Trump Praises Himself Throughout US-China Trade Deal Signing Ceremony... "Fantastic and Unbelievable Event"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a self-praising speech lasting over 50 minutes at the signing ceremony of the Phase One trade agreement with China, calling it "a fantastic and unbelievable event." Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior White House advisor, along with other close aides, were busy praising the president. Meanwhile, Liu He, China's Vice Premier of the State Council, who was supposed to read a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping, was left sidelined. The self-praising speech is interpreted as a show of strength in response to the House of Representatives' vote to transfer the impeachment articles to the Senate, which was happening simultaneously.

According to CNN and others, at the signing ceremony on the 15th (local time), President Trump said, "With this Phase One trade agreement, China will significantly increase imports from the United States and benefit in all sectors including agriculture, finance, and energy," adding, "This agreement also includes groundbreaking provisions related to intellectual property (IP) protection." He then emphasized that his campaign promises were fulfilled, stating, "I promised to use presidential powers to protect Americans from unfair trade and practices, and unlike previous presidents, I kept that promise." He also celebrated, saying, "This agreement will lead to greater harmony and prosperity between the U.S. and China, and beyond that, stronger world peace."

On that day, President Trump arrived at the signing venue at 11:50 a.m., 20 minutes later than the White House's pre-announced schedule, and delivered a lengthy speech for over 50 minutes. He praised senior White House aides, including Senior Advisor Kushner, saying they made "special efforts." Kushner is credited with directly intervening in the U.S.-China trade negotiations and acting as a facilitator. Close aides such as Vice President Mike Pence also continued to praise President Trump, saying, "This event is possible thanks to the president's leadership." While the self-praise continued, Vice Premier Liu, who was to read President Xi's letter and participate in the signing ceremony, had to wait until the speech ended.

President Trump's speech is related to the House of Representatives' process of transferring the articles of impeachment against him to the Senate. At the same time, the House voted on the transfer of the articles to the Senate and appointed seven impeachment managers who will act as "prosecutors" in the impeachment trial.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.