Pool Reports by Tarini Parti, The Wall Street Journal
| Sent: | Reports: |
| September 25, 2022 08:19 EDT |
VP Travel Pool #1 JBA/wheels up Good Sunday morning from JBA — VP landed here at 8:04 am. She waved to press as she boarded AF2 and at the top of the stairs at 8:08 am. She didn't stop for questions. VP came back for an OTR before take off for about 7 mins. Wheels up shortly. |
| September 25, 2022 13:47 AKDT |
VP Travel Pool #2 Alaska re-fueling AF2 landed at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage for refueling at 12:19 pm local time. Per staff, VP deplaned for the refueling. We were done with the refueling and boarded at 1:42 pm. Pool caught a glimpse of VP boarding. Wheels up momentarily for the next nearly 8-hour leg of the trip. |
| September 26, 2022 15:19 JST |
VP Travel Pool #3 Tokyo arrival/SAO briefing AF2 landed in Tokyo at Yokota Air Base at 2:52 pm local time. VP deplaned at 3:02 pm, wearing a black suit. She shook hands and briefly chatted with greeters who were lined up at the tarmac. She boarded a US Army helicopter at 3:08 pm for a brief stop at the RON. Pool is motorcading. VP was wheels up 3:17 pm. Per WH, here's the list of greeters: - Mr. Yamada Kenji, Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs A senior admin official briefed for about 10 mins a little bit before landing. The SAO previewed the VP's meeting with the PM, saying they would discuss regional, security and economic issues. Also mentioned space as a topic. He took a few questions. On Taiwan, the SAO said the administration has been pretty clear on its exact message. There should be no unilateral changes to the status quo, the SAO said, and said the VP plans to tell Kishida the US would love Japan's partnership on this issue. When pressed more on Taiwan and whether the VP would say, as the president has, that the US would send troops in to defend Taiwan, the SAO said the president has spoken on this and that the VP would be aligned with the president. On VP's expected China messaging for the trip, SAO didn't preview, said we would have to hear her talk about it. Asked about the controversy around Abe's funeral, SAO said it was not for the US to comment. Similar response when asked about Japanese currency policy. It was hard to hear so our recordings/otters aren't great. Will send one if a get a clean recording. (Thanks to Bloomberg's Nancy Cook for helping transcribe the briefing) Also, quick correction from previous pool report. Your pooler was looking at a schedule with the wrong airport name in Alaska for refueling. We refueled at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Apologies. According to the public guidance, here's the VP's sched for the rest of the day in Tokyo: The Vice President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, where they will discuss the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, as well as regional and global issues. This meeting at the Akasaka Palace will have a pool spray at the top. The Vice President will participate in a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Kishida of Japan. This dinner is closed press. |
| September 26, 2022 18:04 JST |
VP Travel Pool #4 Kishida bilat Motorcade arrived at Akasaka Palace at 5:20 pm. Your pool got stuck in the van for a few mins because the door wouldn't unlock and had to jump out the back. Pool didn't see VP enter the palace. She entered the room for a bilat with the PM at 5:33 pm. They posed for photos while shaking hands. The Asa Hi No Ma room, where they met, had two big chandeliers and gold chairs. No news from the spray. Names of bilat participants below. Please check quotes against transcript. The Japanese leader spoke first. Based on the interpreter's translations, he thanked Harris from the bottom of his heart for attending the state funeral. He said he wanted to expand on Abe's legacy of building US-Japan ties. He said a free and open indo-Pacific and peace and prosperity in the region was the most important issue for both countries. "I feel it is my duty to carry on (Abe's) aspirations and expand on his diplomatic legacy and thereby strengthening and further advancing the bilateral relations," he said. Then Harris started speaking at 5:37 pm. "I'm sorry it's under these circumstances," she said of their meeting. She said it's her second trip to country, came previously with her family. "His leadership strengthened the relationship between Japan and the United States," she said of Abe. She said US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel talks frequently of the time he spends with Kishida. "As you have said, the alliance between Japan and the US is a cornerstone of what we believe is integral to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region…We also believe it is in the best interest of the American people." "On the issue of security, our commitments to Japan are iron clad," she added. As the VP was speaking, the Japanese officials started yelling for press to leave the room. we stayed until the end but it was hard to hear at times. We were ushered out around 5:40 pm. Press vans left the palace at 5:51 pm. VP has a closed press dinner after her bilat. Before getting to the palace, press vans joined VP at the RON at 5:11 pm for the motorcade to the palace after a roughly 90 min drive from the base. U.S. Delegation: - VPOTUS Japan Delegation: - H.E. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Japan Secretariat - H.E. Yamada Shigeo, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs |
Kamala Harris, Vice Presidential Pool Reports of September 25 & 26, 2022 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/358286