美国国务院
发言人办公室
华盛顿特区
2021年12月14日
国务卿安东尼·布林肯在记者见面会上的谈话

印度尼西亚雅加达（Jakarta）
费尔蒙（酒店）（ [Hotel] Fairmont）
布林肯国务卿：各位下午好。非常高兴与你们大家见面。你们好，你们好。
那么就像我今天早些时候所说，回到雅加达令人非常、非常愉快。我对佐科（Jokowi）总统、蕾特诺（Retno）外长、马卡里姆（Makarim）文教与科技部长，以及印度尼西亚政府和人民今天给予我们的如此热情欢迎深表感激。
雅加达是我的东南亚三国之行的第一站，因为这个地区发生的事情对全球产生影响，也因为我们同东南亚国家的关系与我们的几乎所有外交政策重点极为攸关，并且对我们的人民生活具有直接影响。而这是从印度尼西亚开始，它是世界上最大的民主国家之一，是二十国集团（G20）中增长速度最快的经济体之一，是美国的战略伙伴。
我们看到印度尼西亚发挥国际领导作用，仅在过去几周，在格拉斯哥（Glasgow）举行的关于气候的联合国COP26峰会上，印度尼西亚作为世界最大的甲烷排放国之一，加入全球甲烷承诺，致力于在本年代结束时，共同将甲烷排放量减少30%；就在本周的民主峰会（Summit of Democracy）上，佐科总统是第一位发言人，对印度尼西亚支持世界各地民主作出承诺；还有巴厘民主论坛（Bali Democracy Forum），迄今印度尼西亚已经主办这个论坛14年。
我们期待着在下一年支持印度尼西亚担任二十国集团会议东道主，今天外长和我对此进行了深入交谈，也包括印尼作为主席的重点事项。
在拜登总统和佐科总统几周前在格拉斯哥卓有成效的会晤后，拜登总统要我到这里来共同推进我们在一些关键问题上的努力。这包括制止COVID-19新冠疫情。美国向印度尼西亚捐送了2500多万剂疫苗——今天运抵了最新一批，我们也提供了7700万美元的疫情救援援助。
我们还在与印度尼西亚共同努力，促进新冠疫情后的有力经济复元。如同我今早在大学讲话时谈到的，根据拜登总统的指示，我们正在制定一个全面的印太地区（Indo-Pacific）经济框架，它包括贸易、数字经济、技术、有韧力的供应链、脱碳和清洁能源、基础设施投资、劳工标准，以及其他一些共同感兴趣的领域。
我们两国将携手合作，共同对抗气候危机，捍卫民主、人权和基于规则的国际秩序，包括在海事领域，并且通过东盟（ASEAN）这样的机构加强地区合作，东盟秘书处就位于雅加达。
今天早上，我更多地谈到了我们对自由开放、互联、繁荣、坚韧和安全的印太地区的承诺，因为我们相信，这些是一个广泛共享经济发展惠益、有效助理危机、人民被赋予权能驾驭自身未来、各国在相互尊重的基础上合作并维护我们所建立和共同维持多年的基于规则的秩序的地区的关键特质。
我想强调的是，这不仅仅是美国的愿景，也是印太地区人民和国家的愿景，包括印度尼西亚人民，他们几十年来一直努力加强本国的民主制度，发展经济，在地区和全球事务中发挥更大的作用。
我们的方针与《东盟印太展望》的原则也是一致的，印度尼西亚在该文件的制定和实施中发挥了主导作用。美国将与印度尼西亚、其他伙伴和盟国以及东盟等地区机构密切合作，以实现这一愿景。
雷特诺外长和我刚刚签署了三份谅解备忘录，用我们的行话来说，这是把我们两国的合作提升到另一个层次：首先，海上合作，包括海军联合演习、打击非法捕鱼、恢复珊瑚礁等活动；其次，继续执行和平队计划，该计划在中断 44 年后于 2009 年重新建立，如今印度尼西亚人和美国人正在并肩努力，教授英语、培训教师、学习彼此的文化；第三，扩大教育联系，多年来数千名美国人和数万名印度尼西亚人参与了两国之间在教育领域的领导交流活动。
这些项目不仅丰富了人们的生活，还使两国人民建立了持久的联系，尤其是在年轻的一代。
我们将在这里与这些交流计划的参与者和年轻领导人交谈。他们中有好几位是美国项目的校友。他们都为印度尼西亚抗击2019冠状病毒病的努力做出了非凡的贡献，这将是我们在对话中关注的内容。
所有这些协议、这些合作、这些对话都反映了连接印度尼西亚和美国的纽带的广度和强度。我谨代表美国在此表达我们对印度尼西亚政府和印度尼西亚人民的诚挚谢意，我们对我们之间的长期友谊、日益有效的伙伴关系以及我们对价值观和理想的共同承诺而心存感激。这种友谊、关系和承诺不仅为我们自己的国家带来了巨大的进步，也为印太地区乃至世界各地的许多其他国家带来了巨大的进步。
在我回答你们的问题之前，我想再说明一点。在印度尼西亚，我们很幸运有一位已经获得批准并正式就职的大使，他就是金成（Sung Kim），他是我们最好的大使之一。但在太多国家，我们仍在等待。截至上周，我们只有 16% 的大使得到参议院批准，而在过去三届政府中的同一时间，这一数字在 70% 到 90% 之间。一些极其重要的职位——包括驻北京大使——仍然空缺。
这是一个巨大的问题。在我们面临的几乎每一项挑战中，包括与俄罗斯、中国和非国家行为者打交道时，我们都因为没有一个完整的驻外国家安全和外交政策团队而受到阻碍。昨晚我与舒默（Schumer）参议员谈到了这件事。我会继续公开和私下提出这个问题。为了我们的国家安全，参议院必须采取行动。
欲查看原稿内容:  https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-press-availability-8/

Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability

REMARKS
ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE
FAIRMONT
JAKARTA, INDONESIA
DECEMBER 14, 2021
SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon, everyone.  So good to see you all.  Hello, hello.
So it is, as I’ve said earlier today, very, very good to be back in Jakarta.  I’m grateful to President Jokowi, to Foreign Minister Retno, to the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Makarim, and the government and the people of Indonesia for welcoming us so warmly today.
I’m in Jakarta on the first stop of a three-country tour of Southeast Asia because what happens in this region shapes global events, and because our relationships with countries of Southeast Asia are vital across virtually all of the foreign policy priorities that we have, and that have direct impacts on the lives of our people.  And that starts with Indonesia, one of the world’s largest democracies, one of the fastest growing economies in the G20, and a strategic partner for the United States.
We’ve seen Indonesia’s global leadership, even in just the past few weeks at the COP26 summit in Glasgow on climate, where Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest methane emitters, joined the global methane pledge to collectively cut methane emissions by 30 percent by the end of the decade; then just this week at the Summit of Democracy, where President Jokowi was the first speaker and pledged Indonesia’s support for democracy worldwide; and at the Bali Democracy Forum, which Indonesia has now hosted for 14 years.
We’re looking forward to supporting Indonesia as the host of the G20 over the next year, something the foreign minister and I spoke extensively about today, including the priorities that Indonesia has for its presidency.
After President Biden and President Jokowi’s very productive meeting a few weeks ago in Glasgow, President Biden asked me to come here to advance our work together on a number of critical issues.  That includes stopping the COVID-19 pandemic.  The United States has donated more than 25 million vaccines to Indonesia – the latest shipment arriving today, and we’re providing $77 million in pandemic relief assistance, as well.
We’re also working with Indonesia to boost a strong post-COVID economic recovery.  As I spoke about this morning at the university, at President Biden’s direction we’re developing a comprehensive Indo-Pacific economic framework that includes trade, the digital economy, technology, resilient supply chains, decarbonization and clean energy, infrastructure investment, worker standards, and other areas of shared interest.
