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 Michael R. Pompeo’s Call with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar to discuss ongoing bilateral and multilateral cooperation on issues of international concern, including efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, support the peace process in Afghanistan, and address recent destabilizing actions in the region. Secretary Pompeo and Minister Jaishankar reiterated the strength of the United States-India relationship to advance peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe. Both leaders agreed to continue close cooperation on a…
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The 53rd Anniversary of the Founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
"On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I am pleased to congratulate the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Secretariat on the 53rd anniversary of the founding of ASEAN on August 8. For decades, ASEAN has fostered a more stable, prosperous, and peaceful region. ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms are at the heart of the U.S. vision for the Indo-Pacific and that of our allies and partners. The strategic partnership between the United States…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Minh
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. Secretary Pompeo and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Minh reaffirmed the strength of our Comprehensive Partnership as we celebrate a quarter century of U.S-Vietnam diplomatic relations in 2020. The Secretary underscored U.S. support for Southeast Asian coastal states upholding their sovereign rights and interests under international law and the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Secretary thanked Vietnam for its leadership as ASEAN…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today to discuss our strong U.S.-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership and our two countries’ shared respect for international law and the rules-based maritime order in the South China Sea. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Hishammuddin also discussed our continued economic and health-related cooperation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic."
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Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on Addressing the Threat Posed by WeChat
"Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the “order”) that takes additional steps to deal with the national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services supply chain declared in Executive Order 13873 of May 15, 2019 (Securing the Information and…
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Readout of Secretary Esper's Telephone Call with the People's Republic of China's Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe
"On August 6, 2020, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper held a telephone call with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Minister of National Defense, General Wei Fenghe.
Secretary Esper called for greater PRC transparency on COVID, expressed concern about PRC destabilizing activity in the vicinity of Taiwan and the South China Sea, and called on the PRC to honor international obligations under the principles of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Secretary Esper communicated the importance that the PRC abide by international laws, rules…
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Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok
"Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the “order”) that takes additional steps to deal with the national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services supply chain declared in Executive Order 13873 of May 15, 2019 (Securing the Information and…
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Singapore National Day
"On behalf of the Government of the United States and the American people, I congratulate and extend our warm regards to the people of Singapore as you celebrate your National Day.
Singapore is a longstanding partner and friend of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, and since the establishment of diplomatic relations between us, we have nurtured and enjoyed a close economic and security relationship. Our shared values of stability, prosperity, and the rule of law continue to anchor our dynamic and growing cooperation…
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Executive Order on Addressing the Threat Posed by WeChat
"By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that additional steps must be taken to deal with the national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services…
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Secretary Pompeo At a Press Availability - China and Taiwan
"Now, turning to my remarks: I want to start, as I often do, with a few items on Communist China.
Since I was last here, the world has witnessed more examples of CCP efforts to coerce and control its citizens. Other nations and the U.S. have put out a number of statements.
We see it in Hong Kong, where authorities have delayed legislative elections, arrested pro-democracy activists, issued warrants for freedom-loving foreigners, including an American. I urge U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution while traveling…
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On the Chinese Communist Party’s Extra-Territorial Authoritarianism
"The Chinese Communist Party cannot tolerate the free thinking of its own people, and increasingly is trying to extend its reach outside China’s borders. In the latest example, Chinese authorities have reportedly issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy advocates resident outside of China, including a U.S. citizen. The United States and other free nations will continue to protect our peoples from the long arm of Beijing’s authoritarianism."
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Readout of Secretary Esper’s Phone Call with Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto
"Today, Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper spoke on the phone with his Indonesian counterpart, Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, to discuss U.S. and Indonesian military cooperation in the age of COVID-19. Secretary Esper and Minister Prabowo discussed maritime security, defense acquisitions, and military exercises. Both the Secretary and Minister Prabowo conveyed their desire to meet in-person soon.
Both leaders expressed concern for those that COVID-19 has affected in the United States and Indonesia. Minister Prabowo thanked the American people for providing ventilators…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Singaporean Foreign Minister Balakrishnan
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Secretary Pompeo reiterated U.S. support for Southeast Asian states upholding their sovereign rights and interests under international law, and he underscored U.S. opposition to PRC efforts to use coercion to push its unlawful South China Sea maritime claims. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Balakrishnan also discussed the importance of our longstanding partnership and ways to expand our cooperation further, including in ASEAN and its related fora."
