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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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…
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Remarks by President Trump at Lima Army Tank Plant - North Korea and China
"We took over a mess. We took over a mess with North Korea. We took over a mess in the Middle East. We took over. A lot of bad things were happening and the economy was not doing well. It was heading in the wrong direction. You remember that. It was going to go bad, and then we opened up with the regulation cuts and all of the other things we’ve done, including the big tax cut. (Applause.) But it made a big difference. Made…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Nick Gosnell of WIBW NewsDay Now - Indo-Pacific Trade
"QUESTION: The other thing that the State Department obviously does is takes care of big-time security issues, and you’ve probably got more stamps on your passport than anyone else in the world literally over the course of these last few months and years. Of all the places you’ve gone to, where’s the place Kansans might be able to see their goods go next?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Goodness, there’s enormous growth all across Asia. So I’ve traveled to Singapore, to Vietnam, I’ve been to China, to South…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Pete Mundo of the Pete Mundo Morning Show, KCMO - North Korea
"QUESTION: Fair enough. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joining us on KCMO. All right, Mr. Secretary, obviously North Korea’s taken a lot of your time here lately. You had the second summit in Vietnam a couple of weeks ago. Now there’s some rumblings that maybe North Korea basically wants to blow up any of the positive discussions that you guys have had here lately and they might go back to some of the testing that they’ve done. How concerned are you that some of the…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Lukas & Careth in the Morning, B98 FM - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: That’s awesome. Okay, so the other thing: What about Iowa? Somebody was telling me something about – with this entrepreneurship, something happened in Iowa, or something to do with Iowa.
SECRETARY POMPEO: So I traveled to Iowa now a couple weeks back to talk about a little bit different piece of what the State Department does. This is assistance on trade issues. We’re engaged in sharing, in this case, we were talking mostly to the agricultural community, ag manufacturers, seed producers, farmers themselves, cattle…
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Readout of Vice President Mike Pence’s Call with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters of New Zealand
"Vice President Pence spoke yesterday with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters of New Zealand. Vice President Pence expressed his condolences on behalf of the American people for the despicable terror attacks at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Vice President also affirmed the President’s solidarity with New Zealand and our cooperation in ensuring that all perpetrators are brought to justice. These acts of hate have no place in the diverse and tolerant society for which New Zealand is justly known."
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Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Varadkar of Ireland Before Bilateral Meeting - China
"Q What are the prospects now on the summit with President Xi this month or next month?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re doing very well with China talks. China talks are doing very well. We’ll see what happens. If it’s not a deal that’s a great deal for us, we’re not going to make it. But I would say that we’re moving along at a very high level. We’re getting what we have to get, and I think we’re getting it relatively quickly.So the China talks are…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks on the Release of the 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - China
"Then there’s China, which is in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. In just 2018, China intensified its campaign of detaining Muslim minority groups at record levels. Today, more than 1 million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslims are interned in reeducation camps designed to erase their religious and ethnic identities. The government also is increasing its persecution against Christians, Tibetans, and anyone who espouses different views from those or advocates those of government -- or advocates change in government."