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 Pompeo With Hugh Hewitt of The Hugh Hewitt Show - China and Taiwan
"QUESTION: Thank you. The Chinese Communist Party has a mouthpiece, the Global Times, which has a lead editorial today: China to respond to U.S. provocations in next 10 days, which concluded, and I want to quote, Mr. Secretary, “We would rather face a Taiwan Straits crisis, even a storm, in the next 10 days if Pompeo and his likes become more aggressive and provocative before leaving office. The crisis will teach Taiwan secessionists a lesson and nail Pompeo and his likes to the pillar of…
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Secretary Pomepo's Remarks at the Voice of America (VOA) Headquarters - China
"SECRETARY POMPEO: [...] When the Chinese Communist Party attempted to exploit the tragic death of George Floyd to claim their authoritarian system was somehow superior to ours, I issued a statement, which read in part: “During the best of times, the People’s Republic of China ruthlessly imposes communism. But amid the most difficult challenge, the United States secures freedom.”
There is no moral equivalence. This is a self-evident truth. [...]
VOA was rubber-stamping J-1 visas for foreign nationals, including some from communist China. We shouldn’t…
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Secretary Pompeo's Remarks on the US-Taiwan Relationship
"Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and reliable partner of the United States, and yet for several decades the State Department has created complex internal restrictions to regulate our diplomats, servicemembers, and other officials’ interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts. The United States government took these actions unilaterally, in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing. No more.
Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions. Executive branch agencies should consider all “contact guidelines” regarding relations with Taiwan previously issued…
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Secretary Pompeo With Hugh Hewitt of The Hugh Hewitt Show - Indo-Pacific
"QUESTION: Now, Mr. Secretary, I want to turn to the Chinese Communist Party and to the conservative realism about it that you and President Trump have articulated and defended. Do we expect, short term, more sanctions in December and January on entities like Huawei?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So I don’t want to get out in front of what decisions the President will make, but make no mistake about the work that we’re doing to counter the threat from the Chinese Communist Party continues. So there’s still…
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Secretary Pompeo at a Press Availability - Indo-Pacific
"Look, today I want to talk about a number of multilateral initiatives that we’re advancing here at the State Department. We’re cooperating with our partners and allies and friends across the world in unprecedented ways. It’s been a hallmark of the administration that frankly deserves more attention.
Look, it starts with working to go out and meet with these people. This Sunday I’ll depart for India, for Sri Lanka, for the Maldives, and then on to Indonesia. On every stop I will discuss a broad…
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Secretary Pompeo's at that Institute Republican Institute (IRI)'s Virtual Dinner
"We also see it in 12 courageous Hong Kongers who, on August 23rd, climbed into a speedboat and attempted their escape to freedom.
Their destination was democratic Taiwan, 400 miles away. They reportedly only made in 26 miles outside of Hong Kong’s territorial waters, before security services from Communist China scooped them up.
The Hong Kong 12 are being held incommunicado by CCP authorities on the mainland as we speak. They’ve been denied counsel.
But the Hong Kong 12 have committed no crime. They simply…
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Secretary Pompeo With Hugh Hewitt of the Hugh Hewitt Show - China and Taiwan
"QUESTION: Now, at the same time that the U.S. is leading internationally and nationally the anti-virus response, the image of China, according to Pew Research, has plummeted. A new 14-country Pew Research Center survey shows that a majority in each of the surveyed countries has an unfavorable opinion of China. Do you believe, Mr. Secretary, that the world has the number of the Chinese Communist Party? They were responsible for this nightmare. They hid it. They covered it up. They still cover it up.
SECRETARY…
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Secretary Pompeo with Yoshio Arima of NHK - Indo-Pacific
"QUESTION: But during this very serious moment, you are visiting Japan, far away from White House. So why is that important? What is such important issues you have to talk with allies here in Tokyo?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So there were two reasons I needed to be here today. The first is I wanted to extend my congratulations and greetings to Prime Minister Suga, talk to him about the important bilateral relationship between our countries. We have a long, warm, historic relationship between the people of…
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Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at a Press Availability
"On the multilateral front further, I look forward to seeing my ASEAN and Indo-Pacific counterparts next week at a host of virtual meetings.
We’ll have discussions that will be wide-ranging, including on COVID, North Korea, South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Burma’s Rakhine State.
I’ll also raise how the Trump administration is restoring reciprocity to the U.S.-China relationship. And today we continue that necessary work.
For years, the Chinese Communist Party has imposed significant barriers on American diplomats working inside the PRC.
Specifically, the Chinese…