Monday, September 18, 2017

Najib - Trump Meet - What happened according to US White House records?

Prime Minister Najib met up with US President Trump - What happened? Let us look at the records before we discuss it...

From the White House record, it was a rather short meeting - started at 12.11 and ended at about 12.18 --- about 7 minutes, and Trump's response to what Najib said was "Great"..."Great"..."Right"..."Thank you very much.  Appreciate it."
Besides, this short meet, a Media Statement was also released...
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release

Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of Malaysia Before Bilateral Meeting

Cabinet Room

12:11 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.  It’s great to have the Prime Minister of Malaysia and his very distinguished delegation with us today.  We’re talking about trade -- very large trade deals. 

We’re working on one deal where between 10 and 20 billion dollars’ worth of Boeing jets are going to be purchased, General Electric engines will be purchased, and many other things.  

Also, Malaysia is a massive investor in the United States in the form of stocks and bonds, and the stock exchange.  And they have to be very happy because we’re hitting new highs on almost a weekly basis.  And so we’re very proud of our stock market and what’s happened since I became President.  So I congratulate you on those investments.

But I just want to say, it’s an honor to have you here.  It’s an honor to have your delegation with us.  I believe you’ll be at the United Nations next week, and a lot of folks are going to be at the United Nations next week.  It should be an exciting week, and we look very much forward to that.

But I want to thank you very much for all of the investment you’ve made in the United States.  Also, the Prime Minister has a major role in not allowing ISIS -- or, as you say, Daesh -- and others to exist.

And he’s been very, very strong on terrorism in Malaysia, and a great supporter from that standpoint.  So that’s a very important thing to the United States.

He does not do business with North Korea any longer, and we find that to be very important.  We had a vote yesterday on sanctions.  We think it’s just another very small step -- not a big deal.  Rex and I were just discussing -- not big.  I don’t know if it has any impact, but certainly it was nice to get a 15-to-nothing vote.  But those sanctions are nothing compared to what ultimately will have to happen.

So thank you everyone for being here, and we appreciate it.  Mr. Prime Minister, it’s a great honor to have you in the United States and in the White House.  And thank you everyone for being here. 

Thank you very much.  Thank you.

Would you like to say something?

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK:  Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your invitation for me and members of my delegation to meet with you at the White House.  I want to say that we come here with a strong value proposition to put on the table.

Number one, we want to help you in terms of strengthening the U.S. economy.  I come with three specific proposals.  Number one, we intend to increase the number of Boeing planes to be purchased by MAS.  We are committed to 25 planes of the 737 MAX 10, plus eight 787 Dreamliners.  And there is a strong probability -- not possibility – probability that we will add 25 more 737 MAX 10 in the near future.  So within five years, the deal will be worth beyond $10 billion.  That’s one.  We will also try to persuade AirAsia to purchase GE engines.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Great.

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK:  Secondly, we have Employees Provident Fund, which is a major pension fund in Malaysia.  They’ve got quite a big sum of capital to be exported.  They have invested close to $7 billion, in terms of equity, in the United States.  And they intend to invest three to four additional billion dollars to support your infrastructure redevelopment in the United States.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Great.

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK:  And thirdly, our sovereign fund, Khazanah, they have an office in Silicon Valley.  They have invested about $400 million, in terms of high-tech companies, and they intend to increase that investment as well.

Secondly, the other goal of your administration, Mr. President, which is to make the United States safe -- and with that, the world safe -- we are committed to fight Daesh, IS, Al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf -- you name it.  They are the enemy of the United States, they are also the enemy of Malaysia, and we will do our part to make sure that our part of the world is safe.

We will also contribute in terms of the ideological warfare because you need to win the hearts and minds.  And the key to it is to support moderate and progressive Muslim regimes and governments around the world, because that is the true face of Islam; that is the authentic face of Islam.  The more you align with progressive and moderate regimes, the better it would be in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the Muslim world.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Right.

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK:  So, Mr. President, thank you once again.  The United States has always been our partner for a long, long time.  And this year is our 60th anniversary of our relationship, and I hope that today’s meeting will make it even stronger in the years to come.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.  Appreciate it.

END 

12:18 P.M. EDT

Source:- The US White House Website



The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release

Joint Statement for Enhancing the Comprehensive Partnership between the United States of America and Malaysia

The President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, hosted the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, at the White House to strengthen the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries as they mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations.

The United States and Malaysia share a long history of close cooperation built on economic ties and mutual security interests.  The two leaders pledged to continue building upon that relationship through enhanced diplomatic, economic, security, and people-to-people ties.

President Trump and Prime Minister Najib recognized the grave threat posed by North Korea to security and stability across the Asia-Pacific region.  The two leaders expressed their concern over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests, which are a flagrant violation of the multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and will only further escalate tensions in the region.

Both sides reaffirmed their support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the need for the international community to strictly implement UNSC resolutions.  President Trump welcomed Prime Minister Najib’s commitment to go beyond the UNSC resolutions, including through a review of its diplomatic relations and business links with North Korea.

