In China, Trump Totally Just Bowed Down to China

US President Agrees to China’s Request to Block Media Access, Take No Questions, Praises China for ‘Taking Advantage’ of America

President Donald Trump became a willing partner to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s authoritarian rule on Thursday. At a press event the American president refused to take any questions, the first time in decades for U.S. leaders visiting China. President Trump did, however, praise China for “taking advantage” of the U.S. on trade.

“Asked why President Trump didn’t take questions from reporters today, Sarah Sanders said, ‘It was at the Chinese insistence there were no questions today,'” CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported.

The White House response, while typical of the Trump administration – blaming others for everything – did not sit well with many, especially top journalists and former White House senior staff.

NBC News’ Chuck Todd:

Former Obama White House Press Secretary Jay Carney:

Former Bush 43 Deputy Director of Press Advance Brad Dayspring, who would definitely know:

Former Pentagon Public Affairs Strategic Planner: 

CNN’s Marshall Cohen:

“During a 2014 visit by then President Barack Obama,” ABC News adds, “Xi took a symbolic single question from a reporter for a Chinese state newspaper. He brushed off an American reporter’s question about whether Beijing might ease restrictions on journalist visas, saying vaguely that media outlets had to obey China’s laws.”

Trump, who has called the media the “enemy of the American people,” also took no questions during an event at which Chinese companies signed contracts to buy American jetliners, soybeans and other goods.

Many were also aghast that President Trump praised China and blamed former U.S. presidents, especially while on foreign soil, for the trade imbalance (video).

“Speaking on Thursday at the the Great Hall of the People, the ceremonial heart of Communist party rule, Trump paid tribute to his ‘warm and gracious’ host,” The Guardian reports.

“During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly lashed out at China accusing it of ‘raping’ the US economy and being the country’s ‘enemy.’ But on the second day of his visit to Beijing as part of his 12-day tour of Asia, he struck a far softer tone.”

“Trade between China and the United States has not been over the last many, many years a very fair one for us,” Trump told an audience of business leaders and journalists, describing the relationship as “shockingly” unbalanced and costing the US $300bn a year.

However, to an audible gasp from the audience, the US president then went on to suggest that it was not China to blame, but the US itself. 

“Right now, unfortunately, it is a very one-sided and unfair [relationship]. But – but – I don’t blame China. After all, who can blame a country for taking advantage of another country for the benefit of its own citizens? I give China great credit.
“But in actuality I do blame past [US] administrations for allowing this out of control trade deficit to take place and to grow. We have to fix this because it just doesn’t work … it is just not sustainable.”

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