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
Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc
"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, Vietnam. Secretary Pompeo expressed condolences over the loss of life due to significant flooding as a result of Tropical Storm Linfa and Typhoon Molave and was pleased to announce an additional $2 million in USAID assistance to support response efforts, bringing total funding from the U.S. Government to more than $2.1 million to date. The Secretary congratulated the Prime Minister on Vietnam’s superb chairmanship of ASEAN during a…
Text
Secretary Pompeo And Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi
"SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you very much. Madam Minister, thank you. Hello, everyone. It’s great to see you again, and it’s wonderful to be back here in Indonesia. I visited here early in my tenure as Secretary of State, but once was certainly not enough. Good to be back. It was important for me to return to keep strengthening this foundational, pivotal relationship in Southeast Asia.
And Madam Minister, I want to say to you how much I’ve appreciated your engagement on the Afghanistan peace process…
Text
Secretary Pompeo and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at a Press Availability
"SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Hello, everyone. It’s wonderful to be in here, Colombo. It’s most special because indeed, as you said, we’re one day short of 72 years of our diplomatic relations between our two countries, a remarkable anniversary for each of us.
The foreign minister and I had a great conversation. I had a chance to congratulate him on his reappointment – well done – and had a very positive conversation with President Rajapaksa a bit earlier this morning as…
Text
Secretary Pompeo and Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid at a Press Availability
"SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, Mr. Foreign Minister. Thank you. Hello, everyone. Perhaps I’ll get fortunate and there’ll be a mechanical problem with my airplane, and I’ll get to see a sunset and a sunrise. I also want to thank President Solih for inviting me to visit Male. This is indeed a beautiful – it’s a beautiful city and a beautiful country, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to be here.
We had an incredibly productive conversation, positive meetings. It’s safe to say that our…
Text
Secretary Pompeo With Prasad Dodangodage of Rupavahini TV
"QUESTION: Secretary Pompeo, now, your visit in Sri Lanka made headlines in many ways. First, it’s taking place just before the U.S. presidential elections. Then there was a statement made by a State Department official on Sri Lanka. So there are many speculated definitions for this visit. So what’s your definition for this visit?
SECRETARY POMPEO: So I’ve traveled to this region many times. It’s an important region for the United States. We value democratic friendships all across the world. I had hoped to get…
Text
Joint Statement on the Third U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
"India’s Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper to New Delhi for the third annual U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The Ministers welcomed the elevation of the U.S.-India relationship to a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership during the visit of President Donald J. Trump to India in February 2020. They reiterated their commitment to further strengthening the U.S.-India partnership, anchored in mutual trust and friendship…
Text
On the Loss of Life Due to Significant Flooding in Central Vietnam
"The Government of the United States expresses its deepest condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam as they mourn those who perished due to significant flooding in the central region of Vietnam as a result of Tropical Storm Linfa. The U.S. government stands ready to assist Vietnam in addressing the damage caused by the floods, and we send our deepest sympathies to all affected by this tragedy, including the many thousands who were displaced."
Text
U.S. Announces Humanitarian Assistance at the International Conference on Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response
"Today, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) conducted a virtual conference on Sustaining International Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response. The United States announced nearly $200 million in additional humanitarian assistance provided in Fiscal Year 2020 for Rohingya refugees, host communities in Bangladesh and other countries in the region, and internally displaced Rohingya and other crisis-affected communities in Burma, including those who fled ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State.
The United States remains the most generous financial…
Text
Joint Press Statement of the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
"We are grateful to all who have participated in today’s conference, including those who announced or pledged funding for the international humanitarian response, those who are supporting members of the Rohingya communities in other ways — not least by hosting them — and most importantly, representatives of Rohingya communities themselves.
The situation in the region remains an acute humanitarian and human rights crisis more than three years after the August 2017 violence, which caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people to flee their homes…
Text
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…
Text
Secretary Pompeo With Larry O’Connor of the Larry O’Connor Show - China
"QUESTION: Boy, there’s a lot going on in the news, and I know that you have been a busy man. I guess Secretary of State means you’re going to be traveling the world. But you’ve been very busy in the last week specifically with a trip to Japan, and that, of course, continues your focus on the Chinese Communist Party. Talk to me about what happened in Japan and where we stand right now with the Communist Party of China.
SECRETARY POMPEO: So it was…
Text
Secretary Pompeo's Remarks on China During a Meeting with State Legislatures in Wisconsin
"As Americans across the country were dealing with the pandemic that was released from Wuhan, they’ve been worried about their lives, their livelihoods. Senator Roth got an email from Wu Ting, a person who was in the consul at China’s consulate in Chicago – it landed in his email inbox.
Ms. Wu stated that she was “responsible for China-Wisconsin relations.”
The email included a draft resolution that she asked the Senator to pass – in this chamber – praising China’s response to the coronavirus.
I…