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The US already has MDO in place. And India will be seeking its expertise in an effort to adopt the same system for its own forces.

When the visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets his counterpart Rajnath Singh on Saturday, India will seek cooperation from the US in Multi Domain Operation (MD), and Intelligence Sharing.

On Friday late afternoon the US Defense Secretary arrived in India on Friday on a two day visit which is aimed at enhancing the bilateral defense and security ties between the two countries. He is accompanied by a high level official delegation. This is the first visit of one of the top officers from the Biden administration and assumes importance as it follows the recently concluded Quad Leaders Summit which was called by the US President Joe Biden

Since India is trying to transform from man-power intensive to technology-intensive force, talks with the US is going to be in Multi-Doman Operations (MDO). And also Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Big Data as well as block chain. The two are also going to talk about Intelligence sharing, as well as operationalizing agreements inked between the two countries, a senior officer confirmed to Financial Express Online, late Friday evening.

Though India has recently started focusing on jointness among all the three services this means that the all the services participate together, and need not necessarily be in an integrated manner.

MDO is a step beyond joint. Roughly it means that capabilities are employed through multiple domains. This is very critical in network centric warfare. And is already operational among the NATO members as well as countries like Australia has this in operation. Once this is operational then it is able to provide C4 [command, control, communication and computer] services which will help the forces to deploy the troops and assets in a very short time.

The US already has MDO in place. And India will be seeking its expertise in an effort to adopt the same system for its own forces. This means that right from the soldier on the ground will be able to enhance his individual performance which will be through AI support systems, machine learning, and biotechnical sensors.

India and the US will also talk about the operationalization of the agreements inked by both sides. As has been reported by Financial Express Online the two countries have concluded: The foundational agreement for mutual logistics support The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA); Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA). The COMCASA agreement facilitates encrypted communications between the two armed forces. Both countries have also concluded the Industrial Security Annex or ISA, which enables the US to share sensitive information with private Indian entities on military hardware and helped paving the way for joint production of military equipment. Last year, the two countries inked the long pending Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).

Also read | India-US talks: Interoperability, CATSAA, Indo-Pacific Region and other issues to be the focus of talks with Lloyd Austin

Both the US Navy and the Indian Navy have signed a loan agreement and installed two Pacific fleet- provided CENTRIXS systems at the Indian Navy headquarters and the two sides are in discussions for installing several more at other locations. New Delhi, has according to reports also created a common account of USD 5 million, this has been set up to pay for services or information sought from the US under the COMCASA.

And to analyze large volumes of data that are received as part of Maritime Domain Awareness, a tactical data link, Sealink Advanced Analysis (S2A), is in the process of being set up. For the Big Data Analytics, the S2A is being co-developed by India and the US.

He reached New Delhi after concluding his visits to Japan and South Korea. And later in the evening called on National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Several issues including the ongoing standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the situation in Myanmar as well as other issues of mutual interests were discussed.

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India-US talks: MDO, intelligence sharing, and operationalizing agreements to be discussed; Lloyd Austin calls on NSA Ajit Doval - The Financial...

In March of last year, Andrea Circle Bear was transferred from a South Dakota jail to FMC Carswell, an all-female prison for those with special medical needs in Fort Worth, Texas. Circle Bear, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, was serving out a 26-month sentence for conducting a pair of drug deals totaling $850. She was also heavily pregnant. On March 31, Circle Bear began experiencing symptoms of COVID-19dry fever, heavy coughand was placed on a ventilator. The following day, she delivered her baby via C-section. Three days after that, she tested positive for COVID-19. She was dead three weeks later, the first federal prisoner to die of the coronavirus.

Around this time, another inmate at FMC Carswell, Reality Winner, requested compassionate release due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 among the prison population. Due to her history of respiratory illness and bulimia, the virus posed a heavy risk for the 28-year-old. But federal prosecutors blocked Winners request to commute the remaining 19 months of her sentence. Three months later, she contracted COVID-19. Of the 1,625 incarcerated women at FMC Carswell, over 500 came down with the coronavirus, the second most cases of any federal prison. Six of the women died.

She has been under tremendous pressure, says Sonia Kennebeck. She has also been sexually harassed, and a bunch of other things. Its completely inhumane and entirely disproportionate.

Kennebeck, a filmmaker and investigative journalist, has been documenting Winners case for the better part of three years, trailing her family members and friends, filing FOIA requests, and conducting a phone interview with the whistleblower from prison. The result is The United States vs. Reality Winner, a documentary feature making its (virtual) premiere at SXSW.

