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 Mattis's Meeting with Vietnam Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich
"Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with Vietnam Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich for the fifth time today to reaffirm the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Vietnam. The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, to include increasing cooperation in the areas of maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and peacekeeping. They also confirmed close cooperation on addressing legacy of war issues and accounting for U.S. personnel missing from the Vietnam War. Secretary Mattis noted his visit…
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Secretary Mattis's Remarks en route to Vietnam - China
"We are cooperating where possible with China. You see that on DPRK, from the U.N. to -- to an area out there in the Pacific on the sanctions.And obviously, we're not out to contain China. We'd have taken an altogether different stance had that been considered. It has not been considered. But it's out mutual responsibility to responsibly manage differences.We remain highly concerned with continued militarization of features in the South China Sea. Plus, we look at the -- what we consider to be almost…
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Secretary Mattis's Remarks en route to Vietnam - China and the South China Sea
"Q: Mr. Secretary, could I ask you about China?SEC. MATTIS: Sure.Q: You -- you've made some remarks about it. The vice president laid out a -- in his speech, what he called a new approach to China, in which -- some of which seems aimed at being more confrontational in a variety of ways, but militarily, economically, et cetera.On the military front, your -- your meetings in Beijing were canceled. On the military front, are we seeing a more -- will we be seeing a…
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Secretary Pompeo's Meetings in Beijing, China
"On October 8, Secretary of State Pompeo met separately with Member of the Political Bureau and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Yang Jiechi and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. They discussed the overall state of the bilateral relationship.
The two sides affirmed the importance of a constructive, results-oriented bilateral relationship. The Secretary directly addressed areas where the United States and China do not agree, including on the…
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Secretary Mattis's Remarks at Press Gaggle - China
"Q: Ask about China, this increased tensions with China. There was a continuous bomber presence mission yesterday over the South China Sea, which is going to -- SEC. MATTIS: The planes that we have – Idrees the planes, the ships sailing in South China Sea and all, that just goes on. If it was 20 years ago and they had not militarized those features there, it would've just been another bomber on its way to Diego Garcia or whatever. Or down to work with one…
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Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Laura Ingraham of Fox News - South China Sea
"QUESTION: We’ll leave China in just a moment, but the South China Sea, I think it’s an underreported story. I know you just met with the leadership from the Philippines here. They were talking to China about some type of agreement. Real concerns about that, that trading path – $3.3 trillion worth of goods go through the South China Sea, and China has very strong territorial ambitions to dominate it.
SECRETARY POMPEO: They do. This was a place that this administration found itself when it…
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ASEAN Day 2018
"On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I am honored to congratulate the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Secretariat on the organization’s 51st anniversary on August 8th. For over 40 years, U.S.-ASEAN engagement has helped foster a stable, prosperous, and peaceful Southeast Asia. I welcome ASEAN’s role as a centerpiece of the Indo-Pacific’s regional architecture and its contributions to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The United States is proud to support…
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Press Availability at the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings
"Throughout my ASEAN-centered engagements these past days I’ve conveyed President Trump’s commitment to this vital part of the world that continues to grow in importance. Security has been a major focus of our conversations. As part of our commitment to advancing regional security in the Indo-Pacific, the United States is excited to announce nearly $300 million in new funding to reinforce security cooperation throughout the entire region. This new security assistance will advance our shared priorities, especially to strengthen maritime security, develop humanitarian assistance and…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks at the U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial
"The United States is a Pacific nation, and we remain committed to ASEAN centrality under our Indo-Pacific strategy. Earlier this week, on Monday, I gave remarks on the Indo-Pacific and announced new United States commitments to the region. This included a $113 million down payment on a new era in U.S. economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. Last year, we celebrated ASEAN’s 50th anniversary, as well as 40 years of U.S.-ASEAN relations. We look forward to broadening and deepening our Strategic Partnership…
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Secretary Pompeo's Meeting With Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi
"Today, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Singapore. Secretary Pompeo underscored the importance of pursuing a constructive U.S.-China relationship that produces meaningful results. He emphasized our shared commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, as agreed upon by Chairman Kim, as well as the importance of continued implementation of all related UN Security Council Resolutions. Secretary Pompeo also discussed additional priorities in our bilateral relationship, such as U.S. concerns about China's…
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Secretary Mattis's Remarks on Australia, China, and the South China Sea
"Well, we’re totally aligned, Australia and the United States, with what we want as an end state in the Pacific, and that is of course the free and the open Indo-Pacific, where nations large and small are treated with respect for their territorial integrity, for their sovereignty, their sovereign decisions. And I think that as we look at the South China Sea, our concern is that features that have never been militarized before have been militarized by the PRC. We’ve been very – over several…
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Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with Vietnamese Leaders
"On July 8 and 9, Secretary Pompeo met in Hanoi, Vietnam with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. The Secretary and Vietnamese leaders discussed our joint commitment toward the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea. The Secretary thanked Vietnam’s leaders for their strong commitment to strictly enforce UN Security Council Resolutions related to North Korea. They also affirmed their shared interest in upholding peace…