s rights. She has assertively confronted sexism in Parliament, taking her case directly to the public when necessary. “Gender equality is a responsibility of all Malaysians,” she wrote in a press release that protested a politician’s patronizing remarks. She successfully fought to amend Malaysia’s Federal Constitution to ensure that women’s testimony would carry equal weight to men’s in Shari’a courts. She continues to fight for the religious freedom of women who convert to Islam upon marriage. Under current law, these women are not allowed to return to their original religions on dissolution of the marriage, regardless of the reason for its termination.

As a result of her attempts to find legal solutions to issues that continue to generate inter-ethnic tensions and constitutional problems, Dato’Ambiga has received hate mail, death threats, and had a Molotov cocktail thrown at her house. Hundreds of people from religious groups and conservative members of government have protested at the Bar Council building and called for her arrest.

In a country with a potentially volatile religious and ethnic mix, Dato’ Ambiga has courageously persevered in seeking answers from within the rule of law, and worked relentlessly and energetically for that legal and governing structure to be made more transparent, accessible, and equitable to all.

A Visit to the New Forbidden City

2009-02-24T16:09:36+00:00
About the Author: Alexander McLaren serves as a Public Diplomacy Officer at U.S. Embassy Beijing.

Most Americans are familiar with images of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, but few would even recognize the name Zhong Nan Hai, much less know it is the seat of government for the People’s Republic of China. A former imperial enclave just to the west of the Forbidden City, Zhong Nan Hai houses most of the Chinese leadership and the offices of the State Council and the Communist Party. It’s an odd mix of grey brick office buildings and Qing Dynasty palaces set on the shores of two artificial lakes. Access is tightly controlled; there are no tours nor tourists taking pictures. You could drive right by and not even notice it. On Saturday, February 21, as part of Secretary Clinton’s visit to Beijing, I got to go in.

I arrived at the compound an hour before the Secretary did to meet our counterparts from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our job was to escort the press to the photo op of Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Once all Chinese, U.S., and third-country press had arrived and been screened by Chinese security, there was nothing to do but stand in the cold waiting for the Secretary’s motorcade. Still, there was a lot to admire as we waited since the meeting was to be held in the “Purple Light Pavilion,” a Qing Dynasty building decorated with dragons and murals. The trees and lake surrounding us made the setting very peaceful.

Then Secretary Clinton arrived, and the press quickly snapped photos as she shook hands with Premier Wen. We followed them into the small meeting room to listen to the first five minutes of their conversation before my Chinese counterparts and I eased the press outside. We then got the U.S. press pool onto a bus to go photograph the next big meeting.

What was my role? In a major visit, everything is timed down to the last minute. Any number of things can go wrong. Access lists don’t always make it to the right people, which could spell disaster given tightly controlled Chinese government buildings. There might be a last minute change of plans. It’s always important to have American officers who speak Chinese on hand to smooth over problems and keep things running. My goal is to be completely superfluous – which means that all has gone well. But if things go wrong, my presence can make all the difference. As it happens, this time everything went fine. My most important duty was delivering a backpack that one of the traveling press had left on the bus.

Here’s hoping it all goes that smoothly every time.

Secretary Clinton Engages Chinese “Netizens” in Webchat

2009-02-24T14:25:36+00:00
About the Author: Robert Raines serves as the Assistant Information Officer for Electronic Media at U.S. Embassy Beijing.

An intense hush falls over the crowd of technicians, reporters, and embassy staff as the Secretary enters the room. Everyone rushes to their places – pens out, lights on, and cameras focused. I motion to show her the seat. She clips on her own microphone and turns her warm smile to the moderator, a prominent Chinese professor and expert on climate change. The webchat begins.

With nearly 300 million internet users, China just recently surpassed the U.S. as the country with the most internet users – here called “netizens” – in the world. These are the young, professional, educated, rising middle-class of China. They are unflinchingly proud of their country and the tremendous progress it has made over the last thirty years. They are also increasingly anxious – and increasingly able – to learn about and to engage friends and contacts around the world. Despite continued restrictions, the web is their tool to reach beyond boundaries, to network among themselves, and thereby to become the driving force for social, political, and economic development in China.

Engaging audiences like this is what Public Diplomacy (PD) officers live for. We support programs, exchanges, and press events so that we can share and explain, but also so that we can listen, learn and better understand.

Secretary Clinton is the first Secretary of State (in our memory here in the Embassy) to engage Chinese netizens in a webchat. The impact of her doing so – both in terms of substance and form – will be immense. The simple fact that the Secretary took the time to sit down and answer the questions of ordinary Chinese netizens will be seen as a profound gesture of respect and a powerful invitation to further open the doors of engagement between the U.S. and the people of China.

