Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) slammed President Trump on Monday after Trump tweeted that he is working with China’s president to help a Chinese telecommunications company accused of violating sanctions.
“One of the few areas where the president and I agreed, and I was vocally supportive, was his approach towards China,” Schumer said in a statement. “But even here he is backing off, and his policy is now designed to achieve one goal: make China great again.”
{mosads}Trump has received criticism since writing on Twitter on Sunday that he is working with President Xi Jinping to help put Chinese telecommunications maker ZTE “back into business.”
The Commerce Department last month barred American companies from selling to the telecommunications firm, claiming ZTE violated U.S. sanctions.
“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 added that “it will all work out” with China on trade.
The White House later tried to clarify the president’s remarks, with deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters putting out a statement saying that the Commerce Department would determine any regulatory course of action.
“The administration is in contact with China on this issue, among others in the bilateral relationship,” said Walters. “President Trump expects Secretary Ross to exercise his independent judgment, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, to resolve the regulatory action involving ZTE based on its facts.”
Schumer in his statement called for “tough action” against companies like ZTE.
“But before it’s even implemented, the president backs off. This leads to the greatest worry, which is that the president will back off on what China fears most – a crackdown on intellectual property theft – in exchange for buying some goods in the short run. That’s a bad deal if there ever was one,” Schumer said.