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.

Methodology

All Posts

Joint Communiqué of the 51st ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting

"1. The 51st Republic of Korea (ROK)-United States (U.S.) Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) was held in Seoul, on November 15, 2019. ROK Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeongdoo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper led their respective delegations, which included senior defense and foreign affairs officials. On November 14, 2019, ROK Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Park Hanki and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, presided over the 44th U.S.-ROK Military Committee Meeting (MCM).

2…

Secretary of Defense Esper Press Gaggle En Route to INDOPACOM [U.S. Indo-Pacific Command] - South Korea and North Korea

"SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MARK T. ESPER: Yeah, so as you all know, this is the beginning of my second visit to Asia as secretary of defense. We have multiple countries that we'll be visiting. Some are longstanding allies. Some are partners in different ways.

And the purpose, of course, is to reinforce the importance of allies and partners, discuss key issues to make sure that they understand clearly that the INDOPACOM theater is DOD's number one priority. And like I said, to discuss a…

Remarks by President Trump at the Economic Club of New York - China, Japan, and South Korea

"And I will tell you, when I signed — that was another one — Clean Waters of the United States — well, the Paris Accord, too — and I said, “This is going to take guts.” I just closed my eyes and I signed it. (Laughter.) I got one day of a big hit from some of the radical-left newspapers. And then after that, everybody thanks me. They thank me so profusely. You’re talking about trillions and trillions of dollars of destruction would have been…

Secretary Ross's Speech at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum

Secretary Ross's Op-Ed in fox Business on US Trade with the Indo-Pacific

"A renewed partnership, a transformative vision. This is what President Donald J. Trump outlined for United States and Indo-Pacific relations almost two years ago in Da Nang, Vietnam, and it is what the United States is championing now at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.

During the second half of a historic trip in 2017 that also featured stops in Japan, South Korea, China and the Philippines, President Trump laid out an optimistic view of future ties between the United States and its partners…