White House News (白宮消息)

4/17/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 17 , 2021

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APRIL 16, 2021
President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Hold News Conference
President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a joint news conference in the White House Rose Garden. Both leaders reaffirmed the commitment of partnership and shared values and answered questions on the Tokyo Olympic Games, climate change, relations with China and Iran, and the president’s gun control policy.

Biden, Suga Hold 'Serious Talks' on China After Beijing Warns Japan to Stand Asid

Apr. 17 - President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had "serious talks" about China hours after the country warned Japan not to escalate hostilities over a disputed territory.

Biden and Suga met at the White House on Friday, Biden's first in-person meeting with a foreign leader since becoming president. While many issues were discussed, the meeting was said to include a discussion on "the impact of China's actions on peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world," with the leaders sharing their "concerns over Chinese activities that are inconsistent with the international rules-based order, including the use of economic and other forms of coercion."

"We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China and on issues like the East China Sea, the South China Sea, as well as North Korea, to ensure a future of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Biden said at a press conference following the meeting. "We're committed to defending and advancing our shared values, including human rights and the rule of law." more

APRIL 16, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing on the president’s agenda. She spoke about the recent shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, that left eight people dead. She went on to call for the Senate to pass House legislation on background checks. She also previewed President Biden’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, saying they would discuss a range of topics including climate change, North Korea, and the upcoming Olympics.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki brilliantly smacks down Newsmax reporter trying to get Black UN Ambassador fired

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to a reporter from the right wing website Newsmax who asked if President Joe Biden will fire the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Apr. 17 - Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield joined the U.S. Foreign Service four decades ago, in 1982. Her extensive resume includes serving as United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Director General of the United States Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources, United States Ambassador to Liberia, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, among others.

She was confirmed for her current post by a highly partisan U.S. Senate in a strongly bipartisan 78–20 vote.

Newsmax White House Correspondent Emerald Robinson suggested President Joe Biden should bow down to any criticism or attacks from China, telling Psaki that Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield "essentially said that white supremacy is woven into our founding documents and principles."

"This statement," Robinson claimed, "is getting widely criticized as essentially parroting Chinese Communist Party talking points. So is the President going to remove her from her position as the representative before that body to promote United States values?"

Psaki, calmly, told her no.

"Is the President going to remove an African American woman with decades of experience in the Foreign Service who is widely respected around the world from her position as Ambassador to the UN? He is not," Psaki replied. "He is proud to have her in that position. She is not only qualified, he believes she is exactly the right person in that role at this moment in time. I have not seen her comments, I will say that there's no question that there has been a history of institutional racism in this country, and that doesn't require the UN ambassador to confirm that." source from

APRIL 16, 2021
President Biden Meeting with Japanese Prime Minister
President Biden held a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The leaders spoke briefly about the countries' common interests and the importance of the Indo-Pacific region.

President Joe Biden signs a series of executive orders on climate change, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Jan. 27, 2021
Biden's Earth Day Summit Aims for Reset on Climate Change

Apr. 17 - A "coming-out party for the United States on climate change."
That's how University of Maryland Center for Global Sustainability Director Nathan Hultman describes the virtual summit President Joe Biden is hosting with dozens of world leaders April 22-23.

After four years of disregard for the issue under former President Donald Trump, the summit will be "an opportunity for the U.S. to come back onto the scene to show it is taking climate change seriously," said David Waskow, International Climate Initiative director at the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based environmental research and advocacy group.

The White House said it will announce an "ambitious" 2030 target for greenhouse gas emissions before the summit.
Advocates are calling for a 50% cut from 2005 levels, a "highly ambitious but still achievable" goal, Hultman said.

