Trump defends trade war with China
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his trade war with China and said the US trade deficit with the Asian giant is ‘not acceptable’. Before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump demanded that changes be urgently made to the ‘world trading system’.
Trump warned that the US "will no longer tolerate it and we will not allow our workers to be victimized, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred."
In a calmly forceful address to the General Assembly, the US leader said, “last month, we announced a ground-breaking US-Mexico trade agreement. Yesterday, I stood with (South Korean) President Moon (Jae-in) to announce the successful completion of the brand-new US-Korea trade deal.”
"This is just the beginning. Many nations in this hall will agree that the world trading system is in dire need of change," he declared.
"The United States has just announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods. The total so far of $250 billion," he said.
"I have great respect and affection for my friend, (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping), but I have made clear that our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. The market distortions and the way that they deal cannot be tolerated as my administration has demonstrated," Trump said.
"We reject the ideology of globalism and accept the ideology of patriotism," Trump said.
"Sovereign and independent nations are the only vehicle where freedom has ever survived, democracy has ever endured, or peace has ever prospered," said the US leader.
"Together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity, and pride. Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat," he urged the assembled world leaders and delegates.