Together our countries will collaborate to fight the climate crisis, to defend democracy, human rights, and the rules-based international order, including in the maritime domain, and to strengthen regional cooperation through institutions like ASEAN, which has its secretariat here in Jakarta.
I spoke this morning at greater length about our commitment to a free and open, interconnected, prosperous, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific, because we believe these attributes are key to a region where the benefits of economic growth are broadly shared, crises are addressed effectively, people are empowered to chart their own futures, countries work together on the basis of mutual respect, and we preserve the rules-based order that we’ve built and maintained together for so many years.
And what I want to emphasize is this is not only an American vision.  It’s one that people and countries across the Indo-Pacific hold, including the Indonesian people, who have worked hard over the decades to strengthen their own democracy, to grow their economy, to play a greater role in regional and global affairs.
Our approach also shares the principles of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which Indonesia played a leading role in developing and now in implementing.  The United States will work closely with Indonesia, other partners and allies, and regional institutions like ASEAN to make the vision real.
Just a short while ago, Foreign Minister Retno and I signed three Memoranda of Understanding, as we call them in the lingo, to bring our countries’ work together to another level:  first, in maritime cooperation, which includes activities like joint naval exercises, combatting illegal fishing, restoring coral reefs; second, to continue the Peace Corps program that was re-established in 2009 after a 44-year hiatus, and today Indonesians and Americans are working together teaching English, training teachers, learning each other’s cultures; and third, to expand our educational ties.  Over the years, we’ve had thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Indonesians participating in educational leadership exchanges between our countries.
These programs don’t only enrich people’s lives, they also build lasting connections between our people, especially rising generations.
From here, we’ll be talking to young leaders, participants in these exchange programs.  Several are alumnae of the programs of the United States.  All are making extraordinary contributions to Indonesia’s COVID response, which is what we’re going to focus on in our conversation.
All of these agreements, these collaborations, these conversations reflect the breadth and strength of ties that connect Indonesia and the United States.  And on behalf of the United States, let me say how grateful we are to the Indonesian Government and to the Indonesian people for our long friendship, for an increasingly effective partnership, and our shared commitment to the values and ideals that have made so much progress possible for our own countries, but also for many others across the Indo-Pacific and increasingly around the world.
One more point that I wanted to make before I turn to your questions.  Here in Indonesia, we are very fortunate to have a confirmed ambassador on the job, and one of our best ambassadors, Sung Kim.  But in too many countries we’re still waiting.  As of last week, only 16 percent of our ambassadors have been confirmed.  At this point in the last three administrations, the number was between 70 and 90 percent.  Crucial posts, including Beijing, are still vacant.
This is a huge problem.  On virtually every challenge we face, including dealing with Russia, with China, with non-state actors, we’re hampered by the fact that we don’t have our full national security and foreign policy team on the field.  I spoke to Senator Schumer about this last night.  I’ll keep raising the issue publicly and privately.  For the sake of our national security, the Senate must act.
QUESTION:  With that, I’m happy to take some questions.  Thank you.
MR PRICE:  We have time for a few questions.  We’ll start with Peter Martin of Bloomberg.  Peter, one second.
QUESTION:  Thanks for doing this.  So in your speech this morning you talked about the importance of democracy and of anticorruption, but I guess the next few stops on this trip kind of illustrate some of the difficulties of pursuing that theme in the region.  And so I wondered, would the Biden administration welcome the return of Najib in Malaysia if voters pick him next year?  And in Thailand, would you encourage pro-democracy groups to keep pressing for the reforms of the monarchy?
And then just finally, I wondered why hasn’t the administration’s full Indo-Pacific strategy been briefed yet?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. We’ll have an opportunity in both places to address questions, particularly those places when we’re there. I look forward to doing that.
But let me say generally that we see combatting corruption as central to our work and the work of other countries to build and defend resilient democracies. What we see around the world is corruption being extraordinarily corrosive of democracies and, in fact, of stability because if you look at virtually every major social movement of recent years in countries around the world, whether it’s Tahrir Square, whether it’s the fruit vendor in Tunisia, whether it’s the Maidan in Ukraine – and I could go down the list – you’ typically find that one of the reasons for people standing up and speaking out is a revulsion to corruption in its many forms.
