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 Remarks to the Press
"With respect to the differences in the deal, I am confident that Kim Jong-un is looking for more than a piece of paper, right? He’s not just staring at this North Korean deal and saying, 'Oh goodness, there was this Iran agreement between President Obama and the Iranians, and I’m going to rely on the fact that the Americans stayed in that to have confidence that the Americans will do the right thing if I give up my nuclear weapons.' He’s going to look for…
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President Trump's Call with South Korean President Moon
"President Donald J. Trump spoke today [April 28, 2018] with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to discuss the April 27 meeting between President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. President Trump thanked President Moon for the close coordination between the Republic of Korea and the United States in the lead-up to his meeting, and committed to remain in close contact in the coming weeks. The two leaders agreed that the unprecedented pressure applied by the United States, the Republic of…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview with Jonathan Karl of ABC's This Week
"Kim Jong-un is going to have to make a decision. He is going to have to make a big decision. Does he want the pressure campaign to continue? Does he want President Trump to continue to place him in the location that he finds himself today? Or is he looking for something big and bold and different, something that hasn’t happened before? I don’t know which way it will go. As the President has said, only time will tell. But we have a mission set…
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Secretary Mattis Call with South Korean Minister of National Defense Song
"Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis spoke with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo on the results of the inter-Korea summit. Minister Song reviewed the Panmunjeom Declaration, and the efforts to improve North-South relations while achieving the common goal of denuclearization. Both Secretary Mattis and Minister Song expressed serious commitment to a diplomatic resolution that achieves complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, as reflected in multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Secretary Mattis reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks at Press Availability
"I also want to congratulate the Republic of Korea and North Korea on the historic meeting, and the Korean people’s aspirations for peace and prosperity. Let there be no doubt: We would not be where we are today without President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign and the work that has been done all around the world to apply pressure to North Korea. We are encouraged by President Moon and Leader Kim Jong-un’s stated goal of complete denuclearization in the Panmunjom Declaration. We’re studying the declaration closely…
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Statement from Vice President Mike Pence on the Inter-Korean Summit
"The fact that North Korea has come to the table without the United States making any concessions speaks to the strength of President Trump’s leadership and is a clear sign that the intense pressure of sanctions is working. The Korean peace agreement is a step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but it is just one step. Any talks, promises, and assurances from North Korea will be met with reservation, vigilance, and verification. Planning for the United States and North Korea Summit continues, but as…
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Secretary Mattis Remarks on North Korea
"Well, that's part of the issues that we'll be discussing in the negotiations with our allies first and, of course, with North Korea. So, I think for right now, we just have to go along with the process, have the negotiations, and not try to make preconditions or presumptions about how it's going to go. We -- the diplomats are going to have to go to work now. [...] This is about international relations. This is about negotiations and we will build, through confidence-building measures…
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Remarks by President Trump Welcoming the U.S. Olympic Team
"On the occasion of this week’s meeting between President Moon [of South Korea] and [North Korean Chairman] Kim Jong-un, I want to express my hope that all of the people of Korea — North Korea and South — can someday live in harmony, prosperity, and peace. And it looks like it could happen. When I began, people were saying that was an impossibility. They said there were two alternatives: Let them have what they have or go to war. And now we have a much…