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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Readout of Secretary of Defense Esper’s Phone Call With Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo
"Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper spoke today with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and the close coordination between the defense authorities of the two countries.
The two leaders discussed the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and committed to continue supporting diplomatic efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Both sides also pledged to continue to…
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21st Anniversary of the PRC Government’s Persecution of Falun Gong
"Since 1999, the Communist Party of China (CCP) has sought to eradicate Falun Gong, a spiritual practice originating in China, and its peaceful practitioners and human rights defenders who have fought for their right to practice their beliefs. Extensive evidence shows the PRC government continues to repress and abuse this community to this day, including reported torture of Falun Gong practitioners and detention of thousands.
Last year, I welcomed Dr. Yuhua Zhang, one among many Falun Gong survivors of the CCP’s campaign of persecution, to…
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Designation of PRC Foreign Nationals and Entities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act
"The Department of State joins the Department of the Treasury in announcing the designation of four People’s Republic of China foreign nationals – Ji Songyan, Zhan Longbao, Cheng Guifeng, and Zheng Guangfu – and one Chinese entity – , and Global United Biotechnology Inc. – for their support to and involvement in the international drug trafficking operations of Chinese synthetic opioid traffickers Zheng Fujing and Yan Xiaobing and the Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO). These designations are made pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks on China
"And that perhaps starts with the Chinese Communist Party. No administration has broken glass on the threat of our times like we have.
For a long time, foreign policy thinkers – truly, the elites on the East Coast – for a long time, foreign policy thinkers thought that the more we traded with China, the more free that nation would become and the less risk they would be to the American people.
But that’s not what’s happening today.
Today, the Chinese Communist Party is crushing…
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Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Bill Hemmer of Fox News - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: Thank you for expressing that here. Let’s go to it now, okay? China. You said yesterday that the world would hold China accountable. How?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So I can see it happening already. I can see nations who were doing business in China who are rethinking about how to do that. If you’re buying products that are the result of the slave labor that’s happening in the western part of China, if you’re a country that’s bent the knee to China because they tried…
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Secretary Pompeo at a Press Availability -
"SECRETARY POMPEO: [...] Yesterday President Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and announced a series of actions through a presidential executive order.
As he said in May, if China treats Hong Kong as one country and a single system, so must we.
General Secretary Xi Jinping made a choice to violate the Chinese Communist Party’s promises to Hong Kong in – that were made in a UN-registered treaty. He didn’t have to do that; he made that choice.
We have to deal with China…
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Secretary Pompeo With Bob Cusack, Editor-in-Chief of The Hill - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: Thanks, Jimmy and Steve, and thank you, Mr. Secretary, for joining us. I want to jump into the news. Just recently, Mr. Secretary, you said that the U.S. may ban TikTok and other Chinese apps. Is there going to be a decision on that this summer?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, Bob, thanks. First of all, thanks for having me on here as well. Jimmy, thanks for that very, very generous introduction. Yeah, I made a comment about TikTok. We’ve got to go back to first…
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On the President’s Announcement on Hong Kong
"Over the past two weeks, the world has watched as the Chinese Communist Party smothers Hong Kong’s freedom. In 1984, China promised the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong people in front of the world that it would keep Hong Kong free and open and maintain its high degree of autonomy until the year 2047. With the draconian national security legislation that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong, which allows mainland China’s security services to operate with impunity in Hong Kong, China has broken that promise…
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Secretary Pompeo With Simon Conway of The Simon Conway Show - China
"QUESTION: All right, let’s get to some very serious stuff regarding China. Of course, we saw the President yesterday in the Rose Garden talking about our tougher approach. Why are we getting tough with China right now?
SECRETARY POMPEO: For now 40 years, Simon, the American people have been fed a bill of goods that if we simply engage with China, that they would leave us alone and behave in a way that was consistent with how other large nations behaved. That hasn’t happened. We…
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On the Pan-Democratic Primary Election in Hong Kong
"I warmly congratulate Hong Kong’s pan-democrats for their successful primary election. More than 600,000 Hong Kongers cast ballots in the first territory-wide, pan-democratic primary election. Their enthusiasm clearly demonstrates their desire to make their voices heard in the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to suffocate the territory’s freedoms.
We note with grave concern Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s threat that this primary may have violated Beijing’s new “national security” law for the territory, once again demonstrating the Chinese Communist Party’s fear of…
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Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate - China's Actions Towards Hong Kong
"Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), I hereby report I have issued an Executive Order (the “order”) that declares a national emergency with respect to the recent actions taken by the People’s Republic of China to fundamentally undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy. The order further declares that Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment in relation to the…
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Statement by the President - Hong Kong Autonomy Act
"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 7440, the “Hong Kong Autonomy Act” (the “Act”). The Act addresses China’s failure to meet certain obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. I note, however, that the requirements for a waiver or termination of sanctions under section 8 of the Act could limit my discretion under Article II of the Constitution to conduct the Nation’s foreign affairs. In such circumstances, my Administration will treat these limitations as advisory and non-binding. In addition, my Administration will treat the requirement…