Donald Trump dismissed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s tour of Southeast Asia as a deliberate effort to “screw” the United States.
Hours after Xi’s meeting with Veitnam President To Lam, Trump responded at the Oval Office: “I don’t blame China. I don’t blame Vietnam. I don’t. I see they’re meeting today. Is that wonderful? That’s a lovely meeting … like trying to figure out, how do we screw the United States of America?” He also accused President Joe Biden of having lost “trillions of dollars” in trade to China.
Speaking alongside El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, Trump added: “I don’t blame President Xi Jinping. I like him. He likes me. I mean, you know, who knows?”
On his final day in Hanoi on Tuesday, Xi paid tribute to Vietnam’s late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, laying a red wreath bearing his name alongside the words, “Long live Vietnam’s great leader President Ho Chi Minh.” He is scheduled to visit Malaysia and Cambodia next.
While in Vietnam, Xi called for closer economic cooperation, urging both countries to “oppose unilateral bullying and uphold the stability of the global free trade system,” according to Chinese state media. The visit concluded with the signing of 45 cooperation agreements between China and Vietnam, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, supply chains, joint maritime patrols, and rail infrastructure. Specific details of the deals remain undisclosed.
During his meeting with Lam, Xi described the two nations as “standing at the turning point of history… and should move forward with joint hands.”
In a statement, China’s foreign ministry said countries should avoid forming “exclusive and closed ‘small circles’ that undermine mutual trust and cooperation,” and instead aim to promote “peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.”