And it would show other major polluters that the largest cumulative contributor to global warming is ready to take action.
"Certainly China is looking to see what the United States is going to do," Waskow said. "We know that some of these other countries — Japan, South Korea, Canada, India — are watching to see how the United States will move." more

4/16/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 16 , 2021

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APRIL 15, 2021
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Sanctions Against Russia
President Biden announced actions he was taking against Russia, including economic sanctions and the expulsion of several Russian officials, in response to the country’s interference in U.S. elections and involvement in cyberattacks - most notably the SolarWinds hack that targeted U.S. government agencies and corporations. “I was clear with President Putin that we could have gone further but I chose not to do so,” he said. “I chose to be proportionate. The United States is not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predicable relationship. If Russia continues to interfere with our democracy, I’m prepared to take further actions to respond.” President Biden said there were areas in which the U.S. and Russia could cooperate and said his team was working on setting up a summit between the two leaders that could take place in Europe over the summer.

US President Joe Biden declared in a Thursday White House address that he would have taken more severe action against Russia over their alleged interference in the 2020 election and the SolarWinds hack, but instead opted for a more commensurate response.
Biden Says US Could Have Gone Further on Anti-Russia Sanctions, Chose to Be Proportionate

Apr. 16 - Biden told reporters that he had relayed his stance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, informing the world leader that the US "could have gone further but I chose not to do so, I chose to be proportionate", Sputnik reported
“If Russia continues to interfere with our democracy, I’m prepared to take further actions to respond. It is my responsibility as president of the United States to do so," Biden underscored. However, the commander-in-chief also emphasized that he has no intention to "kickoff a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia".

"When I spoke to President [Vladimir] Putin, I expressed my believe that communication between two of us personally and directly was to be essential in moving forward to a more effective relationship and [Putin] agreed on that point," Biden recalled, highlighting that he wants a "stable, predictable relationship" with Moscow.

"My hope and expectation is we'll be able to work out a modus vivendi, and what is important is that we have direct talks and that we continue to be in contact," he said.

“When President Putin called me in January after I was sworn in to congratulate me, I told him that my administration will be looking very carefully now that we have access to all the data at the issues to assess Russia’s role and then determine what response we would make,” he added. more

APRIL 15, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki talks about President Biden’s agenda. She discussed newly-announced sanctions against Russia for its role in the SolarWinds hack, election interference, and human rights abuses. She said the sanctions were a fair response but acknowledged the U.S. and Russia still must work together on common interests. Other topics discussed included the COVID-19 vaccine, troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the American Jobs Plan.

APRIL 15, 2021
U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General Testifies on January 6 Attack
U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton testified before the House Administration Committee on his report on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. When asked about why the order was given to Capitol Police not to use all available equipment, “such as heavier, less-than-lethal weapons,” Inspector General Bolton said through their review, Capitol Police leadership decided the heavier munitions were not to be used because “they could potentially cause life-altering injury, and/or death,” and misuse could result in these outcomes. However, Mr. Bolton said that any weapon placed in the hands of police officers could result in injury or death if proper training is not provided. They also discussed the need for consistent communication among federal law enforcement and approved security clearance for capitol police officers to share in classified intelligence pertaining to threats on the Capitol complex.

U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga participate in a virtual meeting with leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries March 12, 2021.
Biden Hosts Suga, With China in the Foreground

The White House is pushing for strong anti-China rhetoric in the joint statement to follow today’s summit.

Apr. 16 - Biden Hosts Suga at White House Summit
U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House today, the first in-person visit of a world leader since Biden took office in January.
The two leaders have already been in close consultation as one half of the so-called Quad group of nations that includes India and Australia. The same theme of crafting a united regional front against China will be at the top of the agenda today.
Talking Taiwan... more

4/15/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 15 , 2021

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APRIL 14, 2021
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Afghanistan Strategy
President Biden announced the U.S. will begin removing troops from Afghanistan on May 1, 2021, and set a final date for removal by this September 11, which will be the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a speech from the White House Treaty Room, the president said he was the fourth to preside over the War in Afghanistan, “and I will not pass this responsibility onto a fifth.” He also said he had spoken to former President George W. Bush about his decision and remarked on their shared respect for military service members saying, “I’m the first president in 40 years who knows what it means to have a child serving in a war zone.”

