The 2016 Presidential Campaigns on Asia tracker highlighted mentions of Asia Pacific issues by US presidential candidates and nominees in speeches, campaign documents, and debates.
2016 US Presidential Campaigns on Asia
All Posts
Text
Tim Kaine on North Korea
“Recent provocations by the North Koreans, including the ballistic missile launch and nuclear tests, violate numerous U.N. Security Council resolutions and pose a significant threat to both the United States and our allies in the region. I’m proud to join nearly all of my Senate colleagues in supporting legislation to sanction this rogue regime and give the Obama administration additional tools to confront this growing threat.” [Source] Statement While Serving as Senator of Virginia. February 10, 2016
*"Kim Jong Un’s…
Quote
Mike Pence on North Korea
“Well, first, we need to -- we need to make a commitment to rebuild our military, including modernizing our nuclear forces. And we also need -- we also need an effective American diplomacy that will marshal the resources of nations in the Asian Pacific Rim to put pressure on North Korea, on Kim Jong-un, to abandon his nuclear ambitions. It has to remain the policy of the United States of America the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, plain and simple.”
Text
Tim Kaine on the South China Sea
"I was encouraged to see the final ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the case of the Philippines v. China over competing claims in the South China Sea. Today’s decision at The Hague demonstrates that existing international frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are relevant and even more critical in today’s complex security environment; they provide a forum for resolving disputes responsibly and peacefully." [Source] Statement While Serving as Virginia Senator. July…
Quote
Tim Kaine on Asia Pacific Allies and Partners
“It was an honor to hear Prime Minister Modi’s vision for India before a joint session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol today. With the strategic importance of the U.S.-India relationship growing every year, I’ve been encouraged by increased cooperation on defense issues between our two countries, including the ongoing discussions regarding aircraft carrier technology. As we continue to foster stability and combat terrorism in the Indo-Asia Pacific region, continued collaboration and expansion of multilateral exercises with our regional partners will be absolutely critical. I…
Text
Donald Trump on Asia Pacific Allies and Partners
"So the young man from North Korea starts acting up and having one of his fits, we immediately get our ships going. We get our aircraft. We get nothing for this...I'm not saying that we're going to let anything happen to them. But [South Korea has] to help us.: [Source] NBC's Meet the Press Interview. August 16, 2015
"If somebody attacks Japan, we have to immediately go and start World War III, OK? If we get attacked, Japan doesn't have…
Text
Donald Trump on China
“I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower. I love China. People say, Oh, you don’t like China? No, I love them. But their leaders are much smarter than our leaders, and we can’t sustain ourself with that. There’s too much — it’s like — it’s like take the New England Patriots and Tom Brady and have them play your high school football team. That’s the…
Text
Donald Trump on North Korea
“Well, first of all, it's not only Russia. We have problems with North Korea where they actually have nuclear weapons. You know, nobody talks about it, we talk about Iran, and that's one of the worst deals ever made. One of the worst contracts ever signed, ever, in anything, and it's a disgrace. But, we have somebody over there, a madman, who already has nuclear weapons we don't talk about that. That's a problem.” [Source] 4th Republican Debate. November 10, 2015
…
Text
Hillary Clinton on the South China Sea
“We do have to take a hard look at the defense budget and we do have to figure out how we get ready to fight the adversaries of the future, not the past. But we have to also be very clear that we do have some continuing challenges. We've got challenges in the South China Sea because of what China is doing in building up these military installations. We have problems with Russia. Just the other day, Russia allowed a television camera to see the…
Text
Hillary Clinton on North Korea
“North Korea’s goal is to blackmail the world into easing the pressure on its rogue regime. We can’t give in to or in any way encourage this kind of bullying. Instead, we should increase pressure and send Pyongyang an unmistakable message that its nuclear brinksmanship won’t succeed.” [Source] Statement on North Korea's Apparent Nuclear Test. January 6, 2016
"North Korea’s decision to conduct another nuclear test is outrageous and unacceptable. I strongly condemn this reckless action, which – coupled with its…
Text
Hillary Clinton on Asia Pacific Allies and Partners
"We had hundreds of thousands of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our best allies and friends in Europe and Asia were really put out with us because of the way they'd been treated by the Bush administration and were very skeptical that the United States was a good ally any longer and wanted to lead the world toward peace, prosperity and security. I spent so much of my time getting back the confidence and the trust of our friends and allies around the world."…
Text
Hillary Clinton on China
“China’s rise is the story of the twenty-first century how we handle that how we respond to it will determine our future and the world’s future. I want to see a peaceful rise for China I worked very hard on that as Secretary of State and I will continue to do so. But we also have to be fully vigilant, China's military is growing very quickly, they're establishing military installations that again threaten countries we have treaties with, like the Philippines because they are building…