Good morning , everyone . Hope ever had
a great Fourth of July celebrating the
founding of this great country . A week
from today , I'll be in Philadelphia
talking about the work of the
Undateable Rights Commission , looking
forward to that , uh , a belated happy
birthday to His Holiness , the Dalai
Lama , who celebrated his 85th birthday
on Monday of this week and a big
welcome to Mexico's president .
Labour's Oprah Door . Who's in
Washington today to celebrate the
landmark USMC , a trade deal coming
into force alongside President Trump .
I spoke with foreign minister yesterday .
I'm looking forward to seeing him here
in just a little bit as well . I think
we'll have a great set of meetings over
at the White House later on today .
On Monday , Egypt released US citizen
Mohammad Ahmad , who had been detained
since March of 2000 and 19 . Mom is one
of many Americans President Trump's
administration's work tirelessly to get
back home . We thank Egypt for securing
his release in his repatriation , but
at the same time we urge Egyptian
officials to stop on warning harassment
of U . S citizens and their families
who will remain there . I want to start
today with the Chinese Communist Party .
As with all unelected communist regimes ,
Beijing fears it's own people's free
thinking more than any foreign foe we
were deeply troubled to learn this week .
That's a cease . The CCP detained shoe
genre for criticizing general secretary
She Jinping's repressive regime and the
CCP is mishandling of the cove in 19
Pandemic . He should be released . He
was simply telling the truth . He
should be released a soon as possible
repeated theme I've been talking about
for months . CCP has an enormous
credibility problem . They failed to
tell the world the truth about this
virus . Now hundreds of thousands of
peoples all across the world are dead .
We need the truth . We still need the
truth when they open up when they
engage in a serious way with scientists
around the world . Now say they're
gonna allow the W H O to come in .
That's great , but the temptation to be
is to be free to do . It's really work
when you make sure the right people are
there to engage in this investigation ,
and we need riel answers , not
perfunctory political solution . This
is about science , not politics , and
the Chinese Communist Party needs to
come clean with the world about this
virus , you know , mission claim for
months that it reported the outbreak of
the virus to the W H O . Now we know
that's not true to , you know . The
WTO's country office in China reported
the operate on Lee after it picked up a
media statement from the Wuhan
Municipal Health Commission . Again ,
Beijing described Sean Jenks internment
camps as vocational training camps .
New reports of forced abortions and
sterilizations add to a body of
evidence that contradicts that .
Beijing said that for 50 years that
give the people of Hong Kong a high
degree of autonomy and you all have
seen what's happened after only 23
years , empty promises made to the
people of Hong Kong into the world . I
want to give a kudos to Google ,
Facebook and Twitter for refusing to
surrender user data to the Hong Kong
government . Other companies you should
follow them and do the same . Shout out
to our Canadian friends as well . Kenya
has been strong in its response to
Beijing's crackdown . We think that's
the right course for the entire world
to take . We're heartened to see to the
United kingdom have their vigorous
debate now on the risk presented that
British people from Wall way technology
being in their systems , as FBI
director Ray said yesterday . While WAY
is quote a serial intellectual property
thief with a pattern and practice of
disregarding both the rule of law and
the rights of its victims , I commend
to you director raze entire speech
yesterday . It is worth the timeto
watch attendant Geno Bar will deliver a
set of remarks on the coming days , and
then I'll give what will be the fourth
in a series of remarks on a direct
everyone . Also to a letter that
Undersecretary Keith Krach drafted to
CEO boards of directors , trade groups ,
commercial investment firms alerting
them to the CCP is use of slave labor
and shin job and providing them with a
set of governance recommendations for
how they should ensure that they're not
part and parcel of this terrible
practice . Last China item . The CCP
recently filed a boundary dispute
dispute with Bhutan at a meeting of the
global environmental Facility , from
the mountain ranges of the Himalayas to
the waters of Vietnam's exclusive zone
to the Senkaku Islands and beyond .