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Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marsudi
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi today about the continued, strong U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership and the two countries’ shared goal of respect for international law in the South China Sea. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Marsudi highlighted the importance of increased public health and economic cooperation to rebuild our economies and keep the region safe."
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Secretary Pompeo With Maria Bartiromo of Fox News Sunday Morning Futures - China
"QUESTION: So I want to start with the U.S. sanctioning the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation and two of its officials for their connection to the human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Tell us about this company, its reach, why these sanctions are important in terms of moving the needle on what’s taking place.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, the risk to the people in that region has been great. I’ve talked about this. This is the greatest human rights violation of this century to date. And what…
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On China’s Predatory Fishing Practices in the Galápagos
"The People’s Republic of China subsidizes the world’s largest commercial fishing fleet, which routinely violates the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of coastal states, fishes without permission, and overfishes licensing agreements. Given this unfortunate record of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, rule-breaking, and willful environmental degradation, it is more important than ever that the international community stands together for the rule of law and insists on better environmental stewardship from Beijing.
The Ecuadorian government has done just that in raising the alarm about the hundreds of…
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On the Postponement of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council Elections
"The United States condemns the Hong Kong government’s decision to postpone by one year upcoming Legislative Council elections originally scheduled for September 6. There is no valid reason for such a lengthy delay. It is likely, therefore, that Hong Kong will never again be able to vote – for anything or anyone. This regrettable action confirms that Beijing has no intention of upholding the commitments it made to the Hong Kong people and the United Kingdom under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a UN-registered treaty, and…
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On Sanctioning Human Rights Abusers in Xinjiang, China
"The Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities rank as the stain of the century. The Trump Administration has led the world’s effort to impose tangible costs on the PRC’s continuous campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, intrusive surveillance, forced labor, forced population control, involuntary collection of biometric data, and genetic analyses targeted at these groups. Today, we are continuing that record of principled action.
On July 9, 2020, the United States designated Chen Quanguo, the current…
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Readout of Secretary Esper’s Phone Call With Timor-Leste's Minister of Defense Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus
"Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper spoke with his Timor-Leste counterpart, Minister of Defense Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus. Both leaders offered sympathies to those affected by COVID-19 in the United States and Timor-Leste. Secretary Esper commended Timor-Leste’s success in controlling the spread of COVID-19, and Minister Filomeno conveyed Timor-Leste’s gratitude to the United States for allocating $2.4 million in COVID-19 relief funding. Secretary Esper and Minister Filomeno also discussed bilateral defense priorities, including military exercises, security cooperation funding for Baucau Airport, and Timor-Leste’s…
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On the Passing of Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui
"On behalf of the American people, I would like to offer my sincere condolences on the passing of former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui.
As Taiwan’s first democratically elected president, Lee helped put an end to decades of authoritarianism and ushered in a new era of economic prosperity, openness, and rule of law. During his 12-year tenure, Lee’s bold reforms played a crucial role in transforming Taiwan into the beacon of democracy we see today. He cemented the deep friendship between the United States and Taiwan.
…
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Secretary Pompeo With Michael Knowles of The Ben Shapiro Show - China
"QUESTION: So, Secretary Pompeo, we have been kind of inwardly focused, I think, over the last few months. And yet, as this Chinese coronavirus has caused us all to look inward, China itself is aggressing around the world. They more or less invaded part of India just a little while ago, killed Indian soldiers; in the South China Sea there have been threats to the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, flying over Taiwan, threatening of Japan. It seems that China is getting aggressive. What does it mean…
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Secretary Pompeo With Simon Conway of The Joe Pags Show - China
"QUESTION: I’m doing very well. It’s always good to talk to you. It seems that our thoughts, however, are pretty much captivated in terms of what you’re doing with China once again. I’ve got like a pile of China stories I could talk to you about. Is this occupying nearly all of your time, or are there other countries we have to concern ourselves with?
SECRETARY POMPEO: There are – look, there are many challenges that are presented to American national security, but none today…
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Vanuatu National Day
"On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer best wishes as you celebrate your National Day on July 30.
For forty years, the United States and the Republic of Vanuatu have worked together to advance shared priorities that include maritime security, good governance, and strong people-to-people relations. There is no greater testament to our friendship than the 863 Peace Corps volunteers who have made Vanuatu their home over the last thirty years.
