Asia Matters for America
America Matters for Asia
Explore US-Asia National and Local Connections
An initiative of the East-West Center and Asia Matters for America partners and stakeholders
The 2020 Presidential Candidates on the Indo-Pacific resource highlighted mentions of Indo-Pacific issues by US presidential candidates and nominees in speeches, campaign documents, and debates.
To view statements by President Trump prior to his June 18, 2019 declaration to seek a second term, as well as members of his Cabinet, visit The Trump Administration & US - Indo-Pacific Relations.
"Kristen Welker: (09:22)I do want to ask you, Vice-President Biden, about China. Let’s talk about China more broadly. There have, of course, President Trump has said that they should pay for not being fully transparent in regards to the coronavirus. If you were president, would you make China pay? And please be specific, what would that look like?
Joe Biden: (09:41)What I’d make China do is play by the international rules, not like he has done. He has caused the deficit of the…
"Q Mr. President, back on China. Before you even became President, the relationship with this nation and China was complicated. And now, tensions have escalated with a war of words.
THE PRESIDENT: I don’t think it’s complicated, April. I think it’s very simple. We can’t be ripped off by China anymore. You know, I think he understands that. I actually think our relationship now is much less complicated than it was previous to me, when they were ripping off our country.
Q So here’s the…
"Q On China, sir, the new tariffs (inaudible) — have you spoken to President Xi?
THE PRESIDENT: So China is moving along. We’re doing very well. It was brought out very strongly today by a number of great economists that, because China has devalued their currency so much, that, in fact, they are actually paying for all of the tariffs. We have — in addition to that, as you know, they’re pouring money into their economy. So those two things, they are paying for their…
Q Are the tariffs that you’re planning for China still on for Sunday? Or are you considering not putting them on?
THE PRESIDENT: No, they’re on. They’re on. We’ve taken in billions and billions of dollars from those tariffs. And as it’s starting to come out, if you look at the Chinese government — China — what they’ve done with tariffs is very interesting. They’ve devalued their currency so much, which hurts them ultimately. It costs them much more to buy things outside of China.
…"Q Second to that, do you believe that China is sincere about what it said this morning?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes.
Q Or do you think that they are just trying to calm the markets and play for time? Because our sister network, the Fox Business Network, has been told by Chinese sources that they have no plans on going back to where they were in terms of the negotiations this spring on intellectual property, forced technology transfer, ownership. So —
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’ll see, John.
…"Q Do you still believe that the EU treats the U.S. worse than China on trade, after your discussions?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I think the European Union — and I’ve said this openly; I say it with respect — I think they’re as tough as China. I really do. I think they’re very tough. The United States has been not treated particularly well over the years. And I’m not saying that as — it should have been the other way around, but it wasn’t. I congratulate…
"Q Mr. President, are your allies pressuring you to give up the trade war with China?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No. Not at all. I haven’t heard that at all, no. I think they respect the trade war. It has to happen. China has been — I can only speak for the United States. I can’t say what they’ve been doing to the UK and to other places. But from the standpoint of the United States, what they’ve done is outrageous that Presidents and administrations allowed them…
"THE PRESIDENT: We’re going to France. We’re going to have a good few days. I think it will be very productive seeing a lot of the leaders, who are friends of mine, for the most part. I wouldn’t say in a hundred percent of the cases, but for the most part.
And I think we’re doing very well. Our economy is doing great.
We’re having a little spat with China, and we’ll win it. We put a lot of tariffs on China today, as you…