SECRETARY POMPEO: Good afternoon, everyone.
It always concerns me, though, when you applaud before the speech.
(Laughter.)
So hang on, hear what I say, and see what you think.
I was reminded – I walked through a little bit earlier and I saw these card catalogs
in the library – reminded me I’ve used those.
I see young people, you have no idea what’s in those drawers.
Reminds me how old I am.
It’s great to be with you all today.
Foreign Minister Payne, thank you for the very kind introduction.
We had a great meeting this afternoon alongside our counterpart Minister Reynolds and my new
counterpart Mark Esper.
And we – you and I had just seen each other in Bangkok, so I’m sure she’s getting
sick of me by now.
And I’d be remiss too if I didn’t extend my thanks to the people of Australia for such
a warm welcome here for myself and Susan.
The same goes for those of you who are here today, the dignitaries, including Minister
Turnbull; Penny Wong, the shadow minister of foreign affairs; Ambassador Hockey; our
ambassador, A.B. Culvahouse; Jennifer Westacott, the chair of the business council; and Dr.
John Vallance, the New South Wales librarian who’s responsible for this amazing place
that we find ourselves today.
And of course, a special thank you to Tom Switzer and the Center for Independent Studies
for hosting us here today.
I look forward to taking your questions.
We’ll see if you can stump me.
Entirely possible.
I also want to congratulate Prime Minister Morrison on his recent victory.
My wife Susan and I have been in campaigns before.
We know how raucous they are, and thank you for your willingness to serve.
I look forward to – we have a chance to see he and his wife tonight and we’re very
much looking forward to that.
I know too that President Trump and the First Lady are looking forward to hosting them at
the White House for a state dinner at the end of next month.
And I’d like to take some time today too to talk about things that matter, the reason
that I came here.
That’s the relationship, the unbreakable alliance between our two countries, and how
we on the American side see this developing.
I’ll keep my remarks short because I’m eager to get Tom up here and have a go, and
we’ll take some questions.
I wanted to get here.
It was important for me to get down here.
American diplomacy depends on showing up, especially talk with your closest friends,
not give lectures.
This is a new era.
America doesn’t do that.
The Trump administration knows you’re a partner, we are not your professor.
I want to tell you about a story, about a man who epitomized what our friendship is
all about here.
Your prime minister told it to President Trump last year, but it’s so good that I’m going
to steal it.
His name was Leslie Allen, but everyone in his brigade called him Bull.
Bull was an Australian who carried a stretcher during World War II and won admiration for
fearlessly rescuing comrades wounded in the – on the battlefield.
In 1943, American and Australian troops were fighting side by side in what was then the
Territory of New Guinea, taking very heavy casualties.
That didn’t stop Bull – thus, I suspect, the nickname.
He relentlessly raced back into the fray over and over again.
When all was said and done, Bull had delivered 12 wounded Americans to safety, even carrying
them on his back.
For his heroism, Bull received America’s Silver Star.
Now that’s what I call showing up for your friends.
This is a friendship – our friendship is one that was truly meant to be.
History reflects that.
We are continental democracies.
We are nations of strivers.
We’ve both been through national struggles for civil rights and emerged the other side
far better for it.
We set an example for the world to follow each and every day.
Now, don’t get me wrong.
We’re not exactly the same – I had an earpiece in case I needed a translation today
from your reporters – but when we – when it comes to the things that really matter,
the things that we all value so much – democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights.
This is why we fought side by side in World War I and in World War II and in Korea and
in Vietnam and in Iraq and in Afghanistan today and in Somalia, in our ongoing battle
against ISIS.
And of course we share the ultimate bond: a commitment to come to one other’s aid
and to act to meet threats against one another’s homelands, via the ANZUS Treaty.
Americans will never forget how we invoked it – how you invoked it after 9/11.
Treaties should mean something.
I know that the one between our nations does.
But remembering those old glories matters, and it’s wonderful, but it’s not enough.
It’s not to keep – enough to keep our people safe today, or our people prosperous,
or our people free.
Nations need to know today who is with them, and for the long haul.
And it’s true that you have your own perspective on the Pacific, but it’s not all that different
from ours.
It’s true that other competitors are out there, but you’re learning that all that
glitters is not gold.
It’s true that the United States can sometimes, I’m sure, seem far away.
It’s a long flight between us, as I just experienced.
The pilot said it was headwinds.
I’m pretty sure it was just a big ocean.
But if there’s one thing I want you to know today, it’s this: The United States is a
Pacific nation.
I grew up on the shores of southern California.
And we are here to stay with Australia as a friend and as an ally.