President Joe Biden warned the Taliban Wednesday he would hold them accountable on Afghanistan after the US exit and pressed nations including Pakistan to play supportive roles.
Biden Warns Taliban, Presses Pakistan as US Announces Afghan Exit

Apr. 15 - "We will hold the Taliban accountable for its commitment not to allow any terrorists to threaten the US or its allies from Afghan soil. The Afghan government has made that commitment to us as well," Biden said in a speech announcing an end to America's longest war, CNBC reported.

"We will ask other countries in the region to support Afghanistan, especially Pakistan, as well as Russia, China, India and Turkey," he added.

Biden announced he will withdraw US combat troops from Afghanistan by September 11, ending America’s longest war.
The removal of approximately 3,000 American service members coincides with the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks which spurred America’s entry into lengthy wars in the Middle East and Central Asia.

“It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home,” Biden stated in his televised address from the White House Treaty Room, where former President George W. Bush announced military action against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in October 2001.

“I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth,” Biden continued, adding that the US mission would be solely dedicated to providing assistance to Afghanistan and supporting diplomacy.

Biden added that he coordinated his decision with international partners and allies as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and spoke to former President George W. Bush. The withdrawal of US troops will begin on May 1. Following his remarks, Biden said he would visit Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a statement following Biden’s speech, former President Barack Obama stated the United States had “accomplished all that we can militarily and that it’s time to bring our remaining troops home”.

Ghani noted he respects the US decision to withdraw its forces and Afghanistan’s military is “fully capable of defending its people and country”.

In February 2020, the Donald Trump administration brokered a deal with the Taliban that would usher in a permanent cease-fire and reduce further the US military’s footprint from approximately 13,000 troops to 8,600 by mid-July last year.

By May 2021, all foreign forces would leave Afghanistan, according to the deal. The majority of troops in the country are from Europe and partner nations. About 2,500 US service members are now in Afghanistan.

Under the agreement, the Taliban promised it would stop terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base to launch attacks against the US or its allies and agreed to conduct peace talks with the central government in Kabul.

The announcement to leave Afghanistan comes on the heels of a Wednesday meeting between NATO allies and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. NATO joined the international security effort in Afghanistan in 2003 and currently has more than 7,000 troops in the country.

“Our allies and partners have stood beside us shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and we are deeply grateful for the contributions they have made to our shared mission,” Biden said, adding, “The plan has long been in together and out together.”

NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg stated Wednesday from the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels that the “drawdown will be orderly, coordinated and deliberate”.

“We went into Afghanistan together, we have adjusted our posture together and we are united in leaving together,” Stoltenberg said, adding, “Any Taliban attacks on our troops during this period will be met with a forceful response.”
The NATO mission in Afghanistan was launched after the alliance activated its mutual defense clause — known as Article 5 — for the first time in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have cost US taxpayers more than $1.57 trillion collectively since September 11, 2001, according to a Defense Department report. More than 2,000 US service members have died in Afghanistan.
CIA Director William Burns acknowledged in testimony Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Washington’s ability to act on threats emanating from Afghanistan will be diminished by the US withdrawal.
Burns said some US capabilities will remain in place.

“When the time comes for the US military to withdraw, the US government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That’s simply a fact,” Burns added.

“It is also a fact, however, that after withdrawal, whenever that time comes, the CIA and all of our partners in the US government will retain a suite of capabilities, some of them remaining in place, some of them that we will generate, that can help us to anticipate and contest any rebuilding effort,” Burns continued. source from

APRIL 14, 2021
President Biden Visits Arlington National Cemetery
President Biden visited section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried. He spoke briefly to reporters about his son Beau, who served in Iraq.

