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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Remarks by President Trump in Luncheon with Vice Premier Liu He of the People’s Republic of China
"PRESIDENT TRUMP: I thought that we would do it the way other; that the more I thought about this, the better it is. It’s — you can get your arms around it better the way we’ve got it. I like it better the way we’ve done it.
I just want to say this is a great day for both China and the United States. This is an agreement that people have been talking about for 40 years and never were able to get even a…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Silicon Valley, California. Secretary Pompeo and Minister Motegi reaffirmed the continuing strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in light of the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed continued cooperation on trade, and coordination on an array of security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, including the DPRK. They also discussed the importance of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation, and expressed commitment to…
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Trilateral Meeting between Secretary Pompeo, Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in Silicon Valley, California. Secretary Pompeo, Foreign Minister Kang, and Foreign Minister Motegi emphasized the importance of the U.S.-ROK and U.S.-Japan Alliances to security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world. They also stressed that trilateral cooperation is essential to ensure the future of peace in the region."
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Joint Statement of the Trilateral Meeting of the Trade Ministers of Japan, the United States and the European Union
"Mr. KAJIYAMA Hiroshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative, and Mr. Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Trade, met in Washington, D.C. on 14 January 2020.
On industrial subsidies, the Ministers discussed ways to strengthen existing WTO rules on industrial subsidies and agreed upon the following:
1. The current list of prohibited subsidies provided for in Article 3.1 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM) is insufficient to tackle market and trade distorting subsidization…
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Readout of Secretary Esper's Meeting With Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono
"On January 14, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper hosted Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono at the Pentagon, where they reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance and reflected on its evolution since the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security sixty years ago.
Secretary Esper and Minister Kono exchanged views on the Middle East and affirmed their commitment to advancing maritime security goals in the region. Secretary Esper reiterated the U.S. commitment to the full implementation of President Trump and Chairman Kim’s…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang in Silicon Valley, California. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Kang reaffirmed continued close U.S.-ROK coordination on North Korea. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Kang praised the enduring strength of the U.S.-ROK Alliance and reiterated their commitment to cooperation across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ROK New Southern Policy. They also discussed the importance of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation and pledged to continue to work closely together on an array of…
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Secretary Esper and [Japanese Defense] Minister Kono Press Conference
"SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MARK T. ESPER: Well good afternoon, everyone. Minister Kono, it is a pleasure to host you today as we honor the strong defense relationship between the United States and Japan. This Sunday, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
The agreement formalized our commitment to addressing shared security concerns on the basis of freedom and democracy. Since then, we have united to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region and to uphold…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks at the Commonwealth Club - China and North Korea
"And I want to talk to you about one specific topic today, the challenges and opportunities that the United States has with China. We need to think bigger, perhaps, and better as well. Because I am convinced that we can cooperate with China, as this administration has shown with what I hope will be in the next several hours the signing of a phase one trade deal. That’s a fantastic thing, I believe, for the United States. We’d welcome more of it.
But we also…
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Secretary Pompeo With Bret Baier of Fox News Special Report - North Korea
"QUESTION: And that’s the same message for Kim Jong-un and North Korea. Are you concerned that he’s going to resume testing long-range missiles this year?
SECRETARY POMPEO: He still has an outstanding commitment to President Trump. He made a commitment that he would denuclearize. He has not walked back that commitment. We have every hope and expectation that he’ll do so, and that we’ll resolve the nuclear file in North Korea peacefully and we’ll make a better, brighter future for the North Korean people as…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks at Stanford University's Hoover Institution - China
"China’s island building, too, in the South China Sea, and its brazen attempts to coerce American allies undermined deterrence. The Trump administration has ramped up naval exercises in the South China Sea, alongside our allies and friends and partners throughout the region. [...]
For years, too, China has restricted access for American products in its markets, while demanding access for their stuff here. I was a small business owner. I had a small office that was in Shanghai. We’ve made clear that we’re going to have…
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On Taiwan’s Election
"The United States congratulates Dr. Tsai Ing-wen on her re-election in Taiwan’s presidential election. We also congratulate Taiwan for once again demonstrating the strength of its robust democratic system, which—coupled with a free market economy and a vibrant civil society—makes it a model for the Indo-Pacific region and a force for good in the world.
The American people and the people on Taiwan are not just partners—we are members of the same community of democracies, bonded by our shared political, economic, and international values. We…