东部标准时间2020年3月17日下午04:01国务卿迈克尔•R•蓬佩奥华盛顿DC新闻发布室
蓬佩奥国务卿：各位下午好。如你们所知，特朗普政府继续投入极大精力抗击武汉病毒并保护美国人民。我们正在美国国务院全力投入这项关键任务。我会简单讲讲这件事，同时我也愿意就我们国务院正在开展的工作回答一些问题。
尽管如此，我今天来这里是想让大家知道，即便是在我们应对这一全球大流行疫情之时，美国国务院依然在广泛的一系列事务上充分开展工作。没有国家像我们在美国这样投入这么多来捍卫生命、自由和对幸福的追求。同时我们在全世界也都在做这件事。这样的努力在继续。这是我今天想和各位分享的。
问：我想知道，你能否更具体地给我们讲一讲新型冠状病毒如何影响美国国务院，多少雇员接受了检测，多少人检测结果为阳性，多少人在隔离或居家办公？
另外一个问题是，昨天美国国务院发声明称中国正在散播关于新型冠状病毒源头的信息——鉴于此，你认为中国的遏制措施是否是成功的，就像他们的官员所说的那样？另外你认为中国是否在如实报告感染人数？
蓬佩奥国务卿：关于美国国务院，我们正在开展的工作有两个目标。第一是维持我们开展美国外交的能力。我们永远不会以牺牲该能力为代价。第二，我们想要保护我们的员工，让他们能继续开展工作。我们已经采取多项措施。我们已经颁布了我想现在有15份指南。我们已经实施旅行限制。你们已经看到了我们在这里做了哪些工作。我们将继续做这些，我们将继续关照我们的团队，同时我们的行动方式将与美国疾控中心指南以及在国务院工作的专业医务人员的建议保持一致。顺便要说，美国国务院医务人员的表现相当出色。我们的医疗团队所做的，我们为让美国人撤离武汉所做的，以及我们为保护美国人生命而就这些邮轮所做的，是美国外交的最佳传统。这真的是我任国务卿以来看过的美国国务院官员做的最了不起的事。我为我们团队的表现感到骄傲。我们有义务（听不清）关照他们和我们的全体团队。我们也将继续这样做。
回答你关于中国的问题——你看，他们正在掀起的虚假信息宣传攻势是为了推卸责任。现在不是相互指责的时候。现在是应对这一全球大流行疫情，努力降低美国人民和全世界人民面临的风险的时候。我的团队刚刚和我们的驻意大利大使通了电话。我们的团队正在当地为意大利人民提供帮助，他们的出色表现会让每个美国人感到骄傲。我们在世界各地都是这样做的。
会有那么一天，我们会来评估全世界是如何应对的。我们现在知道的是：我们知道，第一个知晓武汉病毒的是中国政府。这意味着他们有特别的责任提醒其他人注意，告诉大家:“我们这里出事了，情况特殊，不同以往，而且有风险。”而全世界经过那么长时间才意识到存在于中国境内的这种风险。我们将在时机成熟时采取后续行动。每个国家都有责任在力所能及的范围内及时准确地分享他们所有的数据，他们所有的信息，不仅因为这是在做正确的事情，还因为你也是在拯救自己人民的性命。中国共产党有责任这样做，不仅是为了正在遭受痛苦的美国人、意大利人、韩国人和伊朗人，也为了他们自己的人民。
奥特葛斯女士:克里斯蒂娜。你——
问:哦，我刚才想问——你怎样看待他们目前的应对措施？
蓬佩奥国务卿:我们都在努力解决这个问题。
问：(听不清)我现在的问题。我，真的想问，我想接着另一位同事的问题，问一下这座大楼里或驻外外交使团里有没有人被检测出新冠病毒阳性，你们在为这些员工做些什么。还有，在我们的驻外大使馆，我们正在增加医疗设施吗?鉴于很多航班被取消，边境被关闭，你们将如何对待这些国家的美国人，有什么计划？他们收到检测包了吗？所有这些都是如何运作的？然后我还有一个关于阿富汗的问题，但那个问题可以等下再问。
蓬佩奥国务卿:我不想花太多时间详述国务院正在做的庞杂的事情。形势时刻都在发生变化。我尽可能地随时掌握信息，了解我们的支持团队正在为我们的团队做些什么。国务院官员——每一个美国人都应该知道，我们将尽一切所能来照顾好我们的团队。我们已有几名雇员——一只手能数得过来——检测呈阳性。我们正是按照我们让每一个无论身在世界何处的美国人对此进行应对的方式对此进行了处理。而且在我们努力确保我们有在保护我们的团队，国务院团队时，我也想着我们也有责任去试着帮助美国公民，无论他们在哪里。所以这不仅是说在那些遥远的地方工作的官员保护他们自己以及我们的团队，还包括确保我们在为美国人民做正确的事。你们看到我们发出的旅行公告，试着确保它们与我们在各个——不仅是各个国家，还包括各个省、县、镇——所掌握的最新的数据组一致。所以我们在恰当地阐述它们，以便美国人对于他们是否应该出行做出好的决定。
