Cuba | July 20, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

ON CUBA, JOE BIDEN SAID HIS ADMINISTRATION IS CHECKING WHETHER IT CAN RESUME INTERNET SERVICE RESTRICTED BY THE REGIME, BUT HE DIDN’T OFFER A MORE EXPANSIVE PLAN TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE BIGGEST STREET PROTESTS IN YEARS.

Latin America turmoil intrudes in Biden’s focus on China, Europe

US President Joe Biden says his foreign policy focus is on China and frayed alliances in Asia and Europe. But his administration is finding it harder to avoid getting pulled into Latin America’s problems.

Jul 20 - US President Joe Biden says his foreign policy focus is on dealing with the challenges posed by China and rebuilding frayed alliances in Asia and Europe.
Latin America is putting those priorities to a test.

From political protests in Cuba to a presidential assassination in Haiti and the migration crisis on the southern border, the Biden administration is finding it harder to avoid getting pulled into Latin America’s problems. There are few easy solutions of the trouble spots in a region spanning 20 countries and encompassing 660 million people.

Biden’s comments at a press conference Thursday illustrated the dearth of palatable solutions: While US Marines were sent to fortify the US embassy in Haiti, Biden said a broader deployment “is not on the agenda right now.”

And on Cuba, Biden said his administration is checking whether it can resume Internet service restricted by the regime, but he didn’t offer a more expansive plan to respond to some of the biggest street protests in years.

“Cuba is a, unfortunately, a failed state in repressing their citizens,” Biden said. But most US moves to help the Cuban people “would require a different circumstance or a guarantee that they would not be taken advantage of by the government.”

US officials and regional experts say that many of Latin America’s problems have more to do with failures of internal governance, not necessarily issues that the US government can fix...     more

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Readout of White House Listening Session with Cuban American Leaders

​JULY 19, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

​Today, Senior Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere for the National Security Council Juan Gonzalez met with Cuban American leaders to listen to their policy recommendations and concerns in light of the recent, unprecedented demonstrations unfolding across Cuba. Administration officials underscored that the White House is monitoring the situation in Cuba closely and that addressing the moment and ongoing situation in Cuba is a top priority for the Administration. They also affirmed what the President said last week: that the demonstrations are the direct result of a failed communist government, and reminded the leaders that the President stands firmly with the people of Cuba. Stakeholders shared what they’ve done over the last week to help elevate the voices of demonstrators in Cuba and provided their recommendations for how the U.S. government can help. Today’s was the latest event in ongoing work the White House has done to reach Cuban American leaders following the historic demonstrations.

Early life

​González was born on October 15, 1947 in Ponce, Puerto Rico[1] to Juan González, who was a veteran of the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry during World War II, and Florinda Rivera de González.[3][4] González was raised in East Harlem and Brooklyn. After a period as editor of his high school newspaper, the Lane Reporter, González attended Columbia College and graduated in the mid-1960s.[5]

At Columbia College he was active in the anti-Vietnam War movement and played a leading role in the protests that shut down the college in spring 1968 as one of three "Strike Central" representatives on the strike coordinating committee.[6]:70 In the student strike that followed the police riot that ended the occupation he continued in this role and in negotiations at the apartment of Eugene Galanter.[6]:94–5 He was a member of Students for a Democratic Society and a founding member of the New York City branch of the Young Lords, serving on its first central committee as its Minister of Education.[7][8]

​In 1981, he was elected president of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights, a political organization that concentrated on registering Latino voters.     from Wikipedia

Russia Rejects US Interference in Cuba's Internal Affairs

"We urge Washington to finally adopt an objective position, get rid of the hypocrisy, the double standards," the authorities said.

Jul 15 - Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson María Zajárova remarked on Thursday her country's rejection of the  U.S. interference in Cuba's internal affairs.

"We urge Washington to finally adopt an objective position, get rid of the hypocrisy, the double standards. Let the Cubans, their government, and their people realize what is happening and decide their destiny," the official said during a press conference.     source from

Related Articles:
Russia, Nicaragua, Bolivia Reject Destabilization in Cuba
Mexico Rejects Foreign Intervention in Cuban Incidents
Cuba Is Alert to Destabilization Attempts, Diaz-Canel Says
​Cuban President Calls To Join Forces Against Opposition
​

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《花生漫畫》西元1953年七月/"Peanuts" on July 20, 1953
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Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall | July 19, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Congressman John Lewis is seen in his Atlanta office with two of his favorite items from his collection of memorabilia from his younger days as a civil rights activist in the 1960s.
​Biden, Harris: Protect Voting Rights to Honor John Lewis

Jul 18 - President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday both marked the one-year anniversary of U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ death by urging Congress to honor the legacy of the civil rights icon by enacting laws to protect voting rights.

