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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Secretary Pompeo's Interview with Scott Thuman of Sinclair Broadcast Group
"QUESTION: On North Korea, there’s plenty of reporting about a delegation here in Washington this weekend planning for a possible second summit. Critics say since that first meeting that North Korea has yet to truly denuclearize as far as giving up weapons, long-range missiles. Some people wonder what is the point of having these conversations anymore. Is there a reason to be optimistic?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah. “Critics say” is how you began this question, as I recall. Some critics have said we’ve offered too much…
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President Trump's Remarks on Trade Negotiations with China
"Q Mr. President, what was your take from last week’s talks with China about trade?
THE PRESIDENT: We’re doing very well with China. They’re having a hard time with their economy because of the tariffs. We’re doing very well with our economy. We’re at records — our unemployment numbers just hit a record, another record. We’re doing extremely well, as a country. We’re doing better than any country right now, anywhere in the world.
China wants to negotiate. I have a great relationship with President…
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President Trump's Remarks at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 100th Annual Convention - Trade with China
"We are replacing one-sided, unfair trade deals. We have so many nations — it’s a one-sided deal. With China, every year, for many years, we’re losing $375 billion — not million, billion dollars. We’re working on that very strongly. You see what’s going on. We’re doing very well. [...] But, look, I’m not blaming them. I don’t blame China. I mean, China — $375 billion a year, we lose. It’s really more than that, but that’s like the conservative number. I think it’s $504 [billion]…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Rich Edson of Fox News -
"QUESTION: And North Korea, that always seems to be a part of the discussions. In his New Year’s address, Kim Jong-un floated a production cap and a pledge not to transfer arms in exchange for sanctions relief. Can you rule that out as a possibility, because that would be sanctions relief before the complete, verifiable denuclearization?
SECRETARY POMPEO: The good news is our conversations with North Korea continue. They’re out in the public light, they are going to remain so, so I won’t share with…
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Joint Statement of the Trilateral Meeting of the Trade Ministers of the European Union, Japan and the United States
"Mrs. Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, Mr. Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative, met in Washington, D.C. on 9 January 2019.
The Ministers advanced discussions on their shared objective to address non market-oriented policies and practices of third countries that lead to severe overcapacity, create unfair competitive conditions for their workers and businesses, hinder the development and use of innovative technologies, and undermine the proper functioning of international trade, including where…
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Remarks by President Trump on China and North Korea
"Q Mr. President, what do you expect out of the China talks on trade this week in Beijing?
THE PRESIDENT: The China talks are going very well. I spoke to President Xi recently. I really believe they want to make a deal. The tariffs have absolutely hurt China very badly. But our country is taking in a lot of money through tariffs. A lot of money. A lot of tariffs; steel-dumping tariffs and others.
But I think China wants to get it resolved. Their economy…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview with Wilfred Frost of CNBC - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: I want to move on and talk about China. Mr. Secretary, has the trade war with China impacted your job, made it harder? Has it hurt diplomacy?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Trade is an element of what it is that we do. So we have many challenges that were identified in the President’s National Security Strategy on China. Trade is certainly amongst them, but we’re making progress there. I hope we continue to make progress, and I hope too that we’ll make progress on all of…
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President Trump's Remarks on North Korea During Cabinet Meeting
"I just got a great letter from Kim Jong Un. And those few people that I’ve shown this letter to — they’ve never written letters like that. This letter is a great letter. We’ve made a lot of progress with North Korea and Kim Jong Un. And Chairman Kim has been — we’ve had a — we’ve really established a very good relationship. A lot of good things are happening.
And I never said speed. Look, it’s been this way for 80-plus years. We had…
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President Trump's Remarks on China During Cabinet Meeting
"One of the other things I’d like to mention is I had a very successful meeting, about a month ago, with President Xi in Argentina. The President of China. And he and I had a meeting that was going to be 45 minutes; it lasted close to four hours. It was very successful.
One of the things I asked him to do was fentanyl, if you would criminalize it, because it’s not criminal. And China has very strong criminal penalties. It’s called the death penalty…