US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a trade deal with China at a White House event that was part formal ceremony and part political theater. A former reality TV star, Trump is known for stage-managing his events closely, and this one was no exception. The president chose to sign the agreement himself, even though Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) sent a lower-level official to represent the Chinese side. “Since China joined the World Trade Organization two decades ago, we have racked up nearly US$5 trillion — the vice premier, I hope he’s not listening to this — in trade deficits, lost millions and millions of manufacturing jobs and saw tens of thousands of factories close,” Trump said. About 35 minutes into the ceremony, Trump returned to the teleprompter.
