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.

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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…

Secretary Pompeo at a Press Availability - Indo-Pacific

Today I’m also pleased to announce that Assistant Secretary Robert Destro – right here; good to see you – that Assistant Secretary Robert Destro of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor will also serve simultaneously as the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.

He will focus on advancing dialogue between the communist-run government in Beijing and the Dalai Lama; protecting the distinct religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of Tibetans; improving respect for their human rights; and much, much more.

Of course, yesterday China…

Secretary Pompeo With Shannon Bream of Fox News @ Night - North Korea

"QUESTION: Okay, Bob Woodward has a new book coming out. He has hours of tapes —

SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, so I heard.

QUESTION: — of conversations with the President. There are allegations that are not directly attributed to what the President said in their taped conversations. There are other things. But in particular, in talking about North Korea and Kim Jong-un, it says, “Trump remarked that he was awestruck” meeting Kim for the first time in 2018 in Singapore, thinking to himself, “holy [blank]” and…

Secretary Pompeo’s Participation in the 10th East Asia Summit Virtual Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo joined counterparts from 17 countries for the 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting this morning. Secretary Pompeo highlighted U.S. support for principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency, and respect for international law. These principles are shared across our Indo-Pacific vision, ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo Pacific, and the visions of many other EAS member states.

The Secretary praised ASEAN unity and transparency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and outlined U.S. efforts to leverage all available resources to develop…

Secretary Esper's Remarks at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies 25th Anniversary Speaker Event

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…

IISS Special Presentation with Secretary Esper - US Indo-Pacific Policy

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…

Secretary Michael Pompeo At a Press Briefing on Current U.S. Foreign Policy - Indo-Pacific

"SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Look, I’ll be very brief because I want to take as many questions as I can. Thank you all for joining me on the call today. I know there’s – be a wide range of questions that will span the entire security situation all across the globe. I thought I’d highlight just a couple things.

First, the challenge that is presented to the people of Hong Kong who have been denied the central commitments that the Chinese Communist Party had made…

Australia-Japan-United States Defense Ministers’ Meeting Joint Statement

"Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds, Japanese Minister of Defense KONO Taro, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper convened a virtual trilateral defense ministerial meeting on July 7 (Washington). The ministers reaffirmed their joint commitment to enhance security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in keeping with their shared values and longstanding alliances and close partnerships. This was the ninth meeting among the three nations’ defense leaders.

The ministers concurred that the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of a rules-based international order in…

Letter from President Trump to Congress on the Continuing Threat Posed by North Korea

"Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days before the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to North Korea that…

Text of a Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to North Korea

"On June 26, 2008, by Executive Order 13466, the President declared a national emergency with respect to North Korea pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula. The President also found that it was necessary to maintain certain restrictions with respect to North Korea that would otherwise…