It was a personal – as well as professional – honor to be present for this event. Anyone interested can view the webchat in Chinese or English.

Asia Trip Inspires Current and Future Leaders Alike

2009-02-23T05:02:36+00:00
About the Author: Christopher R. Hill serves as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

We just wrapped up the last event on the last leg of Secretary Clinton's travel to Asian capitals: Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, and now Beijing over a week. We got a lot of business done in our meetings with government leaders, but we also learned a lot during the town halls and roundtables the Secretary held at each stop.

I'll admit that as the father of two daughters (including a Wellesley grad) and as former ambassador in the Republic of Korea, I especially got a kick out of the town hall at Ewha University in Seoul. Thousands of students showed up -- despite the fact that they're on winter break -- to ask the Secretary everything from what her priorities were as Secretary of State to how she's managed to balance the demands of career and family. Korea's future women leaders clearly appreciated her wise counsel on all fronts.

A trip like this can be exhausting, but I'm heading back to Washington inspired by the tremendous energy and excitement we've seen in Asia.

Ancient Chinese Proverb: “Women Hold up Half the Sky”

2009-02-23T00:14:36+00:00
About the Author: Kelley Osterthaler is a Presidential Management Fellow serving for five months overseas at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China.

Today I had the privilege of attending one of the Secretary’s last engagements here at the Embassy in Beijing – the Women Leaders Forum. While it’s always great to be asked to “cover an event” for an “S” visit, this unique roundtable discussion between the Secretary and 22 courageous female leaders will, for me, be a lasting memory of my time at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. I arrived early to escort the women into the Embassy’s auditorium, which was set up “living room” style, with sofas and chairs at the front of the room. I heard a few shrieks of delight from some of the participants as they ran into colleagues and friends. Soon the room was filled with women doctors, lawyers, professors, and NGO founders and board members. I felt truly humbled.

It was clear from the minute she entered the room that Secretary Clinton was among friends. In 1998, when our Secretary was First Lady, she met some of the women leaders on a trip to Beijing. Now, almost eleven years later, Secretary Clinton seemed thrilled to reconnect with her old friends, and make some new friends doing advocacy work in China. One participant was especially pleased to finally meet the Secretary in person, as she had tried to do so in Washington, D.C. when receiving her 2007 Vital Voices award, but couldn’t. Instead, she went to Madame Tussauds D.C. and got her picture with “the Secretary” there.

A candid 25 minute discussion on women’s progress in education, healthcare, legal rights, and political participation in China followed this warm opening. Many of the women shared their personal stories of how they got interested in their topics, which ranged from HIV/AIDS advocacy work, to rural women’s issues and gender equality, to energy and climate change. A few of them went as far as to describe the difficulties they have trying to work in a country where open discussion on these issues is not always welcome.

Secretary Clinton mentioned the recently passed Lilly Ledbetter Act to highlight that the U.S. is still working on women’s equality issues. The Secretary shared her view that change comes from millions of little decisions made by courageous individuals, and said that they should not get discouraged about their own capacity to overcome obstacles that stand in their way. In the end, the resounding message from the women to Secretary Clinton was, “We hope you come back.” I have no doubt she will.

Secretary Clinton Tours Taiyanggong Gas-Fired Plant

2009-02-21T16:02:36+00:00
About the author: Ingrid Larson serves as the Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China.

We were all very excited when Secretary Clinton decided to meet with a group of students at the Taiyanggong power plant. Reaching out to young audiences and students is an important part of a diplomat's work, and the key message on this trip is to emphasize our commitment to clean energy and our recognition that the U.S.A. and China will need to work together to create a sustainable energy future.

The students and experts who participated in the event today are from China's leading environmental and clean energy research institutions. They were very honored to have a role in Secretary Clinton's first visit to China and that their work was being acknowledged in such a public way. The excitement in the room was palpable as the group was waiting for the Secretary and Todd Stern, Special Envoy on Climate Change, to arrive. While we were waiting for the Secretary to finish her tour of the power plant, the students were deciding who would get to ask the first question... They were nervous, but looking forward to a frank conversation with the U.S.A.'s new Secretary of State.

In case our blog readers would like to know a bit more about the power plant and why it is so important, here is some information:

The one-year old Taiyanggong gas-fired plant is an efficient, low-emission power and heat generation project that uses U.S. high-technology equipment -- General Electric (GE) generators and advanced super-critical gas turbines. Taiyanggong is the first power and heat cogeneration plant in China. The power plant produces heat and power with half the emissions and 1/3 the water usage of an equivalent coal plant in China. This plant, and projects like it, draw on the rich resources of both U.S. and Chinese ingenuity, lead to jobs in both countries, and significantly limit our impact on the environment. Taiyanggong is representative of the fact that economic and job growth can go hand-in-hand with pollution reduction and increased energy efficiency.