Reality Winners case is a complicated one, to say the least. She was given her nameand that is her real, government nameby her father after hed observed a woman in Lamaze class with a T-shirt that read I COACHED A REAL WINNER. He wanted her to succeed, and she in turn worshipped him. The Sept. 11 attacks had a profound effect on her father, who instilled in 9-year-old Winner the curiosity to learn what happened, and why. In addition to her academic prowess, Winner had an innate desire to help others, donating to volunteer groups, rescuing cats and dogs, and pushing wheelchair-bound kids in half-marathons as part of Athletes Serving Athletes. She served as an Air Force cryptolinguist from 2010 to 2016, translating communications that would inform drone operators whom they should target. When she was honorably discharged in October 2016, she received a commendation stating she was responsible for removing more than 100 enemies from the battlefield.

One month later, she moved to Augusta, Georgia, in search of work at an NGO. She was a bit disenchanted by her work in the drone program, and felt shed lost sight of the reason she joined the military in the first placeto help others. She taught at a yoga studio and CrossFit gym, and, despite being fluent in Persian, Pashto, and Dari, couldnt seem to find work at a nonprofit due to her lack of a college degree. Then her father passed away. In February 2017, she landed a job at Pluribus International Corporation, an NSA contractor, translating documents related to Irans aerospace program.

But Winner, a Libertarian-minded Texan armed with a bright-pink AR-15, soon became disgusted with President Trump. Following his Muslim ban, she tweeted, the most dangerous entry to this country was the orange fascist we let into the white house. And as the chatter began heating up about possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Winner was puzzled. She had top-secret clearance and had seen with her own two eyes documented evidence that Russia had conducted an elaborate cyberattack on a key U.S. voting software supplier, thereby accessing voter rolls, and sent a series of spear-phishing emails to over 100 election officials just prior to the election. Why was the U.S. government suppressing this information?

On May 9, 2017, the day President Trump fired FBI Director James Comeywho was heading an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 electionWinner printed out a document from her computer, folded it up, stuffed it in her pantyhose, and left the building. She then sent a copy of the document via snail mail to The Intercepts New York office. Then, The Interceptthinking the document was perhaps fakedid something highly unusual. As New York Magazine reported:

On May 30, according to court filings, an unnamed reporter sent pictures of the document to a contractor for the U.S. government and told the contractor that theyd been postmarked in Augusta. The contractor initially said that the documents were fake but, after checking with someone at the NSA, reported that they were real.

A journalist sending copies of a leaked U.S. government document back to the U.S. government is almost unheard of.

A journalist sending copies of a leaked U.S. government document back to the U.S. government is almost unheard of. The copies of the document sent by The Intercept reporter eventually made it to the NSA and then the FBI, and the move ended up giving Winner away to the authorities. According to The Guardian:

A visible crease in the document told officials that the Intercept must have received a hard copy in the mail, according to prosecutors Information security analysts also pointed out that the printout handed to the NSA by the Intercept appeared to feature a unique microdot pattern, a security feature intended to allow the documents owner to keep track of precisely when and where it was printed. Investigators reviewed a log of who had printed the file. Six names, including Winners, showed up. A search of Winners computer system also allegedly turned up two emails that she had previously sent to the Intercept from her personal account about a podcast published by the site. Investigators had their target.

On June 3, 2017, 11 mostly armed federal agents descended on Winners home and, without reading her Miranda rights, interrogated her for over an hour in a back room, eventually coaxing a confession out of her.

While a transcript of the FBI interrogation of Winner has leaked, forming the basis for the stage play Is This a Room, the audio of the strange encounter had never seen the light of day. So, Kennebeck filed a FOIA request for the audio two years ago. After the FBI denied the request, she appealed the decision to Trumps Department of Justice, which sided with the filmmaker. And the FBI still didnt release the material, so we sued themmy small production company, with some pro bono help from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, says Kennebeck.

She kept on editing The United States vs. Reality Winner and locked the picture in early February, including voiceover work from Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer as Winner. Then, on Feb. 10, she learned that theyd won their suit and would be receiving the audio of the grilling. It was quite dramatic, recalls Kennebeck. When we actually won the court order, it was the same day that the SXSW world premiere was announced, so we had already finished the film and recorded the voiceovers with Natalia Dyer, and we just reopened the entire film.

The audio of the interrogation reveals how the FBI agents engaged Winner in a bizarre, entrapment-y talk (their words), repeatedly insisting that she was there voluntarilyeven though the armed agents had cornered her in a tiny room with no windowand vacillating between jokey and threatening.

All the while, Winner was absolutely terrified. I couldnt hold it anymore, but at the same time I was like, if I take one step out of line theyre gonna think oh, well, lets put her down, she tells Kennebeck during a prison interview in the film. Or if my cat tried to get out or if she got scared, I dont know what I was going to do if something was going to happen to her. So, I was afraid that my reaction would warrant lethal force I was really afraid to even put one foot out of line.