You heard me say earlier that I had great meetings with Minister Payne in Bangkok and
today.
Singularly, my biggest takeaway from those conversations is that the days of Australia
as a middle power are coming to an end.
That’s a good thing for the region; it’s a great thing for the world.
It’s a turn that the United States welcomes, because you stand for the same things that
we do: transparency and the rule of law, basic human dignity and freedom, responsible trade
investment, partnership, not domination.
We’ve seen this as you’ve stepped up in the Pacific.
We welcome your new diplomatic posts all across the neighboring islands.
We’re grateful for your focus on Southeast Asia and your commitment to fighting crime
in the Mekong region.
We’re delighted as well to see Australia support regional infrastructure projects – projects
that are open, transparent, corruption-free.
And we commend your decision to investigate what Confucius Institutes are really doing
on campuses here in your country.
That builds on your courage to shine light on state-sponsored election interference as
well.
And the United States is prepared to work right alongside you to ensure that every nation
can have free and fair elections.
Nearly two years ago now we deployed our free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.
It’s one that fits with your approach as well.
In fact, we borrowed the name from you.
We both know the principles that we love will strengthen the region.
Implementing them starts, as always, with diplomacy.
We had a great trilateral meeting in Bangkok with our Japanese friends.
We’ve worked together in what we call the Quad, and we are revitalizing it.
It continues too with military cooperation.
I was a soldier once not so long ago, and today we’re conducting military exercises
that would’ve been unthinkable alongside our allies the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan,
as well as New Zealand.
And we’ve taken new steps to reassert the rule of law throughout the South China Sea.
We all need to do more.
Now, economically – and I know there are many senior business leaders here with us
today, and I’m thankful for that – economically, we are your number one source for foreign
direct investment.
And we’re proud of that.
We do more than 65 billion in trade each year, and President Trump is always eager to find
ways to boost America’s numbers.
And we’re encouraging some of our best and brightest towards the success in this region,
too.
Today I have the honor to announce the creation of four Indo-Pacific Fulbright Scholarships
‒ two funded by the United States and two funded by your great country ‒ to conduct
research on the Indo-Pacific region.
So with this good foundation in place, let’s crack on as allies in our shared Pacific home,
and all over the world.
Let’s help our neighbors secure their economic independence.
We can get the Papua New Guinea electricity project we started last year over the finish
line.
I know we will.
Foreign Minister Payne said she would turn the first shovel when I was with her today.
Let’s help other countries, too, in the region meet their energy needs.
Strong nations prove their mettle when we tackle those security challenges together.
Australia has supported our efforts to put pressure on North Korea to enforce the UN
Security Council resolutions that have the opportunity to take a nuclear threat away
from the entire world.
And you’ve shown true leadership in making sure that your sovereign decision to protect
your 5G networks will work.
But I know we can do more, and we talked about some of it today.
Australians know the scourge of terrorism.
How can we better stop fighters that are in Syria today from returning, from setting up
camp in Southeast Asia?
The United States and Australia depend on freedom of the seas so that we can each have
prosperity.
And I’m convinced too that we can work together to keep all shipping lanes open, even those
that are further away in the Strait of Hormuz.
Let’s do more through meaningful, effective multilateralism, not empty gestures.
It’s one thing to talk; it’s another thing, of course, to do.
And we’ve built good new momentum.
We’ve built momentum within the Quad, and there’s lots of room for growth.
Let’s get more done through the Pacific Islands Forum as well, and through ASEAN,
where Foreign Minister Payne and I spent the last two days.
I hope too that those of you who are in business here will visit and attend the Indo-Pacific
Business Forum that’ll be held in Bangkok in November, a real opportunity to build economic
ties between the United States, Australia, and all of the countries in the region.
It’s a great chance for government and business leaders to explore new investments throughout
the region.
I want to end by quoting what one Australian writer said about our friendship back in 1910.
He said, quote, “The United States and Australia are neighbors, united rather than divided
by the vast emptiness of [the] Pacific waters.
They face…with an unchanging front of friendship…Together they pursue the high ideals of brotherhood,
liberty, and…judgment of a man by his own” – judging “a man by his own inner worth
rather than the accidents of birth or [good] fortune.”
That’s a fancy way to say – the way this guy from Kansas would put it, but the point
stands: We’re Pacific friends, bound together by an ironclad commitment to our shared values
and our joint success.
And I am confident that this unbreakable alliance will maintain them now and forever.
Because that’s what friends do.
God bless you.
God bless Australia and the United States.
And God bless me as I take questions from Tom today.
(Applause.)
Thank you all.