The Trump Administration & US - Indo-Pacific Relations

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.

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Institution of a Personnel Cap on Designated PRC State Media Entities

"For years, the government of the People’s Republic of China has imposed increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China.

President Trump has made clear that Beijing’s restrictions on foreign journalists are misguided. The U.S. government has long welcomed foreign journalists, including PRC journalists, to work freely and without threat of reprisal.

The U.S. government is today instituting a personnel cap on certain PRC-controlled state media entities in the United States – specifically, the five entities that were…

Secretary Pompeo With Bret Baier of Special Report with Bret Baier - North Korea

"QUESTION: Two quick things as we wrap up here. John Bolton, former national security advisor, calls this an Obama-style deal. I know you pushed back on that earlier. He also tweeted out, “North Korea, true to form, resumes ballistic missile testing, yet again violating UN Security Council resolutions. U.S. policy must finally face the reality that North Korea will never voluntarily stop pursuing deliverable nuclear weapons.” Is he right?

SECRETARY POMPEO: The President’s made a real commitment to try to find a path forward. Chairman…

President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Joint News Conference

Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference - Various Issues in the Indo-Pacific

"THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please. So we had a couple of really great days in India. Prime Minister Modi is a terrific man. He’s a terrific leader. And we have a lot of things going in terms of product being purchased by India.

We just had a meeting. A lot of the press was there. I thought it was a great meeting with some of the biggest businessmen in the world. They come from India. They’re agreeing to invest billions and billions of…

Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi of India in Joint Press Statement

"PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. And, Prime Minister Modi, this has been a very special visit — unforgettable, extraordinary. What can you say? Very, very wonderful to be with you. Thank you very much.

And Melania and I have been awed by the majesty of India and the exceptional kindness and generosity of the Indian people.

We’ll always remember the magnificent welcome the citizens of your home state showed us upon arrival. It was a profound expression of strength and of — of…

Remarks by Vice President Pence at the Michigan Farm Bureau Lansing Legislative Seminar - China

"You know, for years, one administration after another — frankly, in both political parties — stood by while we amassed extraordinary trade deficits with China. I mean, China took advantage of access to our economy while giving very limited access of what we grow and what we make to their economy.

It’s amazing to think when we went through our inauguration on January 20th, 2017, literally half — $500 billion — half of our international trade deficit was with China. But this President made it…

New Sanctions under the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA) - China

"The United States is sanctioning 13 foreign entities and individuals in China, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey pursuant to the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA). This action includes new sanctions against five entities/individuals in China (Luo Dingwen, Baoding Shimaotong Enterprises Services Company Limited, Gaobeidian Kaituo Precise Instrument Co. Ltd , and Wuhan Sanjiang Import and Export Co., Ltd) and Turkey (Eren Carbon Graphite Industrial Trading Company, Ltd) for supporting Iran’s missile program. The Chinese individual Luo Dingwen has also been involved in supplying…

USDA and USTR Announce Progress on Implementation of U.S.-China Phase One Agreement

"U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced today that China has taken numerous actions to begin implementing its agriculture-related commitments under the landmark U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement on schedule. The agreement entered into force on February 14, 2020.

These actions include:

  • Signing a protocol that allows the importation of U.S. fresh chipping potatoes (U.S. Chipping Potatoes Protocol Announcement);
  • Lifting the ban on imports of U.S. poultry and poultry products, including pet food containing poultry products…

Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks to the Press - China

Outside of our borders, the State Department continues to do an enormous amount of work to review developments inside and outside of China, and to help countries who have been stricken by the virus.

We also want to applaud the brave reporters who are covering the spread of coronavirus from Wuhan itself. Expelling our journalists exposes, once again, the governance issue that led to SARS, and now, the coronavirus, namely censorship. It can have deadly consequences. Had China permitted its own and foreign journalists and…

Tibetan New Year

President Trump's Remarks During State Visit to India