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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Statement by the President on North Korea's Human Rights
"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 2061, the “North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2017”. This legislation is intended to promote human rights and freedom in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Like its predecessor, however, H.R. 2061 contains a number of provisions, including sections 5(3), 7(c), 7(d), and 8(a)(2), that could be read to require the President to adopt a particular foreign policy of the United States or to direct negotiations with foreign governments and international organizations. (See Statement on Signing the…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Shannon Bream of Fox News - North Korea
"No one’s been closer to that than I have, so everyone else is simply speculating about what’s taken place to date. I’ve been there. The North Koreans have consistently reaffirmed their commitment [to denuclearize], the commitment that Chairman Kim made to President Trump. No one was under any illusion that this was going to happen in hours or days or even weeks. It’s going to take time to achieve this outcome. We hope for a brighter future for the North Korean people, and if Chairman…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Nike Ching of VOA [Voice of America] - Human Rights in Myanmar
"QUESTION: On the ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims, with the Buddhists being the majority in Myanmar, the purge against Rohingya is sometimes characterized by some as religious cleansing. At the same time, killing is the worst crime for Buddhism and for many religion. Would you go further to identify the Rohingya crisis as the religious cleansing?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, the State Department made a decision at the end of last year to make the important statement about ethnic cleansing, and we know that there…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Nike Ching of VOA [Voice of America] - Human Rights in China
"QUESTION: In China, the State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report documented the repression against the Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists. First of all, would you – how would you respond to the assertion from the Chinese Government that some of the groups are separatist? And secondly, would you consider a travel ban or working with the Treasury Department to freeze the U.S. assets of those Chinese officials who are involved in such repression?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So the State Department has made clear that with respect…
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USTR Announces FY 2019 WTO Tariff-Rate Quota Allocations for Raw Cane Sugar
"The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative today announced the country-specific in-quota allocations under the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on imported raw cane sugar for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 (October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019). TRQs allow countries to export specified quantities of a product to the United States at a relatively low tariff, but subject all imports of the product above a pre-determined threshold to a higher tariff. On June 29, 2018, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the establishment of the in-quota quantity…
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Remarks by President Trump in Meeting with Members of Congress - North Korea
"A major topic of discussion was North Korea and the need for it to remove its nuclear weapons. Russia has assured us of its support. President Putin said he agrees with me 100 percent, and they’ll do whatever they have to do to try and make it happen."
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United States Challenges Five WTO Members Imposing Illegal Tariffs Against U.S. Products
"The United States today launched separate disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico and Turkey, challenging the tariffs each WTO Member imposed in response to President Trump’s actions on trade in aluminum and steel to protect the United States’ national security interests. The U.S. steel and aluminum duties imposed by President Trump earlier this year are justified under international agreements the United States and its trading partners have approved. However, retaliatory duties on U.S. exports imposed by China…
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Remarks by Vice President Pence at the U.S. Department of Commerce - China
"The evidence is clear: China is implementing a sustained, centralized, and strategic effort to undermine America’s global economic leadership. The Chinese use ownership and investment restrictions to force American companies to hand over technological blueprints. China imposes licensing requirements that unfairly favor its own businesses. And China has enacted long-term industrial plans that prop up state-owned companies with massive government subsidies, and enable them to overwhelm American companies with an over-supply of underpriced goods. [...] Earlier this month, our administration began implementing up to $5…
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General Officer-Level Talks Between the United States and the DPRK on the Repatriation of Remains
"On Sunday, July 15, representatives from the United States held the first General Officer-level talks with the DPRK since 2009. They met to discuss the return of U.S. service members’ remains missing since the Korean War. This meeting was aimed at fulfilling one of the commitments made by Chairman Kim at the Singapore Summit. Today’s talks were productive and cooperative and resulted in firm commitments. Working level meetings between U.S. and North Korean officials will begin on Monday, July 16, to coordinate the next steps…
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Commerce Department Lifts Ban After ZTE Deposits Final Tranche of $1.4 Billion Penalty
"Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corporation, of Shenzhen, China (“ZTE Corporation”) and ZTE Kangxun Telecommunications Ltd. of Hi-New Shenzhen, China (“ZTE Kangxun”) (collectively, “ZTE”) has placed $400 million in escrow at a U.S. bank. Shortly after the deposit, the Department lifted the denial order on ZTE pursuant to a June settlement agreement that included the harshest penalties and strictest compliance measures ever imposed in such a case. The escrow funds are in addition to the $1 billion penalty imposed…