Trump attacks opponent Biden’s China stance in acceptance speech
- US president accepts Republican Party nomination before packed, mostly maskless crowd on White House lawn
- Trump attacks Beijing on range of issues, drawing heavily on his ‘America First’ mantra
“Joe Biden’s agenda is ‘Made in China’,” Trump said, addressing a tightly packed, mostly maskless audience on the White House’s South Lawn on the final night of the Republican National Convention. “My agenda is ‘Made in the USA’.”
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US-China relations: Joe Biden would approach China with more ‘regularity and normality’
Biden has pledged to protect American workers from China’s “unfair trade practices” and rally international allies to push back against attempts by the country to “undermine international norms”. During his nomination acceptance speech last week, the former vice-president vowed to move manufacturing of medical equipment from China and other countries back to the US.
Biden has slammed the trade agreement as “weak” and “full of vague, weak, and recycled commitments from Beijing”, while recent analysis by the Peterson Institute for International Economics indicates China is far behind on agricultural purchases needed to fulfil the deal.
Trump, who is trailing in major national polls, repeated rhetoric that Biden would be beholden to Beijing if he were elected, claims he and his allies have based on an unfounded theory that the former vice-president curried favour with officials in China to benefit his son’s business dealings there.