On June 5, two days after she was arrested, The Intercept released their story with the headline, TOP-SECRET NSA REPORT DETAILS RUSSIAN HACKING EFFORT DAYS BEFORE 2016 ELECTION. There were four authors bylined on the piece: Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle, and Ryan Grim. Sources tell The Daily Beast that Biddle and Grim were not heavily involved in the reporting process, which fell on the shoulders of Cole and Esposito. In The United States vs. Reality Winner, a pair of fellow whistleblowers raise questions about the conduct of Cole and Esposito, the latter of whom left journalism after the publication of the Winner story to work in the communications department of the NYPD, in essence working for the state after revealing a source to the state. Perhaps even more egregious than the microdots oversight was the decision to supply a government contractor with where the Winner missive came from.

Not only did they give them the content, they gave them the envelope information and where it came from. What the heck? NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake says in the film. The last thing youre going to do is take a disclosure and take the raw version of it and give it to the government for review. Unfortunately, and I have to say this now, it begs some really uncomfortable questions about what was the intent of The Intercept reporters of record? What did they actually share, or what didnt they protect?

Those same two journalists got me arrested, and because of their carelessnesssubterfuge might be a better wordI spent two years in prison.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called the journalist who sent a copy of the document to the federal governmentwho is either Cole or Espositoa menace to sources, and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the public exposure & termination of the reporter. John Kiriakou, a CIA whistleblower who disclosed information on torture, also points the finger squarely at Cole and Esposito in the film: Those same two journalists got me arrested, and because of their carelessnesssubterfuge might be a better wordI spent two years in prison.

Neither Cole nor Esposito responded to requests for comment; a spokesperson for The Intercept issued a statement to The Daily Beast that read, in part: We have acknowledged our mistakes, and we made changes to our editorial process after a comprehensive internal review. As other journalists have noted, our errors were not singularly responsible for her arrest, but our organization supported her legal defense and we have continued to cover her ordeal while other media outlets moved on.

The Intercept gave Kennebeck access to their newsroom for the documentary, and both editor-in-chief Betsy Reed and national security reporter James Risen are featured. While Kennebeck is thankful for their participation, including what she characterizes as a very tense interview with Reed, as a journalist whos reported on national security and who gives source-protection workshops, shes highly critical of their methods with the Winner story. I would have loved to talk to these journalists personally, she says. I even spoke to a third person who says he was revealed as a source, who worked with one of them. Now, do humans make mistakes? Yes, they do. Should they be in this job if they make them repeatedly?

Reality Winner pleaded not guilty to the charge of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, and was repeatedly denied bail by the judge. During pre-trial hearings, the government tried to smear her as someone who hates America, pointing to a clearly sarcastic Facebook exchange shed made with her sister Brittany about hating America, and a diary entry where she joked about burning down the White House. But Winner did not hate America; on the contrary, she cared deeply about it, having not only served her country but taken active steps to improve it, including meeting with her state senator to discuss the effects of climate change.

They made her sound so devious and evil, Realitys mother, Billie Winner-Davis, says in the film. Thats probably the reason why [her stepfather] and I decided that we had to speak out.

Winner eventually accepted a plea deal of five years and three months behind bars for violating the Espionage Act. Once the sentence was passed down, Kennebeck repeatedly requested to interview Winner; each request was denied.

Though Winners family and friends have made appeals to the Trump and Biden administrations, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Winner is expected to be released on Nov. 23, 2021, though she is still struggling from the aftermath of COVID. To make matters worse, in February, winter storm Uri knocked out power at FMC Carswell, leaving inmatesmany of whom had COVID-19without heat and hot water. Were in a cinder block building with no insulation, an inmate told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. We have to go outside to get our meals, and its snow and icy everywhere and were freezing.

Winner is the eighth whistleblower to be charged under the Espionage Act, which dates back to 1917, and received the longest sentence ever imposed in federal court for leaking government documents to the press. And the question remains: Who was harmed by Winners disclosure?

Because it was so important to the integrity of our elections, and our whole election system and our democracy, aka what our country built on, you would think somebody who blew the whistle to expose the damage that a foreign adversarial nation did to us, you would think shed be released, Realitys sister Brittany says in the film. Youd think that they would actually probably say thank you for the information she made available for, really, the people who needed to know it.

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How America Betrayed Reality Winner THE DAILY BEAST - The Daily Beast

WILLIAMSBURGWilliamsburg native David Hubbard has spent the last 35 years helping to keep the nation safe and secure, working for one of the governments most highly classified agenciesthe National Security Agency.

The NSA is a U.S. intelligence agency within the Department of Defense that plays an integral role in keeping the nation safe and achieving military objectives by gathering, analyzing and sharing data and signals intelligence. To put it into perspective, Hubbard said there are more people working at NSA headquarters in Maryland than there are living in Williamsburg currently.

