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 With Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, and Brian Kilmeade of Fox and Friends - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: They’re telling us to mind our own business; that’s what China is telling us. Let’s bring in Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State. Good morning to you.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Ainsley, it’s great to be with you this morning.
QUESTION: Can you believe that? They’re telling us to mind our own business, that we’re lying through our teeth. Meanwhile we have almost 60,000 people dead, so many people out of work, and they’re telling us to mind our own business. How are we going to –…
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Proclamation on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2020
"Throughout our Nation’s history, Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made significant contributions to every aspect of our society, from business and politics to literature and the arts. Their accomplishments have enriched our Nation and stand as a testament to the power of the American Dream. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the indelible mark these individuals have left on our culture and pay tribute to the myriad ways in which they continue to strengthen our Nation.
One story…
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Remarks by President Trump During the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing - North Korea
"Q Mr. President, you, a couple days ago, said that you might reach out to Kim Jong Un directly, but also that you were working to find out if those reports about him being in possible medical trouble were true. I’m wondering if you’ve either —
THE PRESIDENT: I hope he’s not in medical trouble.
Q Well —
THE PRESIDENT: I hope he’s —
Q — have you heard anything from North Korea or —
THE PRESIDENT: I’ve gotten along very well with him. And…
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Remarks by President Trump During the April 27, 2020 Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing - China and North Korea
"Q Mr. President, Charlie Spiering from Breitbart News. And a majority of polls show that Americans blame China for the spread of the coronavirus, and yet they’re taking advantage of the crisis to make the world more dependent on their supply chains. How do you get — how do you hold China accountable and how do you keep our country — how do you incentivize our businesses?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Charlie, there are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable. We’re doing very…
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Joint Statement From the Co-Chairs of the Special ASEAN-United States Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
"The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Lao PDR as the co-Chairs of the Special ASEAN-United States Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) conducted via video conference on April 22/23, 2020.
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Readout of Secretary Esper’s Phone Call With Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono
"On April 24, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper spoke with Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono by phone to discuss bilateral coordination on the response to COVID-19, regional security issues and threats to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, and continued cooperation to implement U.S. forces realignment initiatives."
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Secretary Pompeo With Ben Shapiro of The Ben Shapiro Show - China
"QUESTION:
Let’s begin with China. So China is in large part responsible for the spread of this virus. They knew there was human-to-human transmission weeks before they informed the rest of the world of this. Five million citizens left Wuhan province while apparently they knew that this thing was spreading. What sort of measures should the United States be looking to take in the future to either seek recompense from the Chinese Government or to protect ourselves from future situations like this?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Ben…
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Secretary Pompeo With Tony Perkins of Washington Watch - China
"QUESTION: Yeah. Well, that was actually on my list to get to was what I call the triangle of tyranny. You got China, you got Iran, but you also have Russia putting out the same message there. I don’t know if they’ve all gotten together or they’re just copying each other in the messaging, which is – it’s kind of – I know it just doesn’t add up. This breaks out in China in November. They’re in lockdown. It makes it way to the United…
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Secretary Pompeo With David Brody of Faith Nation with David Brody, CBN - China
"QUESTION: Hanging in there. I know you are too, and there’s a lot to talk about. I want to get to, obviously, China and the coronavirus. You made it clear that China has some explaining to do on this. I know you said that you don’t know if the virus started in a lab in China, and maybe not the wet market in Wuhan, but either way, do you believe the Chinese Communist Party is lying to the world right now?
SECRETARY POMPEO: David, it’s…
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Secretary Pompeo at a Press Availability - China and North Korea
"Turning to the World Health Organization, I want to spend a few minutes telling the American people a little bit more about the problems that we’re trying to work our way through.
The WHO has two primary functions. First, it’s a regulator and an advisory role, and a health emergency and humanitarian aid operation on top of that.
After the first SARS outbreak in 2003, the United States led the reform of the WHO, the WHO rules that govern how countries report on public health…