问题：谢谢，国务卿先生。你提到了在伊朗的囚犯。一名英国公民刚刚暂时获释两周，但是Siamak Namazi的律师表示他被剥夺出监就医。你有任何信息表明有让一名美国公民获释或进行囚犯交换新会谈的可能性吗？你有没有美国自己对于在伊朗死亡人数的评估，因为一些流亡组织提到有5000多人死亡？
而且，如果可以的话，中国刚刚宣布了他们将在未来两周内收回数位美国记者的记者证。你对此有何反应？
蓬佩奥国务卿：关于伊朗，这是一个很好的问题。我没有谈论我们为了让美国人返回家园而付出的努力，而我们实际上是在这样做。但是，那些正在受到拘押的人们的家人–而且坦率地说，所有正在受到不当拘押的美国人都应该知道我们每天都在为此努力。我们知道，鉴于武汉病毒在那里的爆发，伊朗一直在对其中一些囚犯所做的事。我们知道他们正在考虑是否要释放他们。每个人都应该知道我们正在为此努力。我们正在与他们沟通。我们正在强烈要求他们，正如我们多次公开做过的那样，要求他们释放每一位正在那里受到不当拘押的美国人，来作为一种人道主义姿态，鉴于正在伊朗境内发生的事对他们构成的风险。
我们使用——为了了解伊朗多少人受到了冲击，我们使用的是全球数据集。这是个很大的数字；这是让人真正担忧的事。刚刚在今天上午，我和世界卫生组织的领导人谭德赛博士通过话，我们明确谈到伊朗以及可能的话美国如何可以提供帮助。我们承诺竭尽所能提供所有美国能为伊朗提供的。我希望他们会接受这项提议。单单这项就会促成伊朗有能力处理伊朗人民的这个难题。我希望他们会让我们参与这些人道主义努力，不仅仅是我们，还有全世界想来帮助伊朗人民保持健康并减缓那里的危险的国家。
你的第三个问题是关于中国共产党今天宣布的消息。关于这件事有两点要说。第一，在他们的声明中，他们不知为何表示是我们在美国这里已经采取的措施导致了这一决定。
这不是同一个问题。你们都知道你们所拥有的新闻自由。我们只是在开它们的玩笑，对吧。你们都可以问我任何想问的问题，我给你们答案。我们知道在中国内不存在这种自由。的确，中国人会告诉你，他们想要更多的信息，想要更多地了解他们的国家，但他们仍会继续采取像你今天所看到的那样的行动，他们拒绝让世界有能力了解他们国家内部的真实情况。
我们几周前列出的那些个人不是在这里自由活动的媒体。他们是中国宣传部门的一部分。根据美国法律，我们已将这些机构列为外国使团。从任何方面来说，这些都不是同一个问题。我感到遗憾，中国今天决定进一步阻止全世界开展新闻自由的能力。坦率地说，在当今这个充满挑战的全球化时代，这对中国人民真的有好处，对中国人民真的有好处。在这个时代，更多的信息、更大的透明度可以挽救生命。这样做是不幸的。我们刚看到。希望他们会重新考虑。

03/17/2020 04:01 PM EDTMichael R. Pompeo, Secretary of StateWashington, D.C.Press Briefing Room
SECRETARY POMPEO:  Good afternoon, everyone.  As you all know, the Trump administration continues to put an enormous amount of energy into combating the Wuhan virus and protecting the American people.  We’re highly engaged here at the State Department on that critical mission.  I’ll talk about that a bit and happy to take some questions as well about what we’re doing here at the State Department.