Secretary Clinton Arrives in Beijing

2009-02-20T20:05:36+00:00
About the Author: Ben Moeling serves as the Deputy Political Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China and Overall Control Officer for Secretary Clinton's Visit.

Secretary Clinton arrived in Beijing on a cold February night after a full day in Korea. Two senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were on hand to greet her officially, but hundreds of millions of Chinese people were also eagerly tuned in. The Secretary, or "Xi-la-li" as everyone in China refers to her with a tone both of familiarity and respect, is famous in China. Speculation about her visit has been intense. Almost every Embassy officer, from vice consuls to the Charge d'Affaires, has received inquiries about her upcoming visit. Our Political, Economic, and Environment, Science, Technology and Health sections have been working for weeks with our Chinese counterparts on the arrangements. Finally, it's game day. The Embassy is ready. Press from all over the world have gathered. The Chinese government is giving her an exceptionally warm welcome, and tomorrow she will meet with the President, Premier, State Councilor and Foreign Minister.

The warm response to Secretary Clinton's first trip to China is literally overwhelming. Already, we've had to improvise. Our carefully arranged plan for her to meet the staff and families of U.S. Embassy employees had to be scrapped just yesterday because the number of RSVPs shot past the maximum occupancy of the venue we'd selected for the event. Despite the fact that the Secretary's only available window is late on a Saturday afternoon, 430 people have already said they plan to come back to the office to see her.

I have noticed an incredible energy in the team that has come together to plan and execute this visit. This is not my first "S visit," and I am used to working with dedicated and professional colleagues, but this is somehow different. Everyone is so deeply invested in the success of this visit, no matter how big his or her job. Dozens of people have come up to me and volunteered to assist. I am excited, proud (and a little awed) to be part of it myself. Tomorrow is going to be a big day in U.S.-China relations.

Goose Bumps and Moist Eyes…

2009-02-20T17:50:36+00:00
About the Author: Dan Piccuta serves as the Charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China.

Goose bumps and moist eyes -- I know to expect both.

As I prepare to head out to Beijing Airport on this cold Friday evening, I am getting a familiar feeling. I am beginning to anticipate "the moment" of each visit that has always been particularly special for me.

In a few hours, Secretary Clinton will arrive in China, on her first trip as Secretary of State. As I prepare to join the motorcade forming at the airport, I can't help but think of how often I've done this before -- how I have stood watch on runways from Venice to Pyongyang, from Key West to Moscow -- waiting on the U.S. Air Force Boeing 757 "blue and white" that carries Secretaries of State on their travels. "Blue and white" because the Secretary's aircraft has the same light blue and white markings as the more familiar Air Force One. To us in the State Department that 757 is known simply as "the plane."

At the airport, I will link up with the Secretary's advance party, security detail and Embassy staff and will congratulate them on their hard work in preparing for the visit. I will compliment the high-level Chinese government officials who have led the trip planning on their side, and who with me will welcome Secretary Clinton. They will be the first Chinese representatives to shake the Secretary's hand in her new job as America's top diplomat. With the visit planning behind us, and the Secretary's meetings and public events still to come, those moments on the tarmac anticipating the arrival of the Secretary are usually quiet, eerily empty of activity and in stark contrast to the frenetic pace of the pre-arrival preparations.

As the plane enters Beijing's airspace, we will get the signal to move from the terminal out into position, and we will search the night sky for the running lights of our Secretary's blue and white. And when it appears, an American flag on its tail, so too will special emotions. Every time I see "the plane" descending onto a foreign runway I am filled with an odd combination of pride and humility. I am always moved by the display of American prestige in the form of the Air Force "blue and white" and, amidst the dozens of ground personnel, security agents, media and staff taking up their positions, I always reflect on the fact that I am privileged to be in the service of the country I love and the cause of furthering peace, security and friendship. And, as has happened on every other such arrival, once again they will appear -- goose bumps and moist eyes.

Preparing for Secretary Clinton’s Visit: From the Advance Team to Wheels-Up

2009-02-20T13:43:36+00:00
About the Author: Ben Moeling serves as the Deputy Political Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China and Overall Control Officer for Secretary Clinton's Visit.

Related Entry: "U.S. Embassy in China Prepares for Secretary Clinton Visit" by U.S. Charge d'affaires in Beijing Dan Piccuta.