As your nation marks its 40th year of…
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Joint Statement on Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2020
"Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds on July 28 in Washington for the 30th Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN 2020).
During their discussions, the Secretaries and Ministers built on Prime Minister Morrison’s historic official visit to Washington in September 2019, which demonstrated what President Trump has called the “long, cherished, and unwavering friendship between the United States and Australia.” More than a century since we first fought…
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Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at a Press Availability With Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, and Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds
"SECRETARY POMPEO: Good afternoon, everyone.
We have had a lively and productive set of conversations this morning and last night as well. I’ll get to that in just a bit.
First, though, I want to personally thank Ministers Payne and Reynolds for traveling all this way, halfway around the world, to be with us today. That is a tough trip in ordinary times.
And your entire delegation will be quarantining when you get back. Not many partners will do that for us, and so thank…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Payne
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met yesterday with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne in Washington, D.C. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Payne discussed the unbreakable U.S.-Australia alliance, emphasizing its importance to security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed the 30th Australia – United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), which they will participate in today along with their Defense counterparts."
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Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020
"Sixty-seven years ago today, guns fell silent along the Korean Demilitarized Zone after more than 3 years of brutal fighting to defeat the expansion of communism on the Korean Peninsula. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, we pause to remember the uncommon courage and sacrifice of ordinary Americans who fought to defend freedom and protect the values we hold dear.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. When the conflict began, Americans were still rebuilding their lives in…
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Secretary Pompeo With Martha MacCallum on The Story with Martha MacCallum on Fox News - China
"QUESTION: Are China and the United States at a crossroads that could lead us into another cold war, perhaps even a cold war decade? In a speech today at the Nixon Library, Secretary Pompeo said this: “The CCP fears the Chinese people’s honest opinions more than any foe. And save for losing their own grip on power, they have reason – no reason to.”
That as China’s general consul in Houston tells Politico today in an interview that they do not plan to leave their…
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Communist China and the Free World’s Future
"SECRETARY POMPEO: [...]
I want to recognize several courageous Chinese dissidents who have joined us here today and made a long trip.
And to all the other distinguished guests – (applause) – to all the other distinguished guests, thank you for being here. For those of you who got under the tent, you must have paid extra.
And those of you watching live, thank you for tuning in.
And finally, as the governor mentioned, I was born here in Santa Ana, not very far from…
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Secretary Pompeo and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at a Press Availability - China
"SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, and good afternoon. I want to thank Foreign Secretary Raab for the invitation to be here today. I know it’s not easy to host events, especially at these times, so I want to thank you and your staff for putting this all together and making it work. It was a very productive conversation. We of course began with the challenge presented by the Chinese Communist Party and the COVID-19 virus that originated in Wuhan, China. On behalf of the American…
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Readout of Secretary Esper’s Phone Call With New Zealand Minister for Defence Ron Mark
"Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper spoke today with the New Zealand Minister for Defence Ron Mark, the two leaders reaffirmed the strength of the U.S. –NZL relationship, highlighted respective global security contributions, and discussed the challenging geostrategic operating environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Secretary Esper and Minister Mark agreed to closely coordinate and synchronize on COVID-19 response efforts in the Pacific Island Countries and throughout the region in concert with other like-minded nations. Both leaders emphasized the importance of upholding international rules and norms…
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Readout of Secretary of Defense Esper’s Phone Call With Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo
"Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper spoke today with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and the close coordination between the defense authorities of the two countries.
The two leaders discussed the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and committed to continue supporting diplomatic efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Both sides also pledged to continue to…
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Commerce Department Adds Eleven Chinese Entities Implicated in Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang to the Entity List
"The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added to the Entity List 11 Chinese companies implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, involuntary collection of biometric data, and genetic analyses targeted at Muslim minority groups from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Today’s action will result in these companies facing new restrictions on access to U.S.-origin items, including commodities and technology. This action will…
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21st Anniversary of the PRC Government’s Persecution of Falun Gong
"Since 1999, the Communist Party of China (CCP) has sought to eradicate Falun Gong, a spiritual practice originating in China, and its peaceful practitioners and human rights defenders who have fought for their right to practice their beliefs. Extensive evidence shows the PRC government continues to repress and abuse this community to this day, including reported torture of Falun Gong practitioners and detention of thousands.
