President Trump suggested Friday he would not veto a bill supporting protesters in Hong Kong, a measure that China opposes as it seeks to conclude a major trade deal with the U.S.
Asked on “Fox & Friends” if he would veto the measure, Mr. Trump replied, “We have to stand with Hong Kong.”
“But I’m also standing with President Xi,” Mr. Trump said of China’s leader Xi Jinping. “He’s a friend of mine, he’s an incredible guy. I’d like to see them work it out. But I stand with Hong Kong, I stand with freedom, I stand with all of the things that we want to do. But we also are in the process of making the largest trade deal in history.”
The House passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and another bill that would block American exports of non-lethal crowd control products to the Hong Kong police force on Thursday. The Senate approved legislation earlier this week.
Beijing has complained that the legislation “blatantly interferes” in the internal affairs of Hong Kong and China.
Mr. Trump said the U.S. and China are “potentially very close” to signing phase one of a trade agreement, a characterization he’s been making for weeks. He also said he has persuaded Mr. Xi to prevent bloodshed in Hong Kong.
“If it weren’t for me, thousands of people would have been killed in Hong Kong right now,” Mr. Trump said. “And you wouldn’t have any riots, you’d have a police state. The only reason he’s not going in is because I’m saying it’s going to affect our trade deal and you don’t want to do that. I speak to him.”
Mr. Xi said Friday that Beijing wants a deal “on the basis of mutual respect and equality.”
Mr. Trump said, “I didn’t like his word ’equality.’ “
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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