Beijing has a pattern of instigating
territorial disputes . The world
shouldn't allow this bowling to take
place nor should have permitted to
continue to the Middle East On Monday ,
Iraq tragically lost the Patriot
promise Go on , journalists . When
Hisham al Hashemi was brutally
assassinated in front of his home in
Baghdad , Dr Hershey me had Hashimi had
devoted his life to a free and
sovereign Iraq and gave voice to the
aspirations of the Iraqi people . In
the days leading up to his death , he
was repeatedly threatened by Iran
backed backed armed groups and United
States , joins partner nations and
strongly condemning his assassination
and call for the government Iraq to
bring to justice the perpetrators of
this terrible crime and bring them
swiftly to justice in Syria . The
actions of the Assad regime , Russia
and China to constrict the flow of life
saving supplies , medicine and food
have exacerbated already terrible
humanitarian situation on the ground .
Just yesterday , Russian China once
again vetoed action at the U . N .
Security Council that would have
maintained humanitarian access access
to desperate Syrian communities . Over
the last several months , Russia and
the People's Republic of China have
repeatedly abused their veto powers in
the council to support the Assad regime
strategy of starving its own people .
Their calculus is clear . They believe
there's no price to pay for their
actions to the Security Council . They
believe the partnership with Assad
regime will render political and
economic benefits that way any cost ,
conscience or moral obligation . It's
our job , the responsible nations of
the world to increase those costs ,
document the human impact of these
decisions and use this example to
remind the world of what these two
regimes stand for . I also want to
dress the deteriorating and immobile
oil storage vessel , the severe that's
floating off in the Red Sea . Some of
you will remember I've spoken about
this before . I think the tanker
contains four times the oil spilled in
the Exxon Valdez disaster . If it
ruptures , it will devastate the Red
Sea ecosystem and disrupt key shipping
lanes in the Red Sea and the bobble
Mandeb . A disaster like that could
prevent desperately needed food aid
from reaching a Yemeni population
already in terrible , dire conditions .
The Houthis have blocked U . N
officials who need to board the vessel
and to do in order that they may do the
work necessary to prevent massive
environmental damage throughout the
region . The Houthis must grant access
before this ticking time bomb explodes .
And speaking of the Houthis and bombs
last week , a United Nations report
confirmed that the weapon shipments the
United States interdicted back in
November of 2019 and then again in
February of this year were of Iranian
Origen . You'll recall that when we
said that the Iranians denied it , U .
N has now confirmed this run is not
abiding by the U . N arms embargo
restrictions that are due to expire in
less than four months Now . Now we've
interdicted another shipment of weapons
heading to the Houthis . On June 28 US
and partner forces interdicted a vessel
off the coast of Yemen with illicit
cargo , including 200 RPGs , more than
1700 a K rifles , 2121 surface to
air and land attack missiles , several
anti tank missiles and other advanced
weapons and missiles . The Security
Council must extend the arms embargo on
Iran to prevent further conflict in the
region . No serious person can possibly
believe Iran would use any weapon it
receives for peaceful ends . Contrast .
The Islamic Republic arrives Illegal
gun running with America's work to help
our allies and partners defend
themselves on Monday . On Monday , we
notify Congress of $7 billion worth of
defense sales from new rotorcraft
capabilities for countries like
Lithuania and Indonesia to New I S our
platforms for NATO ally France to
increased infantry mobility in the
striker platform for Argentina , the
United States is meeting the high
demand for allies and partners for
American gear to defend their nations .
We're strengthening our security
partnerships , building capacity and
supporting the American manufacturing
base and not turning to Africa . We're
making progress in helping Sudan's
transition to a more democratic and
peaceful way of life . At the Sedan
Partnership conference back on June
25th the United States and asked , it
will provide 356.2 million to support
the Sudan Democratic Transition ,
including more than 85 million in
development , and Kobe 19 assistance
finally all close here as one of our
expanding security relationship with
the Republic of Cyprus . For the first
time , the department state intends to
provide international military
education and training funding to that
country continued on congressional
appropriations . In our notification of
Congress , it's part of our efforts to
enhance relationships with key regional
partners to promote stability . The
Eastern Mediterranean . Happy to take
some questions . Morning , Mrs
um You oppose the release of Mr Klassen ,
Dean . Although you said that you abide
by the court's decision , Does this
hinder your effort to go after high
target finance year off Hezbollah ,
like Mr Tashjian Dean . And what does
it say to the people who oppose
Hezbollah ? And the people who are
trying toe give them , support them
financially ? And in that regard for
the first time we hear hasn't Nasrallah ,
the leader of the group , yesterday
saying that he welcomes us assistant to
the Lebanese Taliban , his government ?