As I ride my Chinese bike into work, the way I do most days, I'm thinking about a hundred details related to the Secretary's visit. The arrival of the advance team was pushed up by three days, which is good in that it allows more time to plan together but bad because Embassy Beijing likes to have things squared away before the advance arrives. It's a point of pride, and now they're going to see us before we have a chance to get "cleaned up for company."

With plenty of time before "S" arrives, we are doing pretty well. We have a well-developed schedule, the Secretary's vision for the trip is clear to everyone involved, and the Chinese government is as motivated as we are to make the visit a success. I'm optimistic about the overall picture, but still concerned about the details -- which I should be, because looking after them is my job. In particular, I am worried about synchronizing all events. We have some of the U.S. government's best and brightest working on those separate but interconnected parts of the visit, so I am confident we'll succeed.

I pull up to the garage entrance. The Charge[d'affaires] gives me a shout as he gets of his car, and we walk into the Embassy together. This gives me a chance to brief him on the calls I got from Washington the previous evening and that morning. We plan an all-hands countdown meeting for the afternoon, and he reminds me we need to think about the "wheels-up" party we're going to throw after the Secretary's departure to thank all the people who worked so hard on the visit. Great point.

Secretary Clinton’s Successful Indonesia Visit

2009-02-20T09:42:36+00:00
About the Author: Cameron R. Hume serves as U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia.

This is the rainy season in Jakarta, and U.S. Secretary of State Clinton has just taken the city by storm. Fortunately, the rain held off until just after her plane had departed and she had completed a highly successful two-day visit.

The Secretary's visit to Indonesia -- the world's third-largest democracy, the most populous Muslim majority country and an important developing Southeast Asian power -- was significant. It was the new Secretary's first overseas trip, and the U.S. Embassy and the people and Government of Indonesia were honored to host her.

Strategically, she choose to recognize the growing importance of Asia to the U.S. in the 21st Century by making her first official visit to this part of the world and including Indonesia among her four stops. The visit demonstrated clear U.S. interest in developing our already strong relationship with Indonesia into a long-term partnership based on shared values.

It was her first trip to the country since she visited as First Lady in 1994, and it was clear from the minute she landed in Jakarta that she was eager to see and learn how the country has progressed. As hosts, we and our Indonesian friends were delighted to show her how and why we consider Indonesia's democratic transformation to be among the world's great success stories.

Despite a tight schedule, Secretary Clinton made time to exchange views with both senior government officials and a good cross-section of representatives of Indonesia's vibrant civil society. Also, she visited ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan at the regional organization's headquarters and underscored U.S. commitment to the region and appreciation of Indonesia's leadership role in ASEAN. (Indonesia constitutes more than 40 percent of ASEAN's population.)

Unusual for visiting officials, the Secretary reached out to meet some ordinary Indonesian citizens. For example, she appeared on "Dahsyat "("Awesome"), a popular, youth-oriented TV variety show and discussed everything from U.S. policy towards the Middle East to her preferences in music (she likes the Beatles and the Rolling Stones plus classical music), and even tried to master a phrase in the Indonesian language.

She also exchanged views with seven Indonesian reporters who covered the recent Presidential elections in the U.S. They seemed fascinated with her explanation of how she could work for President Obama after campaigning against him the Democratic primary. She said after a hard-fought election in any democracy, the candidates have a responsibility to pull together and work for good governance and the betterment of the nation. She also talked about the need for more cooperation in higher education and for more exchange programs. Several times, including in public remarks at a dinner with civil society leaders, she said that we need to establish linkages between U.S. and Indonesian universities.

Her schedule also included a walk around Jakarta's North Petojo neighborhood, where she talked with local residents about their efforts to maintain a healthy environment. She saw firsthand how USAID and community partnerships collaborate on a number of environmental and maternal and child health programs to give people things like safe drinking water and community-based waste management.

On several occasions during her Jakarta visit, she mentioned how President Obama values his experience as a child growing up in Jakarta. She said she enjoyed meeting the 40 students who came out to the airport to help welcome her with a song. The students all attend the same central Jakarta public primary school that President Obama attended when he lived in Jakarta with his American mother and his Indonesian step-father.

As Ambassador, the most important part of the Secretary's visit for me was her substantive meetings with both President Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Wirajuda. In these important sessions, she discussed the two countries' intentions to develop a "comprehensive partnership". She understood that the world economic crisis and other challenges create an opportunity for deeper cooperation and the promotion of shared interests bilaterally, regionally and globally.