We’ll be doing and having more to say about our efforts to combat corruption in the days and weeks ahead, but it is central to our efforts in supporting democracy and in building a more resilient one.
With regard to the strategy, stay tuned. Coming to an inbox near you in the not-too-distant future. But having said that, the remarks that I made this morning I think touched on the main pillars of that strategy. The strategy itself, of course, we’ll go into far more detail. But we wanted to begin to talk about the major building blocks of that strategy, and the detail will follow very shortly. Thanks.
MR PRICE: Miss Yara from the Antara News Agency.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, Indonesia has previously expressed its concerns regarding the tension that may rise following the trilateral security cooperation between the United States, the UK, and Australia. How do you respond to Indonesia’s concerns, especially in the context of the U.S. relations with Indonesia?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. A few things. First, I think it’s very important to note that the AUKUS agreement with Australia and with the United Kingdom is additive, complementary to the other arrangements, partnerships, alliances that we have in the Indo-Pacific, as well as beyond. All of these things, whether it is ASEAN, whether it’ the Quad, whether it’s APEC in a different way, whether it’s AUKUS, are complementary to each other.
And a lot of attention has been focused on the aspect of AUKUS that deals with the development of nuclear power, as opposed to nuclear-armed submarines, a distinction that sometimes gets lost. But the agreement involves many more things, including collaboration and cooperation on science and technology, supply chains, cyber, artificial intelligence.
And what we’re doing throughout the Indo-Pacific and beyond the Indo-Pacific is building coalitions, building partnerships, where different countries may participate in different arrangements, and then knitting those together in different ways.
For example, AUKUS itself is certainly open to the participation of others, and also to working with other groups of countries, other organizations, other institutions. But all of these share certain basic principles, a certain basic approach to the issues that we have to contend with.
So I think what we have is, again, a focus on how we can most effectively work together with coalitions of countries to meet the challenges that we have before us and actually deal effectively with the issues that are having an impact on the lives of our people.
MR PRICE: Francesco Fontemaggi of AFP.
QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I would ask you about Iran. The E3, the Europeans, have said last night that the negotiations in Vienna are basically going nowhere. Do you agree with Liz Truss, as you said on Sunday, that this week, this round of talks is the last chance to save the nuclear deal? And are you prepared to leave the table if there is no progress? And of course, what would be the Plan B, should that happen?
And, if I may, you happen to be in Jakarta at the same time as President Putin’s top security advisor. Since you have put a priority on preventing a crisis and a conflict in Ukraine – with Ukraine and Russia, why have you not taken the opportunity to speak with him while here? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Two things.
First, with regard to Iran, I would refer you to the statement that I saw published by the E3, by the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, and it made a few points. It said very clearly time is running out, that Iran has still not engaged in real negotiations. Unless there is swift progress, the E3 said, the Iran nuclear agreement will become an empty shell. And what we’ve seen so far is Iran losing precious time by advancing totally new positions that are inconsistent with a return to the JCPOA.
We continue in this hour, on this day, to pursue diplomacy because it remains, at this moment, the best option. But we are actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives.
Second, with regard to – apparently, Mr. Patrushev was here. Yes, I noticed his plane on the runway next to ours when we landed. I can’t – nor would I – speak to why anyone else might be here and what they’re doing.
But I can say that we have a senior State Department official, Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried, who is now in Ukraine consulting with our Ukrainian partners. She’ll be going on to Moscow to pursue the conversation that President Biden had with President Putin and to test, in particular whether Russia is serious about actually implementing its commitments under the Minsk agreement, which is the diplomatic way to resolve the crisis in eastern Ukraine, and we’ll see what results from that. Thank you.
MR PRICE: Thank you very much, everyone.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: All right. Thanks, everyone. See you later.