Do you see that ? Although he said us
is an enemy . But do you see this as a
way of trying toe open some kind of
dialogue with the US Considering that
they release this , uh , this person ,
Mr Tashjian , Yeah . So
we do everything we can to enforce the
sanctions that we've put in place
against terrorist figures , including
those who have been designated
Hezbollah designations . We've urged
other countries to designate Hezbollah
a terrorist organization as well . We
continue to believe that they present
an enormous risk and their behavior
indicate that they are in fact a
terrorist organization that is intent
on causing harm to the West and most in
particular , toe our partner and ally
in the region . Israel . Second , I
didn't see the remarks that you
describe from Misrata . I did see him
say that they should take Iranian oil
that I saw that would be unacceptable
for them to do that . It would be
sanctioned product for sure , and we'll
do everything we can to make sure that
Iran cannot continue to sell crude oil
anywhere , including toe Hezbollah in
in the region , so that the resource is
that fund and underwrite the world's
largest state sponsored terror won't be
made available to them because they
were able to sell some crudo product or
some petroleum product to Hezbollah .
But many people will see the release of
Mr Tajuddin as a victory for Hezbollah
and he might . They might be using it
as that and this is why , he said . We
welcome any U . S assistant and we
don't mind it . There could be no
mistake with the United States has done
and will continue to put pressure
Hezbollah and also to try and assist
the people of Lebanon at building out
of successful government . The at the
other component here , of course , is
Lebanon's incredible struggle to
conduct the reforms that are necessary
to make sure that the 11 these people
who have been protesting in the streets ,
simply demanding a government that's
not corrupt , that is engaged in
behavior that benefits the Lebanese
people . That's our mission set as well
as a terrorist organization . And we
are supportive of Lebanon as long as
they get the reforms right and they're
not a a proxy state for Iran in Lebanon .
Very bad thing for the people
throughout Lebanon and way hope that
doesn't happen in Beirut . Thank you ,
Jonah . Wrong . Give it a shot . US .
Law mandates that the administration
would follow through on the financial
pledges to the W H . O before the
withdrawal next year . Can you tell us
how much the U . S . Is paid of that
and whether you intend to follow
through on the commitments and Iran ?
What's the message Iranian leaders
should draw from the explosion at
Natanz ? Do you believe it was
accidental or delivery ? I'm not gonna
talk about the second question . uh ,
with respect to the 1st 1 that we
provided notice yesterday to Capitol
Hill of our intensive withdraw from the
World Health Organization , something
we had talked about . We have
communicated to Congress even in the
informal process that this was our
intention . The president . We formally
did that from the State Department
yesterday , consistent with the
president's guidance . We will work
with Congress with respect to the
appropriated funds . Will will get it
right . But credit has made very clear
we are not gonna underwrite an
organization that has historically been
incompetent and not performed its
fundamental function there . There's a
real focus on the failures that took
place around who hunt and the World
Health Organization's fundamental
inability to perform its basic core
mission of preventing a global pandemic
spread . But don't forget the history .
This is an institution that got it
wrong on SARS . It got it wrong on
Ebola . The United States had to create
its own system PEPFAR to do the work to
prevent and come up with solutions to
the HIV AIDS problem . We did that the
United States did that the World Health
Organization has a long history of
corruption and politicization , and
it's not that it doesn't get some
pieces of their program right . That's
certainly true . But unbalances that
organization has not been able to
deliver on its core mission for decades .
We tried Nick desperately , and we , in
fact , got some reforms through back a
handful of years ago . But the WHL
leadership clearly has been able to
execute and implement them in a way
that can prevent the kind of global
pandemic that has destroyed hundreds of
thousands of lives and cost the global
economy trillions and trillions of
dollars . That is not an organization
that administration has any intention
of underwriting . Syria .
I think President Tables and I do
should change his approach to diverse
now that he has tested positive . And
also when we'll us hello , people who
are traveling from Brazil to enter the
country . Is there a number of cases or
deaths that Brazil needs to reach in
order to the so President Bush ?