APRIL 14, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussed the administration’s agenda and other news of the day with reporters. Ahead of President Biden’s expected announcement of withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the press secretary fielded several questions on the topic. She said the president consulted with military leaders and regional experts before making his decision and believed the path forward is diplomacy. She also said the global terrorism threat has changed since the invasion in 2001 and the approach to counter terrorism must evolve.

President Tsai Ing-wen (right) meets former US Senator Chris Dodd (Presidential Office)
Biden’s delegation to Taiwan a new form of US diplomacy

Apr. 15, TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The visit by U.S. President Joe Biden’s delegation to Taiwan has been lauded by an expert on China issues as a new form of American diplomacy that prioritizes substance over formalism.

Jerome Cohen, a law professor at New York University and senior fellow for Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, commented in a series of tweets Wednesday (April 14) that the unofficial mission has set the example for “deemphasizing the formalities of interstate relations and instead focusing on the facts and functions.”

Given the distinctive status of Taiwan and the sensitivity of cross-strait relations, the approach can be “progressive without being unacceptably provocative,” he reckoned. Cohen also expressed hope that this strategy of informal interactions can continue.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, one of the emissaries visiting Taiwan and a good friend of Biden's, is reportedly a candidate for the new U.S. ambassador to China. He believes Dodd can assume a “broader, more flexible role” in the Biden administration.

The mission, which comprises Dodd and former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday. It is seen by many as a sign of Biden’s commitment to the East Asian country.

In her meeting with the elder statesmen on Thursday (April 15), Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) called for the resumption of the U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and closer bilateral cooperation on fighting disinformation and cognitive warfare. Meanwhile, China carried out what it termed “combat drills” near Taiwan in apparent protest. source from

4/14/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 14 , 2021

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German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan likely in September: German minister

"We always said: we'll go in together, we'll leave together," German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told a local television.

Apr. 14 - NATO will likely join the United States in withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan in September, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Wednesday.

"We always said: we'll go in together, we'll leave together," she told ARD public television. "I am for an orderly withdrawal and that is why I assume that we (NATO) will agree to that today."

NATO defence and foreign ministers will hold a video conference Wednesday after the US said it was planning to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 suicide hijackings this year.

A US official said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden had reached the conclusion to end Washington's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan by late this year.

The US has some 2,500 troops in Afghanistan as part of a 9,600-strong NATO mission in the country.

NATO allies including Germany had been waiting for Biden to decide whether the US would stick to a May 1 deadline to withdraw under a deal struck between the administration of former US leader Donald Trump and the Taliban.

Kramp-Karrenbauer said it was now important "for us in NATO to synchronise our planning with the US planning". She did not give a precise date when German troops would withdrawal from the strife-racked country. source from

APRIL 13, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients joined the White House briefing after the CDC and FDA recommended pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to concerns over blood clotting. Mr. Zients said the pause “will not have a significant impact on our vaccination program.” He went on to say the administration had purchased enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to hit target vaccination goals. Dr. Fauci stressed the rarity of the blood clots and urged people who had been recently vaccinated to not get anxious. He said the CDC and FDA were not taking a drastic step by pausing the vaccine, rather it should give the public confidence that the FDA focused on safety.

APRIL 13, 2021
FDA and CDC Teleconference on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration held a joint teleconference on the call for a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine while they review cases of rare blood clots in people receiving the shots. Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock begins.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was cleared for usetn in the US in February
Johnson & Johnson vaccine paused over rare blood clots

The US, South Africa and European Union will temporarily stop the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Covid jab, after reports of rare blood clotting.

Apr. 14 - Six cases were detected in more than 6.8 million doses of the vaccine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.

Johnson & Johnson has paused its EU rollout, which started this week.

It follows similar cases after doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which prompted curbs to its use.

The FDA said it was recommending the temporary pause "out of an abundance of caution". It confirmed that one patient died from blood clotting complications, and another is in a critical condition.