​Biden said he often reflects on the last conversation he and his wife, Jill, had with Lewis, days before the Georgia congressman died.

“Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked us to remain focused on the unfinished work — his life’s work — of healing and uniting this nation,” Biden said in a statement.

The president said the unfinished work includes “building an economy that respects the dignity of working people with good jobs and good wages” and “ensuring equal justice under law is real in practice and not just a promise etched in stone.”

“Perhaps most of all, it means continuing the cause that John was willing to give his life for: protecting the sacred right to vote,” Biden said. “Not since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s have we seen such unrelenting attacks on voting rights and the integrity of our elections.”

Biden said the attacks include the Jan. 6 insurrection and lies about the 2020 election.

Lewis was a high-profile civil rights activist before he won a Georgia congressional seat as a Democrat in 1986. Harris said in her own statement Saturday that he was “an American hero.”

​“Congressman Lewis fought tirelessly for our country’s highest ideals: freedom and justice for all, and for the right of every American to make their voice heard at the ballot box,” Harris said.

​Lewis was 80 when he died months after announcing he had advanced pancreatic cancer. He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement...     more

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Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. On the One Year Anniversary of the Passing of Congressman John Lewis

​JULY 17, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

​Days before he died one year ago today, Jill and I spoke with John Lewis for the last time. He was in those final days as he was throughout his remarkable life – at peace and full of dignity and grace. Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked us to remain focused on the unfinished work – his life’s work – of healing and uniting this nation.

Over the past six months in office, we find ourselves often reflecting on that last conversation. For all the historic progress we have made as a nation to beat this pandemic and repair and rebuild the economy, we know there is more work to do to deliver the promise of America to all Americans. That means ensuring equity remains at the heart of our vaccine effort and that health care is a right not a privilege. It means building an economy that respects the dignity of working people with good jobs and good wages. It means ensuring equal justice under law is real in practice and not just a promise etched in stone.

Perhaps most of all, it means continuing the cause that John was willing to give his life for: protecting the sacred right to vote. Not since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s have we seen such unrelenting attacks on voting rights and the integrity of our elections – from the Big Lie to the insurrection on January 6th to the new waves of voter suppression and a new front of election subversion.

John once said, “Freedom is not a state; it is an act.” On this day of remembrance, let us continue to act.  

I again call on Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act so I can sign them into law. And as a nation, let us act and forge a coalition of Americans of every background and political party — advocates, students, faith leaders, labor leaders, business executives — and raise the urgency of this moment.

For We the People, for our democracy, for America itself – we must act. 

With John’s spirit guiding us, we must be unafraid and never, ever give up.

NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - July 16th, 2021
July 17, 2021
CDC director warns of ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ as Covid cases rise, federal judge rules DACA program illegal, and hundreds missing after deadly flooding in Germany.
00:00 Intro
02:09 Covid Becoming 'Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated'
09:01 Judge Blocks DACA Applicants
10:12 Explosive Wildfires In The West
11:43 Deadly Floods
13:13 South Africa In Chaos
15:00 Criminal Records Tied To Weed
19:15 Inspiring America: MLB Dream Come True

The America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) conduct bilateral operations with two Japan Maritime Self Defense Force landing craft from the tank landing ship JDS Shimokita
​US Ships Arrive Offshore Australia For Joint Navy Exercise

Jul 19 - The forward-deployed ships of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived off the coast of Australia in preparation for the biennial bilateral exercise Talisman Sabre (TS) 21, July 16, the US Navy said.

Led by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Talisman Sabre 21 is a large-scale, exercise between Australia and the U.S. to strengthen the military to military alliance and enhance collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns.

Conducted biennially since 2005, across northeast Australia with more than 30,000 military participants, Talisman Sabre is Australia’s largest military exercise with the United States and is a demonstration of the strong alliance that is underpinned by deep levels of cooperation and trust built over decades operating and training together, according to the US Navy.

“Emerging events in the Indo-Pacific region underscore the importance of presence to ensure a rules-based international maritime order,” said Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, commander Expeditionary Strike Group 7. “Talisman Sabre 21 allows the U.S. alongside partners and allies, to further enhance our ability to respond to any contingency as part of a joint or combined effort in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region”...     more

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US delegation at Tashkent conference discussed evolving security situation in Afghanistan: White House

Jul 19 - A high-level US delegation led by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the international conference in Uzbekistan and discussed the evolving security situation in Afghanistan and the US support for the Afghan defense forces, the White House informed on Saturday.