The two leaders pledged to nurture the economic ties between the United States and Malaysia to create jobs and opportunities for people in both countries, reflecting a longstanding and substantial trade relationship. The two countries recognized the importance of regular discussions under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement to strengthen the trade relationship by removing barriers in key sectors.  Both sides announced their intent to pursue trade and investment opportunities in the transportation and energy sectors and to address the bilateral trade imbalance.

The two leaders welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Malaysia Airlines Berhad and The Boeing Company for eight new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, purchase rights for eight additional 737 MAX airplanes, and maintenance for the national carrier’s fleet, with a potential total value of $4 billion (USD).  President Trump welcomed the probability of additional purchases of Boeing aircraft in the future.  Both leaders welcomed the involvement of the United States private sector in the development of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project.  The two countries also committed to review regulatory frameworks with the aim of facilitating investment in their respective economies.

Prime Minister Najib and President Trump discussed matters relating to the South China Sea and emphasized the importance of ensuring, maintaining, and safeguarding peace and stability, maritime security, freedom of navigation and over-flight, and other lawful uses of the seas.  The two leaders underscored the importance of upholding and adhering to the rules-based maritime order. They called upon all disputing parties to implement their international legal obligations in good faith, and to avoid the threat or use of force, intimidation, or coercion.  They further called on all disputing parties to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and refrain from action that erodes trust and confidence, and escalates tension, including the militarization of outposts.  The two leaders reaffirmed that all maritime claims must be based on and resolved in accordance with international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the strategic partnership between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) and to the continued implementation of the principles decided upon by the leaders of the United States and ASEAN in the 2016 Sunnylands Declaration.  They affirmed their support for common efforts to develop a rules-based ASEAN Community, and to maintaining ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture.  The two leaders noted the 50th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding and the 40th anniversary of relations between the United States and ASEAN and welcomed commemorative activities.

The two leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation to counter the growing threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Southeast Asia.  Both leaders re-affirmed the importance of promoting community resilience and mutual respect across religious and ethnic boundaries.  As a partner in the fight against ISIS and a member of the Global Coalition led by the United States, the two leaders noted Malaysia’s pledge of $1 million (USD) for humanitarian assistance in areas liberated from ISIS.  The United States recognized Malaysia’s continued progress toward meeting program requirements for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, including obligations under the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 6 (HSPD-6) and Preventing and Combatting Serious Crime (PCSC) information sharing arrangements.   Prime Minister Najib announced Malaysia’s commitment to implement its data sharing agreements with the United States and to phased enhancements of passenger screening at all points of entry, and the United States committed to actively work with Malaysia towards this end.  The United States and Malaysia acknowledged that cyber and other crimes often help finance terrorist networks.  The countries committed to utilize available multilateral instruments, including the Budapest Convention in order to strengthen domestic legislation and foster international cooperation in combating cybercrime.

The United States and Malaysia pledged to strengthen bilateral defense ties.  The two leaders underscored the importance of expanding cooperation in priority areas, including maritime security, counterterrorism, and information sharing between our defense and security forces.  They committed to pursue additional opportunities for joint exercises and training. The leaders also underscored the importance of enhancing maritime domain awareness through the development of maritime capabilities such as surveillance, communications, and information-sharing, and expressed their intent to continue discussions on funding of assets through the most effective mechanisms for developing these capabilities in order to advance regional security. President Trump welcomed Malaysia’s intent to make an additional $60 million (USD) in defense procurements from the United States.

They discussed the need to end the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.  Both leaders called for an end to the violence targeting civilian populations, and discussed the need for a strong international community response for the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have been victimized and displaced by violence, including those who have arrived in Bangladesh. Both sides urged the Myanmar government to end the violence against innocents and ensure that humanitarian relief reaches victims immediately.

President Trump and Prime Minister Najib held a constructive discussion about the importance of good governance and the free flow of information to prosperity and a positive business environment.  They also discussed the importance of protecting human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of religion.  The United States welcomed Malaysia’s commitment to increase prosecutions of human traffickers, as well as expedited assessment with the aim of increasing substantially the number of trafficking victims granted freedom of movement.

The two leaders welcomed continued strong people-to-people ties, especially Fulbright academic exchanges.  They recognized the growing number of Malaysian undergraduate and graduate students studying in the United States, now numbering nearly eight thousand.  They expressed anticipation for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding sustaining the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program, one of the largest in the world, through 2020.

The two leaders discussed their commitment to further strengthening the Comprehensive Partnership to promote peace, stability, prosperity, and international consensus in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. - The White House Website


COMMENTS

# Personally, there was really no need for PM Najib to go to US for a really short meet - there seem to have also been no official 'dinner' - US and Trump did not show sufficient respect to Malaysia... How much money was spend for that trip? (More so, when Malaysia is having financial problems??)

#  "...Number one, we want to help you in terms of strengthening the U.S. economy." - Well, Malaysia's Prime Minister priority must be in stregthening Malaysia's economy..

# Well, we see what Malaysia is going to do for the US economy - but what is the US going to do for Malaysia??

# MAS - Why are we spending so much money buying new planes - how many times have the people of Malaysia had to bail out this Malaysian Airlines?

# And, Malaysia is going to buy more arms from the US -  "...Malaysia’s intent to make an additional $60 million (USD) in defense procurements from the United States..."


 

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