NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Speaking to a worldwide audience, President Donald Trump Tuesday resurrected every accusation he’s ever voiced against China, appearing to almost dare that country to suspend negotiations set to include the vice premier in the days ahead.
In the flat monotone that has come be known as “Teleprompter Trump,” the president spent a considerable portion – nearly five minutes – of his address to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly pillorying China as a trade predator that has operated under the cover of a World Trade Organization membership to game the world’s trading system.
“The most important difference in America’s new approach on trade concerns our relationship with China,” Trump said. He continued, China’s accession to the WTO 18 years ago that was expected to help liberalize its economy instead did the opposite, an expectation gone “completely wrong.:
“Not only has China declined to adopt promised reforms, it has embraced an economic model dependent on massive market barriers, heavy state subsidies, currency manipulation, product dumping, forced technology transfers and the theft of intellectual property and also trade secrets on a grand scale.”
He recounted how Micron charged China stole its designs worth several billion dollars while it was banned from selling in China.
“The second largest economy in the world should not be permitted to declare itself a developing country to game the system at others’ expense,” Trump continued. “Globalism exerted a religious pull on the past leaders, causing them to ignore their own national interests. But as far as American is concerned, those days are over.”
Trump said, “I placed massive tariffs on more than $500 billion worth of Chinese made goods. Already,” he continued, “as a result of these tariffs supply chains are relocating back to America and to other nations and billions of dollars are being paid to our Treasury.”
He said he hopes “we’ll be able to reach an agreement that will be beneficial to both countries. As I have made very clear I will not accept a bad deal for the American people.”
Trump went beyond his previous statements about Hong Kong, seemingly linking it to the overall task of trying to “stabilize our relationship.”
“We are also carefully monitoring the situation in Hong Kong,” he said. “The world fully expects that the Chinese government will honor its binding treaty … in which China commits to protect Hong Kong’s freedom, legal system and Democratic ways of life. How China chooses to handle the situation will say a great deal about its role in the world in the future.”
Trump, finally, said, “We’re all counting on President Xi as a great leader.”
Trump’s remarks gave no credence to China’s denial that it manipulates its currency and that it is still a developing country based on its per capita GDP. He spent almost no time looking forward to a better relationship and emphasized past alleged abuses rather than areas of agreement already negotiated.
While declaring, “The United States does not seek conflict with any other nation” and as a country dedicated to “mutual gain” he described the U.S. as “by far the most powerful nation” and its military as the world’s most capable, always ready to “defend America’s interests.” Yet he tempered the emphasis on strength, saying that is also a characteristic of restraint.
“The United States has never believed in permanent enemies,” he said. “America knows that while anyone can wage war, only the most courageous cam choose peace.” For that reason he said, he told North Korea’s leader his country has tremendous potential, as does Iran.
In Afghanistan, the U.S. is pursuing a “brighter future” despite the Taliban’s choice to keep fighting, he said.
He repeated his arguments against “mass illegal immigration,” defended his “very unprecedented actions” to stem migration and praised Mexico for its help. He also criticized the “repressive regimes” in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, accusing Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro of being a Cuban “puppet.”
He ascribed “bloodlust” to “the repressive regime of Iran,” as he expanded on the extensive list of U.S. adversaries.
In his encounters with reporters’ questions, both upon arriving at the UN and in his comments along with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Trump offered a new reason why he admittedly withheld an aid package from Ukraine until two weeks ago. He withheld the funds and would do so again because, he said, he wanted other European nations to provide more aid to Ukraine.
As for Brexit, “They have to get it done,” Trump said.
U.S. Treasury’s Steven Mnuchin said Monday that he and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will meet China Vice Premier Liu He in Washington to talk trade the week after next..