Sherwood-Randall led a US delegation with representatives from the White House National Security Council, Department of Defense, and Department of State to a high-level international conference in Tashkent to promote security, prosperity, and regional connectivity between Central and South Asia and to strengthen cooperation with the United States, the White House said in a statement.

She participated in a roundtable meeting of the C5+1 diplomatic platform for Central Asia, where member countries had the opportunity to discuss the significant challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and instability in Afghanistan, the White House said.

Dr. Sherwood-Randall also met with Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and also held bilateral meetings with officials from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan to identify concrete opportunities to enhance security in the region. "She was joined by US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Daniel Rosenblum," the statement said.

The US delegation also met with the Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to discuss regional security for Afghanistan and counterterrorism cooperation, the statement added.     source from

White House roles

During the first term of Barack Obama, Dr. Sherwood-Randall served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs on the White House National Security Council.[17] Her focus areas in that role were revitalizing America's unique network of alliance relationships and strengthening cooperation with 49 countries and three international institutions in Europe (NATO, the EU, and the OSCE) to advance U.S. global interests.[18]

​At the start of Obama's second term, she served as Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for Defense Policy, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Arms Control.[17] Her White House Coordinator responsibilities included defense policy and budgeting; the DOD-DOE nuclear weapons enterprise; military sexual assault prevention; the Prague arms control agenda; and the destruction of Syria's declared chemical weapons. She served as the Presidential Sherpa for the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014, which mobilized actions to take fissile materials off the global playing field.      from Wikipedia
​

A high level US delegation led by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at a conference in Tashkent.

​​US Delegation Meets Afghan President In Tashkent; Discusses Security Crisis

Jul 18 - A high level US delegation led by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Uzbekistan to discuss the ongoing security crisis in Afghanistan. With US and NATO forces nearly at the completion of their pullout, Talibani miscreants have recaptured more than two-thirds of the central Asian country. Despite the escalating crisis in a country of more than 33 million, US president Joe Biden is adamant on a swift withdrawal arguing that a delay in the same could lead to an indefinite fight.  

In the statement, the White House said that an Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall led delegation, consisting of representatives from the White House National Security Council, Department of Defense and Department of State landed in Tashkent to promote security, prosperity and regional connectivity between Central and South Asia and to bolster the continent's ties with the US. Apart from the peace in Afghanistan, issues like the COVID pandemic and the challenges it has posed in the region were also brought to the negotiation table.

Dr. Sherwood-Randall delivered opening remarks recognizing 30 years of partnership between the United States and the countries of Central Asia, as well as the U.S. Government’s commitment to realizing the region’s potential as a transit, trade, and energy hub," an online statement read.

In addendum to holding talks with the Afghan leader, the delegation also met Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss the regional tension that has arisen in the aftermath of the US pullout and cooperation on counter-terrorism measures. Later, Sherwood Randall held talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other high ranking officials from  Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to enhance security cooperation in the region.

C5+1 summit
​
​On Friday, US officials and Central Asian foreign ministers met in Uzbekistan, to conclude the C5+1 summit, which was primarily focused on Afghanistan. The two-day event took place in Tashkent on July 15-16 focused on exploring ways to enhance connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia through trade, transportation, and energy. Among the many leaders that attended the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Mukhriddin, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov, just to name a few.

Related Articles:
Afghanistan's ex-PM Hamid Karzai condemns kidnapping of daughter of Afghan envoy to Pak
Afghan government and Taliban hold talks in Doh
Protests erupt outside Pak embassy in Kabul against abduction of Afghan envoy's daughter
US, Central Asian foreign leaders attend C5+1 summit in Uzbekistan
Promise of connectivity in Central and South Asia should become counterbalance to threat of further deterioration in Afghanistan: UN chief

1 - James Blunt Chinese Lyrics (ectranslators.blog)