This job can be really, really humbling when you think about what were really doing here, Hubbard said. We say this a lot but these words have real meaningwere really trying to keep the nation safe. When something happens here inside the walls of NSA where we have a great success but we cant talk about it, we cant tell anybody about it outside of herethere are days you go home and you know you were part of something bigger than yourself and you were a part of really helping to keep the nation safe.

I often think about the people that live in my hometown growing up. Most people, the vast majority of Americans, go through life on a day to day basis and never think about an intelligence agency, they never think about whats going on behind the walls to keep them safe but it really is a sincere honor to be a part of that.

Hubbard spent most of his young life in Williamsburg, after moving from Corbin to Williamsburg after pre-school. He played the trumpet in his high school band and enjoyed watching the University of Kentucky Wildcats mens basketball team with his father, who is still a season ticket holder at Rupp Arena.

After graduating high school, Hubbard attended the University of the Cumberlands for three years, which at the time was called Cumberland College. After that, Hubbard transferred to the University of Kentucky where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree after majoring in computer science, something Hubbard had been interested in since a young child.

I cant really tell you why but honestly, as a kid, I was always interested in codes and cyphers and secret writing, Hubbard said. I still remember going to the local library down on 3rd Street in Williamsburg and checking out books about that kind of stuff, so Id always had an interest in codes, cyphers, I was already pretty good at math and in science courses.

Before graduating college, Hubbard began looking for careers where he could put his love of codes and cyphers to use.

When it got time to get close to graduate at UK, I went to the placement office and started trying to find a job and the NSA had taken out the entire back cover of University of Kentuckys placement catalogue, he said. There was a picture of two brand new buildings here, they were dedicated in the mid to late 80s. When I saw that full page ad, I did a little bit of research about the NSA and saw one of the things NSA does is break code cyphers to produce intelligence for our nation and I kind of applied on a whim. I said wow, this sounds interesting. Let me give it a shot.

Hubbard applied for a job in the National Computer Security Center (NCSC) at the NSA in April of 1985 and after going through all the screening, he was hired in by late September, at the age of 24.

In his 35 years with the NSA, Hubbard has held several different job titles working in several different aspects of the NSA, including evaluating national security information systems, developing software for NSA, and serving in a variety of program management, technical and managerial positions.

After his one-year hiatus, Hubbard returned to the NSA where he once again was working in the NCSC in a variety positions before taking over as Chief of NSAs Commercial Engagement Center (CEC).

Currently, Hubbard works as the Chief of Legislative State, Local and Academic Engagement at the NSA, where he is responsible for developing, promoting, and facilitating strategic alliances with state, local and community leaders, as well as all NSA/CSS academic programs and relationships.

Ive been fortunate to have a lot of very interesting jobs here, Hubbard said. This is a real unique job because, again, we deal with people outside of NSA, in this particular instance with representatives and senators.

Hubbard is the recipient of a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award and the NSA Meritorious Civilian Service Award. In addition to receiving several awards while at the NSA, Hubbard also holds a patent for an invention developed while employed by Microsoft.

Not many days but there have been a handful of days here at NSA where I would have paid to come to work, honestly, Hubbard said of his experience. Ive been a part of things every once in a while where you walk in, something really important, really exciting was going on and we had a hand in addressing it. You can do things at NSA that you cant do anywhere else in the world and it can be really, really exciting.

For now, Hubbard is enjoying his current position at the NSA and is looking forward to the day he can finally come back home to Williamsburg to visit his family and for a chance for his father to finally meet Hubbards granddaughter, his great-granddaughter, as they have been unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Williamsburg native has worked with National Security Agency for last 35 years - Times Tribune of Corbin

Sohail was arrested after a video of him spitting on rotis before cooking them in a tandoor went viral (Aaj Tak)

The man, who was caught on camera spitting on rotis while cooking at a wedding in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA). He was arrested in February after a video of him spitting on the rotis before putting them in a tandoor went viral on social media.

On the direction of the district magistrate, NSA was invoked against Sohail so that he wouldn't secure bail in the case. His family had recently applied for bail in the Courts of Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court.

However, fearing a ruckus and attack on Sohail, the administration did not want to release him. During one of the hearings since his arrest, some people had attacked Sohail. Fearing that it could happen again if he's released on bail, NSA was invoked against him.

The incident which happened in February 2021 came to light when a person secretly filmed the man spitting on the rotis before cooking them in a tandoor at a wedding in Meerut.

As soon as the video landed on social media, netizens, "disgusted" with the visuals, called for action against the man and urged police to probe the matter.

As the matter escalated with Hindu Jagran Manch creating a ruckus outside LLRM Police Station in Meerut, an FIR was registered against Sohail. Sohail was arrested as soon as the video went viral on social media.

