The Trump Administration & US - Indo-Pacific Relations

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.

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President Trump's Interview with Face the Nation - North Korea, South Korea, China

"MARGARET BRENNAN: North Korea. When and where are you going to meet Kim Jong Un?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I won't tell you yet, but you'll be finding out probably State of the Union or shortly before. But the meeting is set. He's looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it. We've made tremendous progress. If you remember, before I became president, it looked like we were going to war with North Korea. Now we have a very good relationship. The hostages are back. Okay…

Secretary Pompeo's Remarks on Sri Lanka's National Day

"On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I extend to Sri Lanka very warm wishes as you commemorate your national day.

The United States remains eager to build on our partnership with Sri Lanka and advance shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region based on our common democratic values. Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions and constitutional processes have ensured your country’s continued advancement. We look forward to working together to further deepen ties between our nations, promote shared prosperity, and secure a stable…

President Trump's Remarks in Meeting with Vice Premier Liu He of the People’s Republic of China

"It’s a great honor to have the Vice Premier of China with us, and also the Vice Minister of Trade of China. We have had long discussions. This has been going on for quite some time. It will be, by far, if it happens, the biggest deal ever made — not only the biggest trade deal ever made. It will be the biggest trade deal by far, but it’ll also be the biggest deal ever made. The two largest countries doing a trade deal. There…

Secretary Pompeo's Meeting With Australia Foreign Minister Marise Payne

"Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met on January 30 with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. The two lauded the vitality of the bilateral alliance, including our mutual efforts to promote a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The Secretary and Foreign Minister coordinated on our top foreign policy goals, including achieving a fully denuclearized North Korea and plans for President Trump and Chairman Kim to meet at a second Summit. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also updated each other on our joint efforts to support growth…

Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Sean Hannity of Fox News - North Korea

"QUESTION: There’s been a lot of talk about a second summit with Kim Jong-un. It’s pretty amazing to me the progress there, because no more rockets. It was happening on a regular basis, being fired over Japan, threatening the entire region, even threatening the United States. Hostages have been returned. The remains of American soldiers have been returned, and denuclearization talks continue. What is the status now of where those negotiations are and when do you foresee another summit?

SECRETARY POMPEO: So Sean, I think…

Secretary Ross' Remarks on National Security Related Criminal Charges Against Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei

"The Trump Administration continues to be tougher on those who violate our sanctions and export control laws than any administration in history.As Secretary, one of my very first actions was to punish ZTE for its violations, and we continue to monitor them more strictly than any other company in our history.For years, Chinese firms have broken our export laws and undermined sanctions, often using U.S. financial systems to facilitate their illegal activities.This will end. The men and women of our Bureau of Industry and Security…

Secretary Ross's Remarks at the Department of Justice Announcement on National Security Related Criminal Charges Against Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei

"Thank you, Attorney General Whittaker for hosting us today, and thank you to all our interagency partners at Justice, the FBI, and DHS for your outstanding work on this case.

The Trump Administration continues to be tougher on those who violate our sanctions and export control laws than any administration in history.

As Secretary, one of my very first actions was to punish ZTE for its violations, and we continue to monitor them more strictly than any other company in our history.

For years, Chinese…

President Trump's Remarks on the Reciprocal Trade Act - Indo-Pacific

I will be talking a lot about reciprocal trade over the next six years. Hopefully, we’ll have it done in two years or less. And we will see deficits down to a level that would really — you know, we talk about “Make America Great Again”; we have to do these things to make America great again. Because we can’t lose almost $800 billion on trade, like has been done for many years. And it’s been numbers — they varied anywhere from $300 billion to…