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 Before Marine One Departure - China, Japan , South Korea, and North Korea
"THE PRESIDENT: So, we’re doing very well with China. We’re talking to China. We’re not ready to make a deal, but we’ll see what happens. But, you know, we’ve been hurt by China for 25, 30 years. Nobody has done anything about it. And we have no choice but to do what we’re doing.
It’s working out very well, as you know. We called them on manipulation and they brought their numbers back, and they brought them back rapidly. And they were able to do…
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Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure - South Korea and China
"Q (Inaudible.) South Korea and Japan exports are (inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. South Korea and I have made a deal. They’ve agreed to pay a lot more money toward the United States. As you know, we’ve got 32,000 soldiers on South Korean soil, and we’ve been helping them for about 82 years. And we get nothing. We get virtually nothing. And South Korea and I have made a deal where they’re paying a lot more money, and they’re going to pay a lot more money…
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Media Availability by Secretary Esper En Route to Tokyo
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MARK T. ESPER: Yeah, so first things first.
First good few days, and -- in Australia and -- and New Zealand. I think I often just (inaudible) since I had a chance in each country to meet with my counterpart and fellow defense minister and I had a chance to meet with the foreign ministers, and I had a chance to even meet with -- or chat with the prime ministers of each country. So very good -- very good in that…
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Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono
"Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met yesterday with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Bangkok, Thailand on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum. They reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-ROK-Japan relationship, their shared commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, and to continue working closely to address common challenges in the Indo-Pacific."
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks to Traveling Press En Route to Bangkok, Thailand - Indo-Pacific
"SECRETARY POMPEO: So just a couple things, if I may, just to sort of set what caused me to take this trip. So we’ll be gathering with a bunch of countries that we have worked closely with on many different things, and you’ll see that I’ll have a series of bilats. Many of these are like-minded countries who share our vision for what the region should look like and how economic growth will – ought to be achieved. And so I’m looking forward to that…
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President Trump's Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2019
"In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement ended more than 3 years of brutal fighting against communist expansionism and tyranny on the Korean Peninsula. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, we honor the brave patriots who secured freedom and democracy in the Republic of Korea, and we pay tribute to the more than 23,600 Americans who were killed in action and the more than 103,000 who were wounded in that conflict.
The dedication stone at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., bears the…