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NSA against man who spit on rotis while cooking at wedding in UP's Meerut - India Today

U.S. Department of State

REMARKSANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATEANCHORAGE, ALASKAMARCH 18, 2021

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, and welcome. On behalf of National Security Advisor Sullivan and myself, I want to welcome Director Yang and State Councilor Wang to Alaska, and to thank you very much for making the journey to be with us.

I just returned myself from meetings with Secretary of Defense Austin and our counterparts in Japan and the Republic of Korea, two of our nations closest allies. They were very interested in the discussions that well have here today and tomorrow because the issues that well raise are relevant not only to China and the United States, but to others across the region and indeed around the world. Our administration is committed to leading with diplomacy to advance the interests of the United States and to strengthen the rules-based international order.

That system is not an abstraction. It helps countries resolve differences peacefully, coordinate multilateral efforts effectively, and participate in global commerce with the assurance that everyone is following the same rules. The alternative to a rules-based order is a world in which might makes right and winners take all, and that would be a far more violent and unstable world for all of us. Today, well have an opportunity to discuss key priorities, both domestic and global, so that China can better understand our administrations intentions and approach.

Well also discuss our deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, and economic coercion toward our allies. Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability. Thats why theyre not merely internal matters and why we feel an obligation to raise these issues here today.

I said that the United States relationship with China will be competitive where it should be, collaborative where it can be, adversarial where it must be. Our discussions here in Alaska, I suspect, will run the gamut. Our intent is to be direct about our concerns, direct about our priorities, with the goal of a more clear-eyed relationship between our countries moving forward. Thank you for being here.

And before turning to you, Mr. Director, Id like to invite National Security Advisor Sullivan to say a few words.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and welcome to Director Yang and State Councilor Wang. Its fitting that were meeting here in Alaska. We may be far from the continental United States, but there are few places that are as quintessentially American: big-hearted, resilient, intrepid. This is truly a fitting place for us to host this meeting.

Secretary Blinken and I are proud of the story about America were able to tell here about a country that, under President Bidens leadership, has made major strides to control the pandemic, to rescue our economy, and to affirm the strength and staying power of our democracy. Were particularly proud of the work that weve done to revitalize our alliances and partnerships, the foundation of our foreign policy. Just last week, President Biden hosted the Quad leaders summit that spoke to the can-do spirit of the worlds democracies and committed to realize the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. It is through partnerships like these that all of us can deliver progress and prosperity for our peoples.

Secretary Blinken laid out many of the areas of concern, from economic and military coercion to assaults on basic values, that well discuss with you today and in the days ahead. Well do so frankly, directly, and with clarity. These are the concerns that are on the minds of the American people, but it goes beyond that. Weve heard each of these concerns posed from around the world from our allies and partners to the broader international community during the intensive consultations weve undertaken in the last two months.

Well make clear today that our overriding priority from the United States side is to ensure that our approach in the world and our approach to China benefits the American people and protects the interests of our allies and partners. We do not seek conflict, but we welcome stiff competition and we will always stand up for our principles, for our people, and for our friends. We look forward to discussing all of these matters with you in the hours ahead. Thank you.

DIRECTOR YANG: (In Mandarin.)

PARTICIPANT: Its a test for the interpreter.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Were going to give the translator a raise. (Laughter.)

DIRECTOR YANG: (Via interpreter) Secretary Blinken and Mr. Sullivan, the State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I have come to Anchorage, the United States to have this strategic dialogue with the United States. We hope that this dialogue will be a sincere and candid one. Both China and the United States are major countries in the world, and together we shoulder important responsibilities to the peace, stability, and development of the world and the region. In China, we have just concluded the Lianghui, or the two sessions of the National Peoples Congress and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference. During the sessions, we adopted the outline for the 14th five-year economic and social development plan and the long-range objectives through the year 2035.

For China, we are now in a historic year where we will move from finishing the first centenary goal to the second centenary goal, and by the year 2035 China will surely achieve basic modernization. And by the year 2050, China will achieve full modernization. China has made decisive achievements and important strategic gains in fighting COVID-19, and we have achieved a full victory in ending absolute poverty in China. Chinas per capita GDP is only one-fifth of that of the United States, but we have managed to end absolute poverty for all people in China. And we hope that other countries, especially the advanced countries, will make similar efforts in this regard. And China has also made historic achievements in building the country into a moderately prosperous one in all respects. The Chinese people are wholly rallying around the Communist Party of China. Our values are the same as the common values of humanity. Those are: peace, development, fairness, justice, freedom, and democracy.

