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

Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Lin Xueling of Channel NewsAsia - Trade

"America is always going to be a great partner for Asia, Southeast Asia in particular. It’s great to be back here in Singapore; I’ve had fantastic meetings all day with my counterparts, talking about America’s commitment to making sure that we had a free, fair, open Indo-Pacific. With respect to trade, that’s what we’re looking for too. We want every country to rise. We want each nation to have the opportunity to trade, to buy American goods, to sell goods into America. These are the…

Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Lin Xueling of Channel NewsAsia - North Korea

"QUESTION: It’s been close on two months since the Trump-Kim summit here in Singapore. Are we closer to a denuclearization of North Korea?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Oh, of course we are. Of course we’re closer. The two presidents came here and made a historic commitment to each other. Chairman Kim Jong-un made the commitment to denuclearize. That’s consistent with what the UN Security Council has been demanding. There are two resolutions that require North Korea to do just that. America, in return, made commitments. We said…

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…

Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Ross's Remarks at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum

Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Michelle Caruso-Cabrera of CNBC - Trade

"We’re convinced that American engagement in the Indo-Pacific benefits all the nations in that region. We want it to be free, we want it to be open. We’re not looking for dominance. We’re looking for partnerships. Others choose to behave differently. We want these to be commercially available projects led by the American private sector in a way that benefits the entire region and the world. [...] Well, the right mechanism is to be determined, but President Trump wants free trade. Make no mistake about…

Vanuatu National Day

"On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my warmest congratulations to the people of Vanuatu in celebration of your National Day on July 30th. The United States and Vanuatu enjoy a close friendship based on our shared values and partnership. We commend your strong commitment to promoting financial transparency. We also celebrate the growing number of cross-cultural exchanges between our countries, and would like to thank you for welcoming over 70 Peace Corps volunteers to your shores this past year. We look…

Secretary Pompeo Remarks to Senator Markey During Committee Hearing - North Korea

Secretary Pompeo Remarks to Senator Gardner During Committee Hearing - North Korea

Secretary Pompeo Remarks to Senator Merkley During Committee Hearing - North Korea and Myanmar

Secretary Pompeo's Remarks During Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing - North Korea

"As far as the Trump administration’s goals on North Korea are concerned, nothing has changed. Our objective remains the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, as agreed to by Chairman Kim Jong-un. As a follow-up to the President’s successful summit with Chairman Kim, on July 5th I traveled to North Korea to make progress on the commitments that were made in Singapore. We are engaged in patient diplomacy, but we will not let this drag out to no end. I emphasized this position in…