- Trump tweeted that any benefits from the U.S.-China trade deal pale in comparison to the damage caused by “the plague from China.”
- The tweet comes as the Trump administration is ratcheting up the blame game with Beijing over the coronavirus.
- Thus far, the increased tensions have not visibly impacted the nuts and bolts of the January phase one trade deal.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Wednesday said any benefits from the U.S.-China trade deal he signed in January pale in comparison to the damage that has been caused by what Trump called “the plague from China.”
As I have said for a long time, dealing with China is a very expensive thing to do. We just made a great Trade Deal, the ink was barely dry, and the World was hit by the Plague from China. 100 Trade Deals wouldn’t make up the difference – and all those innocent lives lost!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2020
It was unclear whom Trump was referring to when he said “dealing with China is a very expensive thing to do.” The White House declined to comment.
But after months of Trump resisting pressure to explicitly tie U.S.-China trade relations to the bilateral coronavirus blame game, the tweet was one of several signs in recent days that the president may be changing tack.
www.cnbc.com/2020/05/13/trump-on-china-100-trade-deals-wouldnt-make-up-for-coronavirus.html