​James Blunt - Paradise Mar 26, 2017 Holding back Going black Oh god, you're beautiful In my throat Kaleidoscope Oh god, it's beautiful   I feel my heart beating I feel my blood pumping It is a love coming up And it's me or nothing Like a lifesafer All the signs say that There may be trouble in my head   Let love be the reason for breathing Let love be the light in your eye 'Cause you and me don't need a reason To fall in love tonight So darlin', won't you close your eyes? Hold on tight We'll find paradise Let love be the reason for breathing You and I, you and I tonight   Freefall Recall Oh god, it's beautiful Cold sweat Regret Oh no, it's beautiful   I feel my heart beating I feel my blood pumping It is a love coming up And it's me or nothing Like a lifesafer All the signs say that There may be trouble in my head   Let love be the reason for breathing Let love be the light in your eye 'Cause you and me don't need a reason To fall in love tonight So darlin', won't you close your eyes? Hold on tight We'll find paradise Let love be the reason for breathing You and I, you and I tonight   Spent my life tryin' to find Paradise, paradise Spent my life tryin' to find You   Let love be the reason for breathing Let love be the light in your eye 'Cause you and me don't need a reason To fall in love tonight So darlin', won't you close your eyes? Hold on tight We'll find paradise Let love be the reason for breathing You and I, you and I tonight ​James Blunt - Paradise lyrics + Chinese translation (lyricstranslate.com)

Vivek Murthy | July 17, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Vivek Hallegere Murthy (Kannada: ವಿವೇಕ ಹಲ್ಲೆಗೆರೆ ಮೂರ್ತಿ,[1] born July 10, 1977) is an American physician and a vice admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps who has served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States under President Obama and President Biden.[2] Murthy is the first surgeon general of Indian descent and, during his first term as surgeon general, he was the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service while serving in office.[3]

co-chaired President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board from November 2020 to January 2021, alongside former Food and Drug Administration commissioner David A. Kessler and Yale public health professor Marcella Nunez-Smith.[4] On December 7, Biden announced Murthy would return to the role of surgeon general.[5] The United States Senate confirmed Murthy to the role on March 23, 2021, by a vote of 57–43.[6]

​Public engagement
Since 2017, Murthy has appeared on various television and radio shows talking about the problem of loneliness, and he has written numerous articles on the subject. Murthy states he was shocked by how often he encountered people suffering from severe loneliness during his medical career, and argued that loneliness in America has become prevalent enough to count as an "epidemic". Murthy sees loneliness as a root cause that plays a substantial role in many other social problems. In April 2020 he published a book about what both society and ordinary people as individuals, can do to reduce loneliness in themselves and others, entitled Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.     quoted from Wikipedia

U.S. President Joe Biden talks to the media as he departs for a weekend visit to Camp David from the White House in Washington, U.S., July 16, 2021.  ​

Social media platforms 'killing people' with misinformation, says Biden

The U.S. President’s comments came a day after US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared misinformation about the vaccines a threat to public health.​

Jul 17 - President Joe Biden has said that social media companies are “killing people” by failing to police misinformation on their platforms about COVID-19 vaccines.

Mr. Biden's comments came a day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared misinformation about the vaccines a threat to public health, and as US officials advised that deaths and serious illness from the virus are almost entirely preventable because of the vaccines.

Mr. Biden, asked if he had a message for platforms like Facebook where false or misleading information about the coronavirus vaccines has spread, told reporters, “They're killing people.”

“The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated," he said.

Speaking on Thursday, Dr. Murthy said misinformation about COVID-19, deemed an “infodemic” by the World Health Organization, was deadly.

“Misinformation poses an imminent and insidious threat to our nation's health,” Dr. Murthy said during remarks at the White House. “We must confront misinformation as a nation. Lives are depending on it.”

Given the role the internet plays in spreading health misinformation, Murthy said technology companies and social media platforms must make meaningful changes to their products and software to reduce the spread of false information while increasing access to authoritative, fact-based sources.

Too often, he said, the platforms are built in ways that encourage, not counter, the spread of misinformation.

“We are asking them to step up,” Dr. Murthy said. “We can't wait longer for them to take aggressive action.” Facebook spokesperson Dani Lever responded: "We will not be distracted by accusations which aren't supported by facts.

The fact is that more than 2 billion people have viewed authoritative information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the internet.”

“More than 3.3 million Americans have also used our vaccine finder tool to find out where and how to get a vaccine. The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period,” Lever said.

Twitter posted on its platform, “As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves around the world, we'll continue to do our part to elevate authoritative health information.”     source from

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Readout of President Joe Biden’s Participation in the APEC Virtual Leaders’ Retreat

JULY 16, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

Today President Joseph R. Biden Jr. participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Virtual Leaders’ Retreat, hosted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand.

President Biden welcomed the opportunity to directly engage with APEC Leaders. He underscored the importance the United States places on the region, noting that we are a Pacific nation and vowing that the United States will remain deeply engaged in the region for generations to come. President Biden emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation and reiterated his commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. He put forward a vision for the region that is affirmative, values-based, and transparent.