One of her clear messages was that the U.S cannot deal with the world's problems alone and wants to work more closely with Indonesia to advance the interests of both countries in a brand range of sectors. She said these included democracy, education, environment, trade and investment, counterterrorism and regional security. She emphasized that our two countries share many common values, including democracy, and noted that the world could benefit from seeing how Indonesia has successfully combined democracy, Islam, modernity and women's rights.

All in all, the visit was a diplomatic success. One Jakarta daily summarized the trip succinctly with this headline and a photo of the Secretary with school children splashed across the entire front page: "Clinton says U.S. is Ready to Listen." After this visit, our two countries, indeed, seemed ready to work more closely together.

U.S. Embassy in China Prepares for Secretary Clinton Visit

2009-02-19T22:08:36+00:00
About the Author: Dan Piccuta serves as the Charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China.

Related Entry: "Preparing for Secretary Clinton's Visit: From the Advance Team to Wheels-Up" by Deputy Political Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing Ben Moeling.

Arriving at work the other day I could not help but notice ahead a foreigner merrily pedaling his local Chinese bicycle (Flying Pigeon brand) into the U.S. Embassy compound just ahead of me. I laugh as I realize the foreigner arriving on the "bike of the masses" is our American SecState visit's Overall Control Officer, Ben Moeling.

For those not familiar with how high level visits are organized, beneath the Chief of Mission (me) and his Deputy, the one person most responsible for every aspect of a visit's planning and preparation is the Overall Control Officer. And, this being Secretary Clinton's first trip as Secretary, and first visit in that capacity to China, we are approaching every site and event with fresh eyes -- meaning more preparation, more details, and more effort. Ben probably has over 100 American and Chinese employees working on preparations of every aspect of the visit from the airport arrival to the tour of a highly-efficient natural gas-fired power plant.

So my first reaction is amusement as I consider the irony of the American officer (of 350 assigned here) with the biggest role and the most to do that day calmly pedaling his bike a few kilometers to work. And then another thought comes to me: how appropriate that for a trip on which we hope climate cooperation, energy efficiency and the environment will be key themes, the American officer charged to prepare the visit is doing his part with a "green" morning commute by bike.

Secretary Clinton’s Indonesian TV Show Appearance Simply “Awesome”

2009-02-19T16:58:36+00:00
About the Author: Tristram Perry serves as the Public Diplomacy Officer covering broadcast media at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Watch the "Dahsyat" interview on YouTube.

It's an hour before show time, and I'm backstage at the "Dahsyat" ("Awesome") studio in the Four Seasons Hotel, talking to supermodel, actress and host Luna Maya. "I'm so nervous!" she exclaims. It's not every day that the host of the highest-rated youth TV show in Indonesia is jittery about interviewing a guest. But then again, Secretary Hillary Clinton is no ordinary guest. Used to chatting and joking with famous actors, singers and other celebrities, the idea of talking to the 67th U.S. Secretary of State leaves Maya and her co-host, news anchor Isyana Bagoes Oka, visibly shaken.

I try to reassure them, but it's our Information Assistant Dian Agustin, who points out the irony of someone so famous being so star-struck. Both co-hosts laugh at this and visibly relax. Even so, there's an air of tension and excitement and everyone from the stage crew to the station executives are anticipating Secretary Clinton's arrival on set.

A daily celebrity- and music-focused variety and talk show, "Dahsyat" draws millions of viewers and is very popular with youth, enjoying many times more viewers than even the number-one national news program in Indonesia. Broadcast live on top-rated national TV station RCTI, the program is a mixture between the Tyra Banks Show and MTV, featuring celebrity guests and performances by major Indonesian recording artists.

Suddenly, we get the signal, and everyone snaps to attention. Secretary Clinton enters the room a few moments later and I introduce her to Luna and Isyana. The Secretary greets everyone and walks around the set, shaking hands, warmly greeting the crew and posing for dozens of photos before putting on her lapel microphone. The co-hosts take the stage, to introduce their special guest. The music swells, and right on-cue, Secretary Clinton walks on as the audience applauds.

Questions alternate from policy to personal, with Isyana tackling Gaza and U.S. relations with the Muslim world, while Luna is more interested in Secretary Clinton's taste in music. "When I work, I listen to classical music, because I find it very soothing," said Secretary Clinton, "but I am someone who loves the music of my youth...for me it's the old standbys, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones..." and the entire studio -- including crew -- erupts into cheering and clapping. Later in the program, Secretary Clinton discusses the situation in Palestine, pointing out that "President Obama and I have promised that the United States will get re-engaged in trying to help in the Middle East," and cites Special Envoy Mitchell's appointment and her upcoming trip to Cairo as examples of their renewed efforts.