Tomorrow's perfect people making his
own decision about how to proceed with ,
uh , the health situation , this
country . I spoke with the Foreign
minister Rojo yesterday about that and
many other things with respect to our
relationship with a great partner and
friend of ours . As for when we can get
travel back open between our two
countries , the relationship with
Brazil's no different than any other
country . We are putting in place a set
of metrics that will determine when
it's appropriate . Safe for the
American people to allow travel to come
from . Other countries will evaluate
each country separately and make
informed decisions based on science and
reason , not politics . We're gonna get
this right . We're gonna make sure that
we do everything we can to get our
economy back open just as quickly as we
can . We have a big team here at ST Big
Team Transportation of DHS Vice
president , Tax force all looking at
this challenge . We want to get
international travel back up ongoing
Justus quickly as we can that includes
with our great friends in South America ,
including Brazil . Christian
First on Kobe . Curious . We get some
updates on the negotiations to end the
travel restrictions with the European
Union . And then secondly , you said
yesterday the administration is looking
at banning Tic TAC . Curious . How
serious is ban ? Uh , consideration is
India bandit almost overnight with very
little thought on how how soon can we
expect that to go into effect ? So with
respect to the conversations with the
year , we've actually made some
progress thinking about how to do that .
So it's unlikely be the case that it
will be on and off his we will . We
will attempt to put in some procedures
and protocols that protect both
citizens here in the United States from
the spread . And it's a it's a global
challenge and we want to make sure that
European citizens aren't impacted
adversely by travel from the West is ,
well , lots of people not only come
from America but transit through
America to Europe . So you got to deal
with all the complexity that comes with ,
made some real progress , technical
progress . And now we need toe draw
that to a conclusion , and then they'll
be a system a system to monitor and
measure to make sure that we get the
timing right and we get the toggle
switches right both sides of the
Atlantic . I want to get this back open .
Both sides understand that our
economies depend on it . The deep
important relation transatlantic
relationship matters is there to
Western democracies that have a lot of
good work to do together and getting
those travel nodes hooked back up and
connected again is an important thing .
With respect to Tic TAC , I want to put
in the broader context . We have been
engaged in a constant evaluation about
ensuring that we protect the privacy of
American citizens , and their
information is a transit . So this
doesn't relate to any one particular
business or company , but rather to
American national security . We are
striving to get that light that the
comments that I made about a particular
company early this week fall in the
context of us evaluating the threat
from the Chinese Communist Party we've
talked about in the context of ZTE .
We've talked about it in the context of
Wall Way . We're now evaluating each
instance where we believe that U . S
citizens data that they have on their
phones or in their system or in there
health care records . We want to make
sure that the Chinese Communist Party
doesn't have a way to easily access
that . And so what you'll see the
administration do is take actions that
preserve and protect that information
and deny the Chinese Communist Party
access to the private information that
belongs to Americans . We have a big
project because we've got partners all
around the world where infrastructure
crosses Chinese technology and then
come to United States . So one should
think about . This is a project of riel
scale and real importance . We must get
this right . The infrastructure of this
next 100 years must be a communications
infrastructure that's based on a
Western ideal of private property and
protection of private citizens .
Information in a transparent way . That
is not the model the Chinese Communist
Party software and hardware companies
are engaged in . Let's in . Thank you .
Okay . You look like you got a great
question . Just all over your face . I
e I can just see it . I try to bring
the Midwest fantastic . Me too .
So , you know , dispirit countries from
Taiwan to Germany have managed to
flatten the curve , but the U . S . Has
the highest number of cases of cove it
in the world . Do you still believe the
U . S is a world leader on the pandemic ?
And , um , just to put it directly , um ,
was the US involved in any way in the
Natanz explosion ? Your first
question ? Of course . the US remains
the world leader in the pandemic , Uh ,
almost goes without saying , and
they're multiple dimensions that I've
talked about , each of them . Certainly
the vice president Task force talks
about them as well . But whether that
is the technical scientific solutions
both to how to stop the spread ,
whether that's therapeutics or vaccines ,
the world turns its eyes to the best
scientists and researchers and
practitioners of the sciences that will
ultimately bring resolutions . Probably ,
it's the United States that the world
looks to when it comes to countries ,
small countries , whether that's in
Central Asia or Africa , their eyes
turned to the United States . It's not
remotely close . Who has provided the
most assistance to these nations to try
and solve what are vexing problems in
their countries with very little
medical infrastructure s . Oh , yes ,
there is no doubt that the United
States has been and will remain the
world's leader when it comes to not
only pandemic response but global
health care , infrastructure systems
and processes that take down the very
risks that we describe . It's good we
have friends and partners in this to
the Western democracies . That model is
the one that is most likely to prevail
and prevent this kind of thing from
happening again . What we found in
China is the Chinese Communist Party
was simply incapable , and you see it
with the arrest that I referred to in
my remarks . They're incapable being
transparent , of accepting criticism of
allowing reporters to ask them
questions that they find uncomfortable ,
that elicit the truth and the facts .
