President Trump said in an interview on Friday that he prevented the Chinese government from crushing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong by saying that it would complicate a US-China trade deal.
According to Reuters, Trump said that if it weren’t for him, “Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes.”
He said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had “a million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong that isn’t going in only because I asked him, ‘please don’t do that.'”
He added that he told Jinping that he would be making “a big mistake” and it would have a “tremendous negative impact” on a US-China trade deal.
Trump also said Friday that he wouldn’t commit to signing bipartisan legislation supporting pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong as he tries to work out a trade deal with China. China has warned it will retaliate against the US if Trump signs the bill supporting the Hong Kong protests.
His comments came after the House and Senate this week passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in reaction to anti-government protests that have convulsed the semi-autonomous Chinese city for more than five months.
The bill authorizes sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials involved in human rights abuses and would mandate the State Department to annually review special autonomous status that the U.S. grants Hong Kong on trade.
“Look, we have to stand with Hong Kong,” Trump said in the “Fox & Friends” interview. “But I’m also standing with President Xi (Jinping). He’s a friend of mine. He’s an incredible guy.”
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