That being said, I wanted to come out here today to note the State Department remains fully engaged across a broad range of matters even as we tackle this global pandemic.  No nation gives so much to defend life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness more than we do here in the United States, and we’re doing that work all over the world.  That work continues.  That’s what I wanted to share with you today.
QUESTION:  I was wondering if you could give us a more specific sense on how coronavirus has affected the State Department, how many employees have been tested, tested positive, quarantined, or teleworking?
And then separately, a note that went out yesterday from the State Department saying that China is spreading information about the origins of coronavirus – in light of that, do you believe that China’s containment has been as successful as officials there say?  And then do you believe that China is honestly reporting its infection numbers?
SECRETARY POMPEO:  So with respect to the State Department, we’re taking activities that have two objectives.  First is to maintain our capability to deliver American diplomacy.  We’ll never sacrifice that capability.  Second, we want to protect our workforce so that they can continue to do that.  We’ve taken many measures.  We’ve issued I think it’s now some 15 guidelines.  We’ve limited travel.  You’ve seen the work that we’ve done here.  We’ll continue to do that, we’ll continue to take care of our team, and we’ll act in a way that’s consistent with the CDC’s guidelines and the professional medical staff that works here at the State Department – who, by the way, has performed unbelievably.  The work that our medical team has done, the work that we did to get Americans out of Wuhan, the work that we’ve done on these cruise ships to protect American lives, is in the finest tradition of American diplomacy.  It’s truly some of the most amazing things I’ve seen State Department officers do during my time here as the Secretary.  I’m so proud of the way the team has performed there.  We have an obligation (inaudible) take care of them and all of our team, and we’ll continue to do that.
Your question about China – look, the disinformation campaign that they are waging is designed to shift responsibility.  Now is not the time for recrimination.  Now is the time to solve this global pandemic and work to take down risks to Americans and people all across the world.  My team just got off the phone with the – our ambassador to Italy.  The remarkable work our team’s doing there to help the Italian people would make every American proud.  We’re doing this all across the world.
There will come a day when we will go evaluate how the entire world responded.  We know this much:  We know that the first government to be aware of the Wuhan virus was the Chinese Government.  That imposes a special responsibility to raise the flag, to say, “We have a problem, this is different and unique and presents risk.”  And it took an awful long time for the world to become aware of this risk that was sitting there, residing inside of China.  We’ll do the after-action when the time is right.  Every nation has a responsibility to share all of their data, all of their information in as timely and accurate a fashion as they have the ability to do not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because that’s how you save lives for your own people as well.  The Chinese Communist Party had a responsibility to do this not only for Americans and Italians and South Koreans and Iranians who are now suffering, but for their own people as well.
MS ORTAGUS:  Christina.  Or did you —
QUESTION:  Oh, I was just going to – how do you think their response is now, currently?
SECRETARY POMPEO:  We’re all working to solve the problem.