President Biden articulated the U.S. approach for ending the pandemic and outlined our global vaccine strategy, whereby the U.S. is donating more than half a billion safe and effective vaccines to more than 100 countries in need around the world, several of which are APEC economies. He made clear that the United States is donating our vaccines, not selling them, and underscored the importance of not attaching any political or economic conditions to the provision of vaccines. Our singular goal remains saving lives. President Biden also discussed the importance of investing in better global health security and preparedness so that we are ready the next time we face a pandemic.

On the global economic recovery, President Biden reaffirmed the U.S. interest in serving as a strong, reliable partner to APEC economies as we pursue sustained and inclusive growth. He discussed ways to unleash the economic power of the region and to deepen U.S. economic engagement throughout the Indo-Pacific, including through the recently announced Build Back Better World partnership, which will provide high-standard, climate-aligned, and transparently financed infrastructure to APEC economies that need support.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, left, receives her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 18.
​COVID-19: World leaders dial in for virtual APEC summit

Jul 17 - US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) were yesterday among the world leaders who met virtually for an APEC summit in Wellington, seeking collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.

New Zealand, the revolving APEC host, said this week that it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held.

​The meeting was to highlight growing concerns over COVID-19 outbreaks in the Indo-Pacific region, including in Australia, Indonesia and Thailand.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stressed the importance of the 21-member group working together to navigate a way out of the pandemic in a call with Biden ahead of the meeting.

​However, tensions among APEC members — mostly notably between the West and China over the origins of COVID-19, trade, Xinjiang and the South China Sea — could yet upend the agenda. A senior Biden administration official said that the US president would use the forum to demonstrate his commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“As one of the first opportunities he has to engage with many of these leaders, he will make clear that the US has an enduring commitment to the region. He will put forward a vision for the region that is based on our values,” the official said.

Biden would also discuss how the region can work together to fuel the global economic recovery...     more

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PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19

Jul. 17 - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight.

“For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic crisis in living memory,” Jacinda Ardern said.
 
​“Front of mind for leaders is achieving widespread access for vaccines globally and working collaboratively to provide them to everyone as soon as possible.
 
“Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort – making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines.
 
“Nobody is safe from this virus until everyone is safe. Ensuring both global vaccine access and uptake is as high as possible in the shortest time possible gives our regional and individual economies the greatest chance to accelerate recovery, and will support greater economic stability.
 
“We are also pushing for collaborative and practical solutions on safely reconnecting with the world by continuing to explore options including vaccine passports, travel green lanes and quarantine-free travel bubbles. This is a challenge to which we are working hard to find creative solutions.
 
“We have the opportunity to build back better and emerge from this crisis more inclusive, more sustainable and more adaptable than ever, and in order to achieve this as fast as possible - we need to do it together,” Jacinda Ardern said. 

Leaders also discussed a range of other matters relating to the pandemic including:

 •           Individual domestic approaches to the ongoing management of COVID-19;
•           The evolving strains and health dimensions of COVID-19, with APEC helping speed the flow of vaccines;
•           Fiscal and monetary tools available to sustain economies through the pandemic, with the importance of keeping markets open to one another.

 Leading a regional health, trade and economic response to the pandemic has been one of New Zealand’s priorities as APEC 2021 Chair. Today’s meeting builds on progress made at APEC Trade, Structural Reform and Finance Ministers’ meetings from last month and sets a strong foundation for when APEC Leaders meet again in November.
 
“Leaders have set strong expectations of the outcomes we want in November to support the COVID-19 recovery. These include making sure that APEC economies have lowered tariffs on vaccines moving across borders, and that economies have accelerated digitalisation of border paperwork, reducing costs on businesses,” Jacinda Ardern said.     source from 

Download the statement 
APEC Economic Leaders’ Statement: Overcoming COVID-19 and Accelerating Economic Recovery

20210716 2021 APEC非正式領袖閉門會議會後記者會
Jul. 17 , 2021
總統府今（16）日晚間舉行2021年「APEC非正式領袖閉門會議」會後記者會，張忠謀領袖代表偕行政院政務委員鄧振中、國家發展委員會主任委員龔明鑫、國家安全會議副秘書長徐斯儉及我國APEC資深官員外交部國際組織司司長吳尚年，向國人說明本次會議情形並接受記者提問。

Statement by White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki on the Visit of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi of Iraq

JULY 16, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

President Biden looks forward to welcoming the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, to the White House on July 26, 2021. The Prime Minister’s visit will highlight the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq and advance bilateral cooperation under the Strategic Framework Agreement. The visit will also focus on key areas of shared interest including through education, health, cultural, energy, and climate initiatives. President Biden also looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Iraq on political, economic, and security issues to include joint efforts to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.