Last year, I welcomed Dr. Yuhua Zhang, one among many Falun Gong survivors of the CCP’s campaign of persecution, to…
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Designation of PRC Foreign Nationals and Entities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act
"The Department of State joins the Department of the Treasury in announcing the designation of four People’s Republic of China foreign nationals – Ji Songyan, Zhan Longbao, Cheng Guifeng, and Zheng Guangfu – and one Chinese entity – , and Global United Biotechnology Inc. – for their support to and involvement in the international drug trafficking operations of Chinese synthetic opioid traffickers Zheng Fujing and Yan Xiaobing and the Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO). These designations are made pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks on China
"And that perhaps starts with the Chinese Communist Party. No administration has broken glass on the threat of our times like we have.
For a long time, foreign policy thinkers – truly, the elites on the East Coast – for a long time, foreign policy thinkers thought that the more we traded with China, the more free that nation would become and the less risk they would be to the American people.
But that’s not what’s happening today.
Today, the Chinese Communist Party is crushing…
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Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Bill Hemmer of Fox News - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: Thank you for expressing that here. Let’s go to it now, okay? China. You said yesterday that the world would hold China accountable. How?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So I can see it happening already. I can see nations who were doing business in China who are rethinking about how to do that. If you’re buying products that are the result of the slave labor that’s happening in the western part of China, if you’re a country that’s bent the knee to China because they tried…
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Secretary Pompeo With Bob Cusack, Editor-in-Chief of The Hill - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: Thanks, Jimmy and Steve, and thank you, Mr. Secretary, for joining us. I want to jump into the news. Just recently, Mr. Secretary, you said that the U.S. may ban TikTok and other Chinese apps. Is there going to be a decision on that this summer?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, Bob, thanks. First of all, thanks for having me on here as well. Jimmy, thanks for that very, very generous introduction. Yeah, I made a comment about TikTok. We’ve got to go back to first…
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Secretary Pompeo at a Press Availability -
"SECRETARY POMPEO: [...] Yesterday President Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and announced a series of actions through a presidential executive order.
As he said in May, if China treats Hong Kong as one country and a single system, so must we.
General Secretary Xi Jinping made a choice to violate the Chinese Communist Party’s promises to Hong Kong in – that were made in a UN-registered treaty. He didn’t have to do that; he made that choice.
We have to deal with China…
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Secretary Pompeo With Simon Conway of The Simon Conway Show - China
"QUESTION: All right, let’s get to some very serious stuff regarding China. Of course, we saw the President yesterday in the Rose Garden talking about our tougher approach. Why are we getting tough with China right now?
SECRETARY POMPEO: For now 40 years, Simon, the American people have been fed a bill of goods that if we simply engage with China, that they would leave us alone and behave in a way that was consistent with how other large nations behaved. That hasn’t happened. We…
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On the President’s Announcement on Hong Kong
"Over the past two weeks, the world has watched as the Chinese Communist Party smothers Hong Kong’s freedom. In 1984, China promised the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong people in front of the world that it would keep Hong Kong free and open and maintain its high degree of autonomy until the year 2047. With the draconian national security legislation that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong, which allows mainland China’s security services to operate with impunity in Hong Kong, China has broken that promise…
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Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference - China
"Today, I signed legislation and an executive order to hold China accountable for its oppressive actions against the people of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which I signed this afternoon, passed unanimously through Congress. This law gives my administration powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom. We’ve all watched what happened. Not a good situation. Their freedom has been taken away. Their rights have been taken away. And with it, goes Hong Kong…
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Welcoming the United Kingdom Decision To Prohibit Huawei From 5G Networks
"We welcome news that the United Kingdom plans to ban Huawei from future 5G networks and phase out untrusted Huawei equipment from existing networks. With this decision, the UK joins a growing list of countries from around the world that are standing up for their national security by prohibiting the use of untrusted, high-risk vendors. We will continue to work with our British friends on fostering a secure and vibrant 5G ecosystem, which is critical to Transatlantic security and prosperity.
The momentum in favor of…
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On the Pan-Democratic Primary Election in Hong Kong
"I warmly congratulate Hong Kong’s pan-democrats for their successful primary election. More than 600,000 Hong Kongers cast ballots in the first territory-wide, pan-democratic primary election. Their enthusiasm clearly demonstrates their desire to make their voices heard in the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to suffocate the territory’s freedoms.
We note with grave concern Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s threat that this primary may have violated Beijing’s new “national security” law for the territory, once again demonstrating the Chinese Communist Party’s fear of…