Soon, the interview ends, and the Secretary thanks her hosts and departs the studio, pausing for a round of photos and even signing a book for a fan. The studio crew is euphoric, and the crew begin congratulating each other. They can't believe that the Secretary is so friendly in person, and how well she connected with the young people in the audience. Later in the car back to the embassy, my phone buzzes with dozens of text messages from friends and colleagues who saw the show, remarking on how good the interview was, and wishing our two countries continued good relations.

Not Your Average Walk Around The Block!

2009-02-19T16:30:36+00:00
About the Author: Jason P. Rebholz serves as the Assistant Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

I just returned to the office from the last stop on Secretary Clinton's two-day trip to Indonesia -- a visit to a neighborhood called Petojo Utara (North Petojo) in Jakarta. This neighborhood is home to about 3,000 residents and has undergone a dramatic change in the past few years. USAID, in partnership with NGOs and private sector partners, has worked with the residents to help resolve the issues that matter most to them, such as sanitation, clean water, and maternal health.

During her walk around the neighborhood, Secretary Clinton learned how community members utilize used materials, such as plastic bags and bottles, to make handicrafts, such as handbags, wallets, and cell phone holders. The Secretary spoke with the residents who made the bags and they demonstrated for her how they carefully fold the plastic and weave it together. It was really amazing; many of these pieces look like artwork. As one of my colleagues put it -- these bags look like they were inspired by Andy Warhol, with real laundry detergent packages.

In addition to the micro-finance and small business taking place in the community, Secretary Clinton was able to see first-hand how the residents are working together to keep their community safe and clean. She was really impressed by the commitment the community has to the environment. The residents have planted trees and plants and use composting to improve their neighborhood, making it a more comfortable place to live. The residents are committed to living as "green" as possible -- they ensure that waste water is cleaned before it enters the nearby stream and reuse as much waste material as possible, reducing the amount of trash in their community. They even use bio-gas for cooking.

While walking through the neighborhood, Secretary Clinton stopped at the home of a pregnant woman. The woman explained to the Secretary that she was able to receive prenatal health care and has a lot of support from the community. She shared her very personal story with Secretary Clinton; for me, this woman is emblematic of all Indonesians. As a foreigner living in Indonesia, I have been amazed by the hospitality and kindness of Indonesian citizens. They are always friendly and open, welcoming guests as family.

Secretary Clinton was treated to famous Indonesian hospitality during her stop in Petojo Utara today. The whole community was thrilled by her visit and welcomed her with open arms. They all waved and said hello to her; everyone wanted to have a chance to meet Secretary Clinton and take a picture with her. The streets were so crowded with people -- it was amazing. She couldn't have received a warmer welcome.

From Secretary Clinton's expression, it was clear to me that visiting Petojo Utara and meeting residents there was the highlight of her visit to Indonesia. As she continues her visit to Asia and then returns home, I know that she'll fondly remember all the people cheering her as she walked through the streets of Petojo Utara this afternoon.

Students Welcome Secretary Clinton to Jakarta

2009-02-18T13:58:36+00:00
About the Author: Michele Cenzer serves as Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Jakarta.

Today a colleague and I took a 43 student choir, their principal, vice principal, and two teachers to the airport to welcome the Secretary of State to Indonesia. They all come from an elementary school, Menteng Elementary School 1, that President Obama attended when he lived in Indonesia. Ever since the President’s inauguration, when the school hosted a congratulatory celebration, the students have been excited. Today they were both excited and nervous.

Working a visit like this means having to think about a lot of little details. We made sure to eat lunch along the way—it was going to be a long day. I brought on-the-go stain remover just in case; you never know when hot sauce might land in the middle of a kid’s shirt. Luckily, everything went great, especially since the kids were dressed in beautiful traditional green batik.

First things first, we took the kids off the bus and straight to the restroom. There would be no time for last minute breaks when the Secretary arrived. Then, we waited around for awhile during last minute security checks. When they were done, we tested the sound system. Everything worked. The weather was hot and humid, so we went to the VIP lounge to test our rainy day scenario and take a break.

Before the Secretary arrived we all got in place, trying to stay calm. The plane landed and people started getting off the plane. The press were gathered behind stanchions. The Secretary descended from the plane and met the Ambassador, his daughter, and several Indonesian VIPs. After the formal greetings, she came straight to get beautiful flowers from two of the students, Kei and Sheila. Secretary Clinton then headed to the choir. This was their moment. The children sang a beautiful traditional song, ending with them waving both the American and Indonesian flags. The Secretary chatted briefly with several of the children and had her picture taken with them. And then she walked to her waiting car, got in, and drove off to her first meeting. What an amazing time!

