The White House Blog: The Vice President

VP in Asia: Paying Tribute to the "Incredible Spirit" of Tsunami Survivors

Vice President Joe Biden talks to survivors of the Japanese tsunami at a temporary housing center in Natori, Japan, Aug. 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Vice President Biden arrived In Tokyo late Monday evening -- the final leg of his trip through Asia. As he told Prime Minister Naoto Kan, he came to Japan for two main reasons: to express sympathy, admiration, and continued support from the U.S. in the wake of the March 11th earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, and to reiterate the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance. "We [the United States] are a Pacific power. You are a Pacific power. You are our ally," said the Vice President.

From Tokyo, he traveled 90 miles north to the Sendai region -- one of the hardest hit by the tsunami last March. Delivering remarks on the second floor of Sendai International Airport's main terminal -- where hundreds of residents from nearby neighborhoods fled to escape the tsunami's path -- Vice President Biden praised U.S. Forces Japan  for working around the clock to clear debris and repair a runway that enabled the arrival of hundreds of relief workers, and hundreds of tons of humanitarian assistance.

Vice President Biden also paid tribute to the "incredible spirit" of the Japanese people. The Japanese "remind the world of something equally as forceful as the force of nature," said Vice President Biden. That spirit "is equally as formidable, particularly when we join together in the most trying of times," he said.

After paying his respects at a memorial site where the town of Natori once stood, the Vice President took a short ride to a temporary housing facility that hundreds of Natori residents now call home.  Meeting with displaced survivors and listening to their stories, the Vice President pledged that "America isn't going anywhere" and that U.S. assistance will be available as long as they need it.

Vice President Biden concluded his trip to Japan by delivering remarks to U.S. service members and their families at Yokota Air Base -- headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan.  In his speech, the Vice President thanked the troops for their quick and decisive efforts to help the Japanese people and provide critical assistance in the aftermath of the disaster.

Don't miss the photo gallery of the Vice President's visit to Japan. For complete coverage of his three country trip, click here.

VP in Asia: Highlights from Mongolia

Arriving at Ulaanbaatar’s Chinggis Khaan Airport on Monday, Vice President Biden was formally welcomed to Mongolia – the second country on his trip through Asia – by Prime Minster Sukhabaatar Batbold and the sounds of a 32-person honor guard.

From there, it was off to the Government House, set on Ulaanbaatar’s central Sukhbaatar Square, for meetings with Prime Minister Batbold and President Tsakhia Elbegdorj.

Speaking after his meeting with Prime Minister Batbold, Vice President Biden praised Mongolia’s 22 years of democracy. “Mongolia is not just a shining example for other nations in transition,” said the Vice President, “it’s an emerging leader in the worldwide democratic movement, a responsible actor on the world stage, and a close friend and partner of the United States.” 

Vice President also thanked Mongolians for their contributions to international peace and security. Over the past decade, Mongolia’s army, trained as peacekeepers, has been deployed to countries around the world, including Sierra Leone, Chad, Darfur, Kosovo and Western Sahara, as well as tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Before his meeting with President Elbegdorj, Vice President Biden paid a visit to the President’s ceremonial ger – a traditional tent still used by nomadic Mongolians – set up on the fifth floor of the Government House.

After a morning of official business came the ultimate Mongolian cultural experience – a mini-Naadam festival in a field just outside of Ulaanbaatar at the foot of rolling hills encircling the capitol city. Naadams – traditional Mongolian festivals held throughout the country during the summertime – showcase the “Three Games of Men”: Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery. The Naadam for Vice President Biden also included traditional music and dance performances, as well as the ceremonial presentation of a gift horse, which the Vice President named Celtic.

For more information about the Vice President's trip to Asia, check out our photo galleries from China and Mongolia and watch his first travelogue from the road. You can follow the Vice President's trip in real time on Twitter, #VPinAsia

Vice President Biden on the Relationship Between the U.S. and China

Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden spoke from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China on the important relationship between the United States and China. During his remarks, the Vice President reflected on the partnership that our two nations have been working to build: 

A rising China will fuel economic growth and prosperity and it will bring to the fore a new partner with whom we can meet global challenges together.  When President Obama and I took office in January of 2009, we made our relationship with China a top priority.  We were determined to set it on a stable and sustainable course that would benefit the citizens of both our countries.  Our Presidents have met nine times since then, including very successful state visits in Beijing and Washington, and have spoken numerous times by telephone.

Direct discussions between senior policymakers and the personal ties that result from such discussions in my view over the last 35 years of conducting foreign policy are the keys to building cooperation.  They're built on understanding.  They allow us to better understand each other and allow us to define our interests in ways that are clear so that each one of us know what the other country’s interests are, and to see the world through the eyes of the other with the intention of preventing miscommunications and misconceptions that tend to fuel mistrust.

With that goal in mind, we have worked very hard to develop our cooperative partnership through more than 60 separate dialogues on issues of matter to both China and to the United States; and I would suggest to the world as a whole.

Watch: Vice President Biden's Opening Remarks at Business Roundtable in Beijing

Vice President Joe Biden joined Chinese Vice President Xi and business leaders from both countries at a roundtable today in Beijing to discuss the business relationship between both countries.  The Vice President reflected on the changes that have taken place since his first trip to the country more than 30 years ago, when he was part of the first Senate delegation that met withDeng Xiaoping, and expressed his great optimism about what the next 30 years hold. He also addressed the “real and perceived barriers that exist in both countries that have to be dealt with” and praised the “straightforward” conversations he has had with Vice President Xi throughout this visit.

“You have legitimate concerns about access to America.  And I would argue we have legitimate concerns in reverse. But the trajectory -- the trajectory of the relationship is nothing but positive, and it’s overwhelmingly in the mutual interest of both our countries. And it’s presumptuous to say this, but I think it’s in the interest of the world.  It’s in the interest of the world that we increase -- increase -- the interaction between not only our business community, but our economies writ large.

Obviously, economic issues have been a particular focus of the growing cooperation between the United States and China. Our governments are committed to and working hard to promote economic growth.  It’s strong.  It’s sustainable, and it is balanced, fair and open.  Bilateral trade and investment between the United States and China, as is pointed out, is growing rapidly in both directions. We’d like it to go even more rapidly in terms of investment in the United States because it creates jobs and it creates economic opportunities in both countries.