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.

Source: Taipei Times January 16, 2020 16:07 UTC