A Glimpse of Secretary Clinton’s Tokyo Visit

2009-02-17T20:02:36+00:00
About the Author: Lori Shoemaker serves as Assistant Press Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. You may also read Secretary Clinton's blog entry from Japan.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Tokyo the evening of February 16 on her much-anticipated first trip abroad as Secretary, to reassert our commitment to our allies and partners in Asia and discuss common approaches to the challenges facing the international community. In her arrival ceremony Monday night, she met Japanese female astronauts and members of Japan’s Special Olympics team. On Tuesday, she started the day with an early-morning visit to the Meiji Shrine, one of my favorite spots in Tokyo. Walking under the Meiji Shrine’s majestic tall trees and historic torii (traditional wooden gates), you can leave the concrete, glass, and steel of modern Tokyo behind for a moment and feel a real sense of traditional Japanese culture.

Next Secretary Clinton stopped by the U.S. Embassy to meet and greet embassy employees and their families, expressing appreciation for our work preparing for her visit and in representing the United States abroad. Although I had to miss the “meet and greet” because I was already working at the Secretary’s next stop, Iikura Guest House, her close attention and willingness to listen to embassy staff meant a great deal to all of us.

Iikura Guest House is a beautifully-appointed Foreign Ministry building with a large reception hall, meeting rooms, and dining room. Secretary Clinton came to Tokyo to meet with senior Japanese officials for discussions on the strategic bilateral alliance and cooperation with Japan on regional and global issues such as the financial markets turmoil, humanitarian issues, and security and climate change. At Iikura House, the Secretary had a meeting and working lunch with Foreign Minister Nakasone and then together they addressed and took questions from a group of more than 100 journalists, including camera crews, assembled in the hall. My own role was to work out arrangements at the site for the traveling press which accompany the Secretary. After her meeting with Defense Minister Hamada and then a few moments with Ambassador Ogata, the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Secretary returned to the U.S. Embassy to meet with family members of Japanese citizens who were abducted to North Korea, an issue to which she attaches great importance.

The Secretary then held a busy round of interviews with ABC, CBS and NBC in the embassy’s small television studio, before proceeding to the Imperial Residence, where, as a former First Lady, she was received by Empress Michiko. (In 1994, President and Mrs. Clinton held a state dinner in honor of the Emperor and Empress.) After tea with the Empress, the Secretary returned to her hotel to continue interviews, on-camera with two Japanese broadcasters, and then with two Japanese newspapers. (My job involved setting these up.)

The Secretary’s schedule was tight, timed down to the minute, and next she was whisked off to Tokyo University for a “Town Hall” meeting with Japanese college students. My colleagues told me that Secretary Clinton was in her element at the college “Town Hall,” warmly greeting individual students after answering a wide range of their questions. (If you have a question for the Secretary, you may ask her one yourself online.) Since I wasn’t at the "Town Hall," look for more about it later.

From Tokyo University, the Secretary proceeded to a meeting and working dinner with Prime Minister Aso, where I am sure that both the conversation and the cuisine were high-level. She then had a meeting with opposition party leader Ozawa, before the end of her long day’s schedule.

As a mid-level press officer not at the Prime Minister’s dinner, I enjoyed a “conbini obento” (box lunch from a convenience store) back at the office while finishing up assigned tasks, including this blog, in order to rush home to see my (sleeping) children. I’m sure that our Secretary, as a hard-working mother and professional for many years, would understand.

Secretary Clinton’s NBC Interview From Tokyo

2009-02-17T15:56:36+00:00
This morning, Secretary Clinton appeared from Tokyo on all three network morning news shows: ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show and NBC’s Today Show. Watch her NBC interview here.

Secretary Clinton’s CBS Interview From Tokyo

2009-02-17T15:55:36+00:00
This morning, Secretary Clinton appeared from Tokyo on all three network morning news shows: ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show and NBC’s Today Show. Watch her CBS interview here.

Secretary Clinton’s ABC Interview From Tokyo

2009-02-17T15:54:36+00:00
This morning, Secretary Clinton appeared from Tokyo on all three network morning news shows: ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show and NBC’s Today Show. Watch her ABC interview here.

Secretary Clinton: U.S. Strengthens Pacific Partnerships

2009-02-16T17:33:36+00:00
About the Author: Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as the U.S. Secretary of State.

I am delighted to post my first entry to the DipNote community upon arriving in Tokyo, the first stop on my first trip as Secretary of State.

