This resource tracked statements, developments, visits, and other interactions in US-Indo-Pacific relations under the President Trump administration. Special focus was given to the comments and activities of President Donald J. Trump; Vice President Mike Pence; United States Trade Representative Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Jr.; former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; former Secretary of Defense James Mattis; and former Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper.
The Trump Administration & US - Indo-Pacific Relations
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Remarks by Vice President Pence at NATO Engages: The Alliance at 70 - China
"Perhaps the greatest challenge NATO will face in the coming decades is how we must all adjust to the rise of the People’s Republic of China. And adjust we must. For determining how to meet the challenge of Chinese 5G technology, meet the challenge of the easy money offered by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, is a challenge European allies must contend with every day.
Whether we like it or not, the implications of China’s rise will profoundly affect the choices NATO members will face…
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Secretary Pompeo's Meeting With Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang
"Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met with Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha March 29 in Washington. They discussed coordinated efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) and updated each other on respective U.S. and R.O.K. engagements with the D.P.R.K. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Kang praised the enduring strength of the U.S.-R.O.K. Alliance. Both sides expressed their commitment to cooperation across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and the R.O.K. New Southern Policy, as well as…
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Remarks by Vice President Pence to Faith Leaders - China
"And also, finally, religious persecution is growing in the world’s most populous country as well. The State Department’s annual International Religious Freedom report labeled China as a religious freedom violator every year since 1999.
As many of you know, Chinese authorities have banned the sale of Christian Bibles; they’ve destroyed thousands of crosses and other Church symbols; and they have jailed Christian pastors. And let me make you a promise: As we work toward a more free and fair trading relationship with China, our administration…
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Remarks by President Trump in Meeting with SBA Administrator Linda McMahon - China and North Korea
"So I’ll be talking about a lot of — to a lot of people. Perhaps President Putin. Perhaps President Xi of China. My people right now are in China. We’re negotiating the trade deal. We’ll see what happens. But we’re doing very well.
Q How did that round of talks go?
THE PRESIDENT: I think it’s going very well. I mean, the trade deal is going very well. We’ll see what happens. But it’s going very well. They’re in China right now, the highest level…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With RJ Harris of WHP 580 - North Korea
"QUESTION: A lot of Americans, including me, are very optimistic with what is going on with North Korea. I believe we have great reason to be optimistic, don’t you think?
SECRETARY POMPEO: I do. President Trump has made clear that there’s no timeline, that this will be one step forward, one step back, perhaps. But I know we’ve made progress. I’ve been at the center of the diplomatic effort there. Chairman Kim has made a promise to – he made it to me, he’s made…
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Statement of the United States Regarding China Talks
"At President Donald J. Trump’s direction, officials from the United States traveled to Beijing for negotiations on the trade relationship between the United States and China. The United States delegation was led by United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer and Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin. Vice Premier Liu He led the talks for the Chinese side.
The two parties continued to make progress during candid and constructive discussions on the negotiations and important next steps.
The United States looks forward to the…
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Secretary Pompeo's Conversation With Rich Lowry at the National Review Institute's 2019 Ideas Summit - North Korea
"MR LOWRY: So on North Korea, there’s been some confusing reporting in the press over the last four or five days about whether there’s actually going to be a new round of sanctions. So can you address that? And then also, the criticism you’ll hear, both from the left and the right, that President had these two high-profile meetings with Kim, nothing came of them, and the only effect is giving this horrific dictator a higher level of prestige than he had before.
SECRETARY POMPEO…
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Secretary Pompeo's Conversation With Rich Lowry at the National Review Institute's 2019 Ideas Summit - China
"MR LOWRY: So as we were discussing earlier, we’ve had this inordinate focus on Russia, whereas this new strategic challenge that has arisen over the last several decades and presumably persists for decades to come is China. So how do you think about the strategic challenge from China? And the question specifically from our audience is: Is there anything we can do to counter or check the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes, of course there is. So the first step was to…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Barak Ravid of Channel 13 - China
"QUESTION: Last question: How concerned is the Trump administration by the growing ties between Israel and China?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So, China broadly presents a real opportunity. They’re an economic powerhouse and there are lots of opportunities that countries have to do business with China. When China behaves transparently, when China is engaged in real economic transactions, we are untroubled. When China behaves using debt as a trap, when China bribes, when China engages in spying through its commercial state-owned enterprises, and presents risk through its…
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President Trump's Remarks on Tariffs with China
"Q On the China trade deal, once you have an agreement with President Xi, will you immediately lift the China tariffs? Will you remove the tariffs right away?
THE PRESIDENT: No. We’re not talking about removing them. We’re talking about leaving them and for a substantial period of time, because we have to make sure that if we do the deal with China, that China lives by the deal. Because they’ve had a lot of problems living by certain deals and we have to make…