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MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to JJ with Bloomberg.
Q Hey there. On Nippon Steel and the Japanese prime minister’s visit to the White House that’s coming up: John, can you share anything on what we might expect from Kishida on the Nippon Steel deal? Is the White House hoping for any reassurances on that? Or can you share anything on what the President might share with Japan about the U.S. Steel situation? Thanks.
MR. KIRBY: Yeah, JJ, I’m afraid I’m not going to be very satisfying to you today. I’m not going to get ahead of that meeting and those discussions. You’ve seen the President’s comments on the Nippon Steel issue. I can’t improve upon where his head is in terms of protecting U.S. Steel workers and the American economy.
But the President is very much looking forward to this state visit. There is an awful lot of important things to talk about with Prime Minister Kishida. Certainly, our two economies are on that agenda, and I have no question that issues of economic — economy and trade will come up.
That said, there’ll be issues to talk about in terms of the security environment, concerns about the DPRK, concerns about aggressive PRC actions. There’ll be things to talk about in terms of people-to-people exchanges between our two countries. And quite frankly, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to talk about how we can continue not only our bilateral cooperation with Japan but our trilateral cooperation between Japan and South Korea.
So, lots on the agenda. Lots to talk about including, of course, how we can both work together closely with the Philippines.
So, there’s an awful lot there. And I think I just don’t want to get too far ahead of a particular item like the Nippon Steel thing.
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MODERATOR: We’re going to go on to our next question. Morgan with Semafor.
Q Hey, John. Thanks so much for doing this. I have two questions. Just, first, on the (inaudible) earthquake in Taiwan. I’m just wondering how worried the White House is about the impact on the chip supply chain and if there’s anything you’re doing to address those concerns.
And then secondly, I know you mentioned yesterday that the President and President Xi talked about TikTok, and I was just wondering if you could say how that came up on the call yesterday. Did President Xi raise it? Is that something that President Biden raised? Just a little more detail there.
MR. KIRBY: So, on the earthquake, I mean, our first and, frankly, our only concern right now is for the safety and security of people in the region who could be affected by the earthquake and its aftermath.
And we’re in touch with authorities, as you might expect we would be. We certainly stand by to assist in any way that might be required. But that’s where our focus is right now, not on follow-on potential economic impact one way or the other, or for high tech. Our concern is for the lives and livelihoods. And our thoughts and prayers are with everybody who was affected by the earthquake. We’ll continue to monitor it as we have overnight.
On TikTok, President Xi raised the issue, and President Biden responded to the concerns that President Xi raised. And as I said yesterday at the podium, he responded by making it clear to President Xi that this was not about a ban on TikTok, that this was about divestiture, that this was about preserving the data security of the American people and our own national security interests.
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Q Okay. Gotcha. On the Biden-Xi call, did they discuss anything about the plans to have the trilateral patrols of the South China Sea with the Philippines and Japan?
MR. KIRBY: No.
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Q Lastly, on TikTok, which examples should Americans regard as a model for them to follow: that of the Biden administration, which has banned TikTok from federal devices, or that of the Biden campaign, which makes active use of TikTok?
MR. KIRBY: The President has been very clear about this. Because of —
Q I don’t think it’s very clear, John. I think it’s very confused messaging.
MR. KIRBY: Well, so if you just let me finish, maybe we can help clear this up.
TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance gives us pause and reason to be concerned about the security of data on that application and the use of that data by a company that has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
We don’t want to ban the application. We want divestiture of the ownership of the company so that Americans, and certainly inside the national security establishment, we can take a measure of comfort that that data is not going to be mishandled. That is very consistent. That’s what we’ve been doing.
I’m not going to speak for the campaign. I can only speak for the National Security Council and speak for the President in the context of the National Security Council. And from that perspective, we have been nothing but consistent.
Q Well, can’t you understand how Americans might be confused when they see a chief executive who declares the use of this platform a national security problem, and a candidate, in the very same person, who makes active use of that platform? You can understand why Americans might be confused about that, can’t you?
MR. KIRBY: I never make the mistake of trying to speak for the American people or trying to claim that I understand what they are or are not confused about.
All I can tell you — and I’m not confused about this — is that there are significant national security concerns about that application on government devices, which is why we’re not allowed to use it on government devices.
And number two, that is why the President continues to want to see a divestiture of the company so that it’s not owned by ByteDance, so that the Chinese Communist Party is not in control of the data that TikTok is able to assemble on its users.
And I think that that — there’s reassurance there if, in fact, we can move towards that divest issue.
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Source: The White House
Speaker: Admiral John Kirby, National Security Communications Advisor
Format: Press Briefing
China Policy Research 