Remarks on Receiving the Asia Society Washington Center 2001 Leadership Award

By The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta
U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Washington, D.C., November 14, 2001

Thank you, Ambassador Platt, for that very warm introduction. I have had the distinct privilege of working with Nick over the years, and it's wonderful to be here together again tonight.

Ladies and gentleman, distinguished guests, thank you for this honor of receiving the Asia Society's 2001 Leadership Award. I am both humbled and gratified to have my name included with all of the truly distinguished statesmen and women who have preceded me as honorees.

I have had the privilege of working with many of you over the years to increase America's understanding of Asian culture and contemporary affairs. And, as an American of Japanese ancestry, I have an abiding interest in issues affecting Asian Pacific Americans, a central one of which is providing economic opportunity, and the chance to live the American Dream.

Throughout my career - whether in local government, on the Public Works and Transportation Committee in Congress, in the private sector, or most recently, serving as a Cabinet Secretary - transportation has proven an essential factor to generating economic growth.

That is more evident now than ever before.

Today, people all around the world enjoy unprecedented economic prospects, and the greatest era of technological innovation that humankind has ever known. Transportation in general, and particularly aviation, has led the way in this trade-driven global economic expansion.

Transportation has also played a vital part in strengthening the connection among peoples around the globe through educational, cultural, and scientific exchange. As a result, in today's world, the notion of foreigner has less and less meaning.

And, as those of you in business well know, the easy access to international air transportation has become a vital factor in corporate planning decisions... now equal in importance to the more traditional decision-making components such as labor productivity, tax structure, and capital investment.

The Bush Administration recognizes our Nation's enormous economic and security interests in Asia. Already this region represents our 2nd largest trading partner - second only to our immediate neighbors, Canada and Mexico - with nearly $500 billion a year in two-way trade. The recent accession of Taiwan and the People's Republic of China to the WTO can only serve to expand the importance of these relationships.

U.S. trade with countries in Asia and the Pacific provides millions of jobs to workers, and billions of dollars of income to investors, on both sides of the Pacific. To enhance these economic and cultural opportunities, the United States has aggressively pursued opening aviation markets, and thanks in no small measure to support from many of you, we have had a number of successes, not only in Asia, but throughout the world.

In fact, on the morning of September 11th, I had an early meeting to discuss ongoing open skies negotiations. My calendar for the following day included a trip to New York City to address the Wings Club, an important aviation forum, on the improvements we had seen in the airlines' on-time performance, and on our plans to further relieve congestion by expanding the capacity of our aviation system.

At 8:45 that morning, our priorities changed.

[Extemporaneous remarks regarding events of September 11.]

In the days immediately following September 11th, American aviation struggled with a number of challenges. First, we faced the challenge of reopening our airports and getting America flying again. We took immediate steps to develop and deploy heightened security measures in order to ensure the safety of the traveling public and the employees of the airlines, as well as the people on the ground.

In the wake of the attacks, we have augmented existing security services with the National Guard. We have greatly expanded the Federal Air Marshal program, and we have asked Congress for sufficient funding to make this expansion permanent. We have set aside $500 million to help finance aircraft cockpit modification to better prevent unauthorized access, a process major domestic and international carriers alike have readily undertaken.

In addition to these and other security enhancements, the Bush Administration intends to continue working with the Congress, and with the aviation community, to pass workable aviation security legislation.

The entire global aviation system feels the effects of September 11th. We must deal with a crisis of confidence in air travel that threatens the economic viability of civil aviation worldwide. Despite the tragic accident in New York on Monday, all the nations of the world must move swiftly to reassure the flying public that air travel remains one of the safest forms of transportation ever devised, and to restore civil aviation as the cornerstone of global commerce.

The United States appreciates the patience and the cooperation we have received in this endeavor from governments throughout Asia, and we look forward to their continued support in the days ahead.

The atrocities of September 11th underscore the essential importance of a safe, stable and fully integrated transportation system to the global economy. Although much of the media attention has focused on aviation safety, these difficult times require heightened security and awareness across every mode of transportation.

In particular, we cannot afford to ignore the critical role of maritime transportation and gateway ports in the battle against terrorism - nor their potential vulnerabilities. As you know, more than 90 percent of America's imports and exports move through our ports, including the bulk of our trade with Asia.

We need to improve the planning structure and response capability for our ports. And, we need a more consistent framework for threat assessment, and a set of standardized procedures and protocols to follow if, God forbid, terrorists strike again.

In addition, U.S. ports handle more than 17 million marine containers each year. Containers raise a specific concern because they are, by design, intermodal. A container unloaded at a port on one day often ends up on a truck or train deep in America's heartland on the next.

Although existing laws require the manifesting of all inbound cargo, we rely almost entirely on the data provided by shippers to carriers and consignees for information on container contents, and we want to work with American shippers and our trading partners in Asia to address this issue.

Because of the appalling attacks of September 11th, we have entered a new era in transportation, an era in which a remorseless enemy has challenged one of America's most cherished freedoms - the freedom of mobility.

As a result, travelers and shippers will see increased security measures at our airports, train stations, and other key sites. They will have to go through higher levels of surveillance and more stringent searches.

The traveling public may experience some inconveniences, but we will do what we must in order to protect our citizens and transport workers - with safety and security as our highest priorities.

Moreover, I trust that the public will understand the need for patience, because they appreciate that patience represents a new form of patriotism.

Americans are a resilient people, unbending in our resolve never to yield to terror. As we move forward from September 11th, all of us will increase our vigilance, and we will take new steps to move people and goods safely and efficiently, recognizing that the nature of the threat has changed.

And, while some of us may not immediately regain the comfortable confidence that distinguishes our views about the freedom to travel, all of us can - and will - continue to enjoy a transportation system that is safe, secure and stable.

Of course, the impact of September 11th extends well beyond our transportation systems. These outrageous events, and the days that have followed, have brought a sharper focus to the core principles Americans embrace as a people.

Americans across the country have come together to support the families of those who lost their lives, and to rebuild the damaged communities. We have come together in our determination to seek out and punish those responsible for these attacks, and to ensure that it never happens again. And, our hearts have been gladdened by the outpouring of support from other nations around the world.

[Extemporaneous remarks regarding treatment of Arab Americans in the aftermath of September 11.]

Obviously, no one can yet tell how the years ahead will unfold, nor how the hinge of history will bend after September 11th. But, now that unprovoked terror has come calling, most Americans understand that we cannot afford to ignore foreign affairs, because foreign affairs most assuredly have not ignored us.

Farsighted organizations, like the Asia Society, help to increase America's understanding of the culture, concerns and contemporary affairs of the countries in Asia and the Pacific. And, by increasing understanding, you foster communication and promote global collaboration, from which all the countries of the world stand to benefit.

Just as my job as Secretary of Transportation took on a new urgency on the morning of September 11th, so too did the job of the Asia Society. Now more than ever, I urge you to keep up your good work.

Thank you for all you have done. Thank you for all you are doing. And, thank you again for the honor of receiving this 2001 Leadership Award.