What China and the international community follow or uphold is the United Nations-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, not what is advocated by a small number of countries of the so-called rules-based international order. And the United States has its style United States-style democracy and China has the Chinese-style democracy. It is not just up to the American people, but also the people of the world to evaluate how the United States has done in advancing its own democracy. In Chinas case, after decades of reform and opening up, we have come a long way in various fields. In particular, we have engaged in tireless efforts to contribute to the peace and development of the world, and to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

The wars in this world are launched by some other countries, which have resulted in massive casualties. But for China, what we have asked for, for other countries, is to follow a path of peaceful development, and this is the purpose of our foreign policy. We do not believe in invading through the use of force, or to topple other regimes through various means, or to massacre the people of other countries, because all of those would only cause turmoil and instability in this world. And at the end of the day, all of those would not serve the United States well.

So we believe that it is important for the United States to change its own image and to stop advancing its own democracy in the rest of the world. Many people within the United States actually have little confidence in the democracy of the United States, and they have various views regarding the Government of the United States. In China, according to opinion polls, the leaders of China have the wide support of the Chinese people. So no attempt to the opinion polls conducted in the United States show that the leaders of China have the support of the Chinese people. No attempt to smear Chinas social system would get anywhere. Facts have shown that such practices would only lead the Chinese people to rally more closely around the Communist Party of China and work steadily towards the goals that we have set for ourselves.

In 1952, China adopted its first five-year development plan, and now we are into the first year of the 14th five-year development plan. We will continue along this path, step by step. Chinas development is not just about delivering benefits for the people of China, but also about contributing to the development of the world in the 21st century. China and the United States are both major countries and both shoulder important responsibilities. We must both contribute to the peace, stability, and development of the world in areas such as COVID-19, restoring economic activities in the world, and responding to climate change. There are many things that we can do together and where our interests converge.

So what we need to do is to abandon the Cold War mentality and the zero-sum game approach. We must change the way we think and make sure that in this century, the 21st century, countries big or small, particularly the big countries, should come united together to contribute to the future of humanity and build a community with a shared future for humankind. Its also important for all of us to come together to build a new type of international relations, ensuring fairness, justice, and mutual respect. And on some regional issues, I think the problem is that the United States has exercised long-arm jurisdiction and suppression and overstretched the national security through the use of force or financial hegemony, and this has created obstacles for normal trade activities, and the United States has also been persuading some countries to launch attacks on China.

And as for China, we believe and we have handled import- and export-related issues according to scientific and technological standards. Secretary Blinken, you said you just came back from Japan and the ROK. Those two countries are Chinas second and the third largest trading partners. ASEAN has now become Chinas largest trading partner, overtaking the European Union and the United States. So we do hope that the United States will develop sound relations with all countries in the Asia-Pacific. We should have many mutual friends. This is the right way forward in the 21st century.

On the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had a phone conversation. The two presidents agreed to step up communication, manage differences, and expand cooperation between our two countries. We are having this dialogue today to follow up on the common understanding of the two presidents reached during their phone conversation. And having this dialogue is, in fact, a decision made by the two presidents. So for the people of the two countries and the world, theyre hoping to see practical outcomes coming out of our dialogue. And with Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan, they are an inalienable part of Chinas territory. China is firmly opposed to U.S. interference in Chinas internal affairs. We have expressed our staunch opposition to such interference and we will take firm actions in response.

On human rights, we hope that the United States will do better on human rights. China has made steady progress in human rights and the fact is that there are many problems within the United States regarding human rights, which is admitted by the U.S. itself as well. The United States has also said that countries cant rely on force in todays world to resolve the challenges we face. And it is a failure to use various means to topple the so-called authoritarian states. And the challenges facing the United States in human rights are deep-seated. They did not just emerge over the past four years, such as Black Lives Matter. It did not come up only recently. So we do hope that for our two countries, its important that we manage our respective affairs well instead of deflecting the blame on somebody else in this world.

And for China, we will manage our own affairs well, and we hope to deliver a better life for our 1.4 billion Chinese people. This is the goal of Chinas diplomacy. And also, we will make our contribution to the peace and stability of the world. Since breaking the ice between our two countries in our engagement several decades ago, China and the United States have achieved a lot together. This is the result of the concerted efforts of the people with vision of both countries, and this past is a part of our achievements. Although so much has changed in this world, it is important that our two countries think about how we can work together and expand our cooperation under the new circumstances.

If there is competition between our two countries, I think the competition focuses on the economic aspect, and in this area, as I have said just now, for frictions in our economic engagement, it is important to respond to them in a rational way and seek win-win results. And China-U.S. trade has already achieved a lot, and we should do even better. The overwhelming majority of American businesses in China have said that Chinas business environment is good and nobody has forced them to stay in China. They see a profit coming from their presence in China and they see immense opportunities in China. Thats why they are staying in China. And I believe that for our two countries, under the new circumstances, we need to enhance communication, properly manage our differences, and expand our cooperation instead of engaging in confrontation.

