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.
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all very much for that very warm welcome. And on behalf of the President of the United States and the First Family: Welcome to the White House. (Applause.)
And join me in thanking an extraordinary leader. I just — as soon as I heard her voice, I had to jump out from behind the curtain. (Laughter.) She is not only the 18th Secretary of Transportation, but frankly, she is one of the most distinguished public servants in the United…
*This interview was originally conducted on December 16, 2019.
"Jim Dao: You campaigned on your ability to handle a crisis. If China were to send troops and tanks into Hong Kong to violently crack down on peaceful protesters, how would you handle that?
Well, that’s a very, I’m not sure I should answer it on ——
JD: Why not?
Let me put it this way. First of all, the first thing I’d do is go to the United Nations. I would introduce resolutions to condemn…
*This interview was recorded earlier but the transcript does not give a specific date.
"KK: Assume that for a moment that the Chinese government makes a decision that they’re going to flood the streets with troops in order to crack down on the protests that are happening in Hong Kong. What would you do? How would you respond as president?
Well, the message would need to go to China, that if they’re going to perpetrate a repeat of Tiananmen, that that will lead to them…
"PRESIDENT TRUMP: I thought that we would do it the way other; that the more I thought about this, the better it is. It’s — you can get your arms around it better the way we’ve got it. I like it better the way we’ve done it.
I just want to say this is a great day for both China and the United States. This is an agreement that people have been talking about for 40 years and never were able to get even a…
*This interview originally took place on December 10, 2019*
"Serge Schmemann: Senator, can I ask you about China? [...]
SS: About China. The Chinese have been repressing fairly ruthlessly.
With the Uighurs.
SS: The Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. Can or should the United States take action on their behalf?
I think the United States should be standing up much taller on this front, both with Hong Kong, and you see Congress acted on that front with authorizing some sanctions and passing a law which the…
*This interview oringally took place on December 4, 2019, before Andrew Yang failed to qualify for the January 14, 2020 debate.
James Dao: Can I pose a future hypothetical? If the Chinese government were to flood Hong Kong with military troops after you were president and impose a violent crackdown, similar to, say, Tiananmen Square in 1989, what would you do?
I have family in Hong Kong. I spent a semester there in college, and so when I see those streets wracked with riots and…