President Donald Trump tweeted Monday morning that former President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress did "nothing" to address issues surrounding trade with China.
"I ask Senator Chuck Schumer, why didn’t President Obama & the Democrats do something about Trade with China, including Theft of Intellectual Property etc.? They did NOTHING!" Trump tweeted. "With that being said, Chuck & I have long agreed on this issue! Fair Trade, plus, with China will happen!"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/998524172858019840
Trump has been a vocal critic of U.S. trade policy and has targeted trade policy with China as top priority. He wants to address the $376 billion trade deficit between the United States and China. The Trump administration is in current trade negotiations with the Communist Party-led government, and it has suspended $150 billion of tariffs on imported products from China.
The negotiations appear to have avoided a trade war for the time being. Trump announced in a series of tweets that China has agreed to lower trade barriers and tariffs and that it will purchase additional agricultural products from the U.S.
"China has agreed to buy massive amounts of ADDITIONAL Farm/Agricultural Products - would be one of the best things to happen to our farmers in many years!" Trump tweeted.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/998525737593376768
"On China, Barriers and Tariffs to come down for first time," Trump tweeted.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/998526637657546753
In return, China has pressed the United States to address sanctions against ZTE, a major Chinese telecommunications company. The Chinese company was caught illegally shipping telecommunications gear to Iran and North Korea, making false statements, and obstructing justice. It reached a settlement in March 2017 and paid penalties totaling $1.19 billion.
Earlier this month, Trump said he instructed the Commerce Department to work with Chinese officials to get ZTE back in business.
"President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast," Trump said. "Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!"
Trump concluded his series of Monday tweets about China by saying the country must continue to be strong on North Korea "until a deal is made." Cooperation from China, North Korea's strongest ally and trading partner, has been a key part of implementing effective sanctions on Kim Jong Un's regime.
"China must continue to be strong & tight on the Border of North Korea until a deal is made," Trump tweeted. "The word is that recently the Border has become much more porous and more has been filtering in. I want this to happen, and North Korea to be VERY successful, but only after signing!"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/998528928259170305