But between our two countries weve had confrontation in the past, and the result did not serve the United States well. What did the United States gain from that confrontation? I didnt see any, and the only result was damages done to United States. And China will pull through and has pulled through such confrontation.

So the way we see the relationship with the United States is as President Xi Jinping has said that is, we hope to see no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation with the United States. And actually, during the phone call between the presidents, President Biden himself also talked about the importance of having no conflict or confrontation between our two countries. So at our level, I think its vital that we do everything we can to fully and faithfully follow up and implement the understandings reached between our two presidents and bring back the China-U.S. relationship to the track of sound and steady growth.

On cyber attacks, let me say that whether its the ability to launch cyber attacks or the technologies that could be deployed, the United States is the champion in this regard. You cant blame this problem on somebody else.

The United States itself does not represent international public opinion, and neither does the Western world. Whether judged by population scale or the trend of the world, the Western world does not represent the global public opinion. So we hope that when talking about universal values or international public opinion on the part of the United States, we hope the U.S. side will think about whether it feels reassured in saying those things, because the U.S. does not represent the world. It only represents the Government of the United States. I dont think the overwhelming majority of countries in the world would recognize that the universal values advocated by the United States or that the opinion of the United States could represent international public opinion, and those countries would not recognize that the rules made by a small number of people would serve as the basis for the international order.

Because, Mr. Secretary and NSA Sullivan, you have delivered some quite different opening remarks, mine will be slightly different as well.

STATE COUNCILOR WANG: (Via interpreter) Well, I will stay quite brief compared with Director Yang. Secretary Blinken, NSA Sullivan, you have been involved in the relationship with China for many years, so youre also true friends for the Chinese people. And I would say that I am pleased to meet you today, and China the Chinese delegation is here at the invitation of the United States. And as NSA Sullivan said, Anchorage is the midpoint of the air route connecting our two countries, and it is fair to say that this place is a refueling station for China-U.S. exchanges and also a place that China and the United States can meet each other halfway.

And China certainly in the past has not and in the future will not accept the unwarranted accusations from the U.S. side. In the past several years, Chinas legitimate rights and interests have come under outright suppression, plunging the China-U.S. relationship into a period of unprecedented difficulty. This has damaged the interests of our two peoples and taken its toll on world stability and development, and this situation must no longer continue. China urges the U.S. side to fully abandon the hegemonic practice of willfully interfering in Chinas internal affairs. This has been a longstanding issue and it should be changed. It is time for it to change. And in particular, on the 17th of March, the United States escalated its so-called sanctions on China regarding Hong Kong, and the Chinese people are outraged by this gross interference in Chinas internal affairs and the Chinese side is firmly opposed to it.

Anchorage is a midpoint between China and the United States, but after all, its still the United States territory, and I accept that the Chinese delegation has come here at the invitation of the United States. However, just the other day, before our departure, the United States passed these new sanctions. This is not supposed to be the way one should welcome his guests, and we wonder if this is a decision made by the United States to try to gain some advantage in dealing with China, but certainly this is miscalculated and only reflects the vulnerability and weakness inside the United States. And this will not shake Chinas position or resolve on those issues.

And let me also say that the phone conversation that President Xi Jinping and President Biden had on the eve of the Chinese New Year is a very important one, and during this phone conversation they agreed to some common understandings that have pointed the way forward for us to bring back the China-U.S. relationship onto the right track. And the international community is following very closely our dialogue for today and tomorrow. Theyre watching whether our two sides will each demonstrate goodwill and sincerity, and they are watching whether this dialogue will send out a positive signal to the world.

So we will be watching what will happen today and tomorrow, and if United States is willing, I think our two sides should step up to this responsibility and deliver on this task that we are given. I will stop here. Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much.

(Break.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. Director, State Councilor, given your extended remarks, permit me, please, to add just a few of my own before we get down to work, and I know Mr. Sullivan may have things to say as well.

I have to tell you, in my short time as Secretary of State, I have spoken to I think nearly a hundred counterparts from around the world, and I just made my first trip, as I noted, to Japan and South Korea. I have to tell you, what Im hearing is very different from what you described. Im hearing deep satisfaction that the United States is back, that were re-engaged with our allies and partners. Im also hearing deep concern about some of the actions your government has taken, and well have an opportunity to discuss those when we get down to work.

A hallmark of our leadership, of our engagement in the world is our alliances and our partnerships that have been built on a totally voluntary basis. And it is something that President Biden is committed to reinvigorating.

