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
All Posts
Text
Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure - China
"Q Mr. President, so taking America into a recession: Is it worth it? And do Americans need to back that up?
THE PRESIDENT: So, the fake news, of which many of you are members, is trying to convince the public to have a recession. “Let’s have a recession.” The United States is doing phenomenally well.
But one thing I have to do is economically take on China because China has been ripping us off for many years. President Clinton, President Bush, and President Obama, and…
Text
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo With Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin of CNBC Squawk Box - China
"QUESTION: In Hong Kong, it’s been very peaceful, thank God. What is the endgame if it stays peaceful but if there’s a third of the population in the streets doing – it’s not a third, but it’s a big number. It’s over a million, and it’s not that – there’s not that —
SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s seven and a half million people in Hong Kong, so yeah, significant.
QUESTION: Total 1.7 million, and as we’ve said, these things have a way of not going away…
Text
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo With Gayle King of CBS This Morning - China and North Korea
"QUESTION: Can I focus on – can we take a look at the protests in Hong Kong, now in its 11th straight week? Extraordinary pictures coming from Hong Kong. There were violent protests at the airport, and now it’s very peaceful but very big – over a million people in the streets. Does the Trump administration support the protestors in Hong Kong?
SECRETARY POMPEO: President Trump captured this, I think perfectly, across the weekend when he said we support democracy, we support liberty. We very…
Text
Remarks by President Trump and President Iohannis of Romania Before Bilateral Meeting - China
"Q Mr. President, you keep insisting that your trade war with China — the trade war with China is not affecting the U.S. economy. But a lot of economists disagree with that. And they worry that if China goes into a recession, they’ll pull us down with it.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well — well, okay. Let me — let me tell you something. Number one, we’re doing very well as an economy. But somebody had to take China on. You know, I read and I see…
Text
Department of Commerce Adds Dozens of New Huawei Affiliates to the Entity List and Maintains Narrow Exemptions through the Temporary General License
"Today, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce identified 46 additional Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. affiliates that require inclusion on the Entity List, as part of a routine review of all Entity Listings. Since May, the Department has added over one hundred persons or organizations to the Entity List in connection to Huawei. The new restrictions on these affiliates are effective today, August 19th.
BIS has also announced that it will extend the Temporary General License (TGL) authorizing specific…
Text
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo On the Story With Martha McCallum of FOX News - China and Taiwan
"QUESTION: So what do you make of that? Now, that’s a pretty interesting story given what we’ve been watching unfold in Hong Kong.
SECRETARY POMPEO: So, Martha, I’ve seen those reports. I also know the history of China and its efforts in cyber space conducting cyber crime. This is another element of their efforts to manipulate data.
What we know is this: In Hong Kong, these are protesters who are simply seeking liberty and freedom. They’re asking only that China uphold its commitment, the promise…
Text
Remarks by Vice President Pence at the Detroit Economic Club Luncheon - China
"Seventeen years ago, America agreed to give Beijing open access to our economy: We brought China into the World Trade Organization.
Previous administrations, of one party and another, made the choice in the hope that freedom in China would expand in all of its forms if we opened our markets to them, and I’m not talking about just economically, but also politically — with a newfound respect for classical liberal principles, the rule of law, private property, personal liberty, and religious freedom. We hoped to…
Text
Remarks by President Trump Before Air Force One Departure - China and Taiwan
"THE PRESIDENT: [...] China is eating the tariffs because of monetary manipulation. And also, they’re pouring a lot of money into their country because they don’t want to lose jobs. They’re losing, as you probably know, because you reported it, but they lost over 2 million jobs in a short period of time. And they want to make a deal; we’ll see what happens. But they definitely want to make a deal.
I’d like to see Hong Kong worked out in a very humanitarian fashion…
Text
Remarks by President Trump Before Air Force Once Departure - Trade Negotiations with China and Protests in Hong Kong
"Q What actions are you prepared to take to avoid a recession if this yield curve thing is really predictive?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think we’re going to have a very long period of wealth and success. Other countries are doing very poorly. As you know, China is doing very, very poorly. The tariffs have really bitten into China. They haven’t bitten into us at all — except for the reporters that want to make it look that way, but they don’t understand what’s happening.
…