We still have significant questions
about who patient zero waas you know ,
six months on , at least from when this
began the Chinese Communist Party .
That authoritarian model simply can't
prevent the kind of inquiry or has to
prevent that kind of ink because
they're afraid . They're afraid that
the truth will be something that will
not shine a happy light on what took
place . And so instead they chose to
hide an obvious Kate and deny basic
truth , basic scientific truths about
what took place . This is the This is a
fundamental in fatal flaw for
authoritarian regimes , and it's why
the Chinese Communist Party has to be
held accountable . And the second
question was about the explosion and
the times . I don't have anything to
add , really , Grimble . I just don't
have any comment ?
The Mexican delegation has been here .
You're gonna die ,
deal with friends , Temple me
condition on de many reviews
I'm here for
yeah , So it's the president's meeting
and put on the table precisely what he
chooses do and I'm sure President
Obrador will do that as well . But I'm
confident the meeting will talk about
the full range of issues that we work
on with the Mexican government .
Certainly the economic issues . We want
to talk about our border , how we make
sure that we keep that border . That
means that that commercial traffic up
and successful , very important
American supply chains , Canadian
supply chains that you can see common
toe full force under the USMC A . We've
got to make sure we get that right . So
I know they'll talk about that about
confident that the full range of issues ,
I'm sure we'll talk about issues that
aren't that expand beyond bilateral us .
Well , things in the hemisphere , right ?
What's taking place in Venezuela today
challenges that we find to narcotics
trafficking on both the Pacific and the
Atlantic places where Mexico could help .
So I'm confident that the full range of
issues you ask you mentioned several
others . I'm very confident that the
discussion will be complete and
comprehensive . I expect we'll have a
good set of meetings with them today ,
in the afternoon and then again this
evening at the working dinner as well
without a temporary one . More Holy God
about physics . Pattern of instigating
boundary dispute You know what has
happened with India ? China's at they
should behavior . Yes , India in LEH
Ladakh What is the situation ? What is
the assessment of the situation between
India and China right now ? So I've
spoken with for Mr Edition car a number
of times about this , but the Chinese
took incredibly aggressive action . The
Indians have done their best to respond
to that . I put this in the context of
the General Secretary Xi Jingping and
his behavior throughout the region .
Indeed , throughout the world , it's I
don't think it's possible to look at
that particular instance of Chinese
Communist Party aggression in isolation .
I think you need to put it in the
larger context . When when I was up for
once before we talked about the number
of both maritime and boundaries ,
disputes of the Chinese Communist Party
has engaged . I think its unequalled
any place else in the world . There
aren't many neighbors that could
satisfactorily say that they they know
where their sovereignty ends and that
the Chinese Communist Party will
respect that sovereignty . That's
certainly true now for the people of
Bhutan as well . This is what the world
must come together to respond to this
increasing , revisionist effort that
the Chinese Communist Party is engaged
in , something that President Trump has
taken incredibly seriously . United
States hadn't done that in previous
administrations . We respond to this in
a way that we think is appropriate ,
and we have attempted to communicate to
the Chinese leadership that we are
serious about this . When I say week ,
not just the United States , we will
start very shortly a dialogue with are
your friends on how we collectively can
respond to this challenge from the
Chinese Communist Party . And I am
confident . I'm confident that this I
think , what's happened with the , uh ,
spread of this virus from Wuhan , China .
I think the world has seen the true
colors of the Chinese Communist Party ,
and I am convinced , more than ever ,
that the free peoples of the world will
come to understand the threat that's
presented not only internally inside of
China , but importantly that the impact
that General Secretary she has on the
world is not good for free peoples and
democracy loving peoples in the world
will come together to respond to that
in a way that is powerful and important
and will preserve sovereign nations
operating under the rule of law in the
way that we have all come accustomed to
and benefits people all across the
world . Thank you . I'm so I'm gonna
have to take off . Thanks , everybody .
Have a good day .