And theres one more hallmark of our leadership here at home, and thats a constant quest to, as we say, form a more perfect union. And that quest, by definition, acknowledges our imperfections, acknowledges that were not perfect, we make mistakes, we have reversals, we take steps back. But what weve done throughout our history is to confront those challenges openly, publicly, transparently, not trying to ignore them, not trying to pretend they dont exist, not trying to sweep them under a rug. And sometimes its painful, sometimes its ugly, but each and every time, we have come out stronger, better, more united as a country.

I recall well when President Biden was vice president and we were visiting China. This was in the wake of the financial crisis. There was much discussion then, including with then-Vice President Xi Jinping. And Vice President Biden at the time said its never a good bet to bet against America, and its true today.

STAFF: Thank you, press.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SULLIVAN: Just briefly, to add to what Secretary Blinken has said because I was actually going to make the same point without us even consulting a confident country is able to look hard at its own shortcomings and constantly seek to improve. And that is the secret sauce of America.

The other secret sauce of America is that our people are a problem-solving people, and we believe we solve problems best when we work together with allies and partners around the world.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the United States landed another rover on Mars, and it wasnt just an American project. It had technology from multiple countries from Europe and other parts of the world. It is also going to leave behind a collection of material for Mars that the United States and Europe will build a device that can fly there to pick it up and bring it back.

That is what can be accomplished by a country that is constantly reinventing itself, working closely with others, and seeking constantly to produce the kind of progress that benefits all of us, and is rooted in a concept of human dignity and human rights that is truly universal that every man, woman, and child in this world aspires to.

So we will look forward to the conversation today, but I do hope this conversation will be one carried out with confidence on both sides. So its not lectures or long, winding statements; its the opportunity for us to explain where were coming from, to hear where you are coming from, and to indicate, at bottom, what our principles, our priorities, and our long-term strategies are. Thats what we hope for in the dialogue that lies ahead, that is the spirit with which we approach this, and we look forward to continuing the discussion today. Thank you, everybody.

STAFF: Thank you very much, everyone.

(Break.)

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

DIRECTOR YANG: (Via interpreter) Well, it was my bad. When I entered this room, I should have reminded the U.S. side of paying attention to its tone in our respective opening remarks, but I didnt.

The Chinese side felt compelled to make this speech because of the tone of the U.S. side.

Well, isnt this the intention of United States, judging from what or the way that you have made your opening remarks, that it wants to speak to China in a condescending way from a position of strength?

So was this carefully all planned and was it carefully orchestrated with all the preparations in place? Is that the way that you had hoped to conduct this dialogue?

Well, I think we thought too well of the United States. We thought that the U.S. side will follow the necessary diplomatic protocols. So for China it was necessary that we made our position clear.

So let me say here that, in front of the Chinese side, the United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength. The U.S. side was not even qualified to say such things even 20 years or 30 years back, because this is not the way to deal with the Chinese people. If the United States wants to deal properly with the Chinese side, then lets follow the necessary protocols and do things the right way.

Cooperation benefits both sides. In particular, this is the expectation of the people of the world. Well, the American people are certainly a great people, but so are the Chinese people. So have the Chinese people not suffered enough in the past from the foreign countries? Well, at times I have not been sure since China started being encircled by the foreign countries.

Well, as long as Chinas system is right with the wisdom of the Chinese people, there is no way to strangle China. Our history will show that one can only cause damages to himself if he wants to strangle or suppress the Chinese people.

While the United States has talked about its cooperation to land on some other planet with the European side, well, China would welcome it if there is a will to carry out similar cooperation from the United States with us.

Ill stop here. Would the State Councilor wish to add?

STATE COUNCILOR WANG: (Via interpreter) Secretary Blinken and NSA Sullivan, you mentioned that during your engagements and the visit that Mr. Secretary had just recently, the two countries you visited mentioned coercion from China. We dont know if this is a direct complaint coming from those countries that you visited, or is it just the United States own view?

Well, I think for those relationships, it brings in Chinas relationship with the United States, with Japan, and with Australia. I dont think we could know from all being together because for all of those instances, they each have their own set of issues and different positions are involved. So to accuse China of coercion even before sharing the relevant views with China, is this the right act to do? Of course not.

If the United States would indiscriminately protest and speak up for those countries just because they are your allies or partners, we believe for the long term (inaudible), then it will be very difficult for international relations to develop properly. So we dont think one should be so testy as to accuse some other country of coercion. Who is coercing whom? I think history and the international community will come to their own conclusions.

But if the United States is interested in having those discussions with China, then we are ready to have those discussions with the U.S. side, but based on mutual respect so that we can increase our mutual understanding on those issues.

By U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong | 19 March, 2021 | Topics: News, U.S. Secretary of State | Tags: Antony J. Blinken

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Secretary Blinken, NSA Sullivan, Chinese Director Yang & Chinese State Councilor Wang at the Top of Their Meeting - US Consulate General Hong Kong...