QUESTION:  (Inaudible) my questions now.  I’m – seriously, I’d like to follow up on a colleague’s question and ask if anyone in this building or in the diplomatic corps overseas has tested positive for the virus, what you’re doing for those employees.  And then at our embassies overseas, are we ramping up medical facilities?  What is the plan to treat Americans in those countries since a lot of the flights have been canceled, the borders are closed?  Are they getting sent testing kits?  How is any of that working?  And then I also have an Afghanistan question, but I can – that can wait.
SECRETARY POMPEO:  So I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the intricacies of what the State Department’s doing.  It is a rapidly evolving situation.  I stay as current as I can on what our support team is doing for our team.  State Department officials – and every American should know we’re going to do everything we can to take care of our team.  We’ve had a couple of employees – count them on one hand – who have positive tests.  We’ve handled those exactly the way we’re asking every American to respond to those wherever they find themselves in the world.  And I’m mindful, too, as we work to make sure that we’re protecting our team, the State Department team, we have a responsibility to try and help American citizens wherever they are as well.  So it’s not just about our officers serving in these distant places, protecting themselves and our team, but making sure we’re doing the right thing by the American people.  You see our travel advisories as they go out, trying to make sure they’re in step with the latest data sets we have in each – not only in each country, but in every province, county, township.  So we’re articulating them properly so that Americans make good decisions about whether they should or should not travel.
QUESTION:  Thank you, Mr. Secretary.  You mentioned prisoners in Iran.  A UK citizen was just temporarily released for two weeks, but Siamak Namazi lawyer said that he was denied medical follow.  Do you have any indication that there is a possibility for a U.S. citizen to be released or fresh talks on prisoner swap?  And do you have a U.S. own assessment on the death toll in Iran, as some exile organizations mention more than 5,000 death?
And just if I may, China has just announced that they will get the press cards from several American journalists in the next two weeks.  Do you have any reaction to that?
SECRETARY POMPEO:  So as for Iran, that’s an excellent question.  I don’t talk about our efforts to get Americans home, what we’re actually doing.  But the family members of those that are being held – and frankly, that’s for all Americans that are being wrongfully detained should know we’re working on this every day.  We’re aware of what Iran has been doing with some of the prisoners given the outbreak of the Wuhan virus there.  We’re aware that they are thinking about whether to release them or not.  Everyone should know that we’re working it.  We are communicating with them.  We are urging them, as we have done publicly many times, to release every American that is being wrongfully held there as a humanitarian gesture given the risk that is posed to them given what’s taking place inside of Iran.
We use – for purposes of how many people have been impacted in Iran, we use the data set that is the global data set.  It’s a big number; it’s a real concern.  I spoke with the head of the World Health Organization just this morning, Dr. Tedros, where we talked expressly about Iran and how America might be able to help.  We made a commitment to do everything we can to provide them with all that America can deliver for Iran.  I hope they’ll accept that offer.  That alone will contribute to Iran being able to manage this problem set for the Iranian people.  I hope they’ll take us up on these humanitarian efforts, not only us but countries all around the world who want to come help the Iranian people stay healthy and mitigate the risk that’s there.
Your third question was about the announcement that the Chinese Communist Party made today.  Two things to say about that.  First, in their statement they suggested somehow that the actions that we had taken here in America prompted this.  This isn’t apples to apples.  You all know the press freedoms you have.  We were just joking about them, right.  You all get to ask me whatever questions you want, and I give you the answer.  We know that that kind of freedom doesn’t exist inside of China.  Indeed, the Chinese will tell you that they want more information, people to know more about their country, and yet they continue to take actions like the one you see today, where they deny the world the capacity to know what’s really going on inside of their country.
The individuals that we identified a few weeks back were not media that were acting here freely.  They were part of Chinese propaganda outlets.  We’d identified these as foreign missions under American law.  These aren’t apples to apples in any respect.  And I regret China’s decision today to further foreclose the world’s ability to conduct free press operations, which, frankly would be really good for the Chinese people, really good for the Chinese people in these incredibly challenging global times, where more information, more transparency are what will save lives.  This is unfortunate.  We just saw it.  I hope they’ll reconsider.