In addition to Tokyo, I will also be visiting Jakarta, Seoul, and Beijing this week where I hope to demonstrate America's sincere intention to develop broader and deeper relationships with nations throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Over the past 30 years, I've had the privilege of traveling to a very different Asia. Today, Asia is on the cutting edge of so many of the world's innovations and trends. In making my first trip as Secretary of State to Asia, I hope to signal that we need strong partners across the Pacific, just as we need strong partners across the Atlantic. I have become fond of saying that America is as much a transpacific power as it is a transatlantic one.

The Obama Administration believes that the futures of the United States, countries in Asia and around the world are increasingly inextricably linked. As you may know, I spoke from the Asia Society in New York City on Friday afternoon where I outlined the opportunities that I see for stronger bilateral, regional, and global cooperation and ongoing collaboration to deal with the economic crisis, to strengthen our alliances, to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to build on efforts to face challenges like climate change, clean energy, pandemic healthcare crises and so much more.

As I've said before, America cannot solve the problems of the world alone, and the world cannot solve them without America. A Chinese aphorism says, "When you are in a common boat, you need to cross the river peacefully together." The wisdom of that aphorism must guide us today.

During my travels, I intend to take advantage of new social media tools so the State Department can share its diplomatic work with a broader audience. I invite you to use these tools and become a part of this conversation. Be sure and visit DipNote throughout the week for updates from the trip. If you have questions for me during my trip and beyond – send me a question through the newly launched Ask the Secretary feature at www.state.gov.

Behind the Scenes: Secretary Clinton Departs for Asia

2009-02-16T01:31:36+00:00
About the Author: Robert Wood serves as Acting Department Spokesman and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

We're aboard the Secretary's plane en route to Asia. This is Secretary Clinton's first trip abroad since she took office, and it will include visits to Japan, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and China. On Friday, the Secretary previewed the trip for reporters following her remarks at the Asia Society in New York.

The mood on the plane is enthusiastic, even though many are still hard at work on last minute details. Secretary Clinton spoke to reporters on board the aircraft en route to a refueling stop in Alaska. She addressed a number of issues, including climate change, North Korea, Russia and human rights.

You will be hearing from me and others throughout this week, so check back on DipNote frequently for updates.

Maturing at 30: U.S.-China Relations

2009-02-04T15:31:01+00:00
About the Authors: Douglas G. Spelman served as U.S. Consul General in Shanghai and Susan Thornton serves as Deputy Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs at the Department of State.

January 1, 2009 marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Several events here and in China commemorated this momentous event. Perhaps the most significant was a commemorative seminar held in Beijing on January 12-13 that featured Jimmy Carter, the former president who displayed courage and foresight in bringing the politically sensitive negotiations with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to a successful conclusion, and his National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Other participants included former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, renowned for his role in paving the way for President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972, and Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, who served presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush as National Security Advisor. The U.S. Ambassador, Clark Randt, attended, as did Sharon Woodcock, the widow of Leonard Woodcock, who conducted the delicate negotiations in Beijing and who became the first U.S. ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. With her were four of her late husband’s successors as U.S. ambassadors to China. The seminar was jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations serving as a co-sponsor. Many former senior Chinese officials also attended.

Discussions during the two-day seminar ranged from fascinating anecdotes to reflections on the changing strategic rationale underpinning the U.S.-China relationship. Speakers frankly acknowledged the inevitable problems that arise in relations between two such large and important countries but were generally optimistic that wise leaders could sustain continued progress in bilateral ties. Sharon Woodcock recalled the difficult final session between Ambassador Woodcock and Deng Xiaoping when they agreed, just hours before the announcement, to move ahead with normalization despite unresolved differences, an agreement capped by a historic handshake.

Former Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan noted how, despite contentious incidents like the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and the mid-air collision of a U.S. surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter plane, both sides had worked together to ensure that the relationship stayed on a constructive course. Former Secretary of State Kissinger detailed the challenges and opportunities facing the two countries and stressed the importance of working together to preserve a stable and peaceful world. PRC Vice-Foreign Minister He Yafei called for joint actions to address global problems.

Thirty years of successfully managing this complex relationship is certainly worth marking and reflecting upon. And while the focus has often been on the decisions of top leaders of the two countries, it is the contributions of working level officials, academics, business persons and the general public that have provided the essential content for a broad and deep relationship. While we have a large and growing list of common interests with China, we must keep in mind that we do not share a number of key values. One of our most delicate challenges is to find effective ways to address these differences. Finally, while the U.S.-China relationship is of unique importance in the world today, we must not pursue our bilateral ties with Beijing in ways that slight the interests of other important nations, such as Japan, Russia, India, and the nations of Southeast Asia, to name only a few.