All six cases were in women aged between 18 and 48, with symptoms appearing six to 13 days after vaccination.

Following the advice, all federal sites in the US have stopped using the vaccine until further investigations into its safety are completed. State and private contractors are expected to follow suit.

The US has by far the most confirmed cases of Covid-19 - more than 31 million - with more than 562,000 deaths, another world high. continue to read

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APRIL 13, 2021
President Biden Meets with Congressional Black Caucus
President Biden met with the Congressional Black Caucus at the White House. He also addressed the CDC and FDA recommendation to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, saying the country has enough supply without it.

4/13/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 13 , 2021

APRIL 12, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held her daily briefing, taking questions from reporters on a range of topics, including a recent attack on an Iranian nuclear site, shortages of semiconductors, the American Rescue Plan, the police shooting of a Black man in Minnesota, vaccine hesitancy, the Russian buildup of troops on the Ukrainian border and immigration from Northern Triangle countries.

Police and demonstrators clash during protests over the shooting of a Minnesota man during a traffic stop
The traffic stop that ended in Wright's death

Date published on Apr. 13, 2021
Wright was with his girlfriend Sunday afternoon, driving to his older brother's house, when police pulled him over in Brooklyn Center over an expired tag, police said. Officers learned he had an outstanding warrant and attempted to handcuff him while he was standing outside his car.

Wright's older brother, Damik Bryant, told CNN he texted Wright moments before the shooting, asking what was taking him so long. Wright sent another text saying he was pulled over and asked for insurance information, Bryant said. Bryant told him to call their mother.

Wright gave officers his name before calling his mother, Bryant said.
"They asked him to step out the car, and you know his first instinct was, 'What did I do, what's wrong?' And they were like, 'Well, put the phone down, get out the car now, we'll talk to you about it when you get out,'" Bryant said.

"He said they pulled him over because he had air fresheners hanging from the rearview mirror," Wright's mother, Katie Wright, told CNN affiliate WCCO. "I heard the police officer come to the window and say, 'Put the phone down and get out of the car,' and Daunte said, 'Why?' And he said, 'We'll explain to you when you get out of the car,'" Katie Wright told CNN affiliate KARE.

"So, I heard the phone get either put on the dashboard or dropped, and I heard scuffling, and I heard the police officers say, 'Daunte don't run.' And then the other officer said, 'Put the phone down'" before it sounded like the phone was hung up, she said.

In the body-worn camera footage released Monday, an officer tells Wright "don't" as Wright twisted away from an officer to get back into the car. Gannon said it appeared from the video that Wright was trying to leave.

The officer whose camera footage was released is heard warning the man she's going to use her Taser on him, before repeatedly shouting, "Taser! Taser! Taser!"

Then, the officer is heard screaming, "Holy sh*t! I just shot him." source from

APRIL 12, 2021
President Biden Meets with Members of Congress on Infrastructure and Jobs Plan
President Biden met with a group of bipartisan lawmakers at the White House to discuss his infrastructure proposal, known as the American Jobs Plan. At the start, the president made brief remarks on the fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, which occurred the previous day in a Minneapolis suburb.

Daunte Wright shooting by police in Minnesota 'accidental'

The fatal shooting of a black man by a police officer in the US city of Brooklyn Center in Minnesota was an accident, the police chief has said.

Apr. 13 - Daunte Wright, 20, was shot after the officer meant to use a Taser, but mistakenly drew her gun instead, Chief Tim Gannon told reporters.

The officer was later named as Kim Potter who has worked for Brooklyn Center Police for 26 years.
Mr Wright's death has sparked protests and a curfew has been declared.

Late on Monday, crowds defied the curfew to gather for a second night outside Brooklyn Center Police headquarters. Witnesses said some threw fireworks and bottles at officers who responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

Tensions in nearby Minneapolis are high as the trial of an ex-officer accused of killing George Floyd continues. sources

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