WASHINGTON— Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on President Trump’s comments that he “doesn’t blame China” and gives them “great credit” for taking advantage of the United States for the benefit of its citizens:

“While we need to work with China on a range of issues including North Korea, that doesn’t mean we should excuse Beijing’s harmful trade policies as the President did today. He gives China credit for its ‘China First’ policy, despite its illegal and unfair practices—from economic espionage to steal American intellectual property, to economic coercion and exploitation of global resources, to preferential treatment to Chinese state-owned enterprises. This behavior has cost American companies and workers dearly.

“The challenges in the U.S.-China trade relationship aren’t due to failures of past Administrations as President Trump claims. Our countries could work more closely if Beijing played by the rules, disciplined its own economy, and abandoned exploitative practices overseas. But China’s current approach to trade shows a lack of moral leadership, and it shouldn’t be praised by an American President.”

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