Trump lauds trade wins, red-carpet welcome in Asia
MANILA US President Donald Trump lauded his trade achievements during a tour of Asia, promising to reveal "far bigger" steps in Washington.
Mr Trump has often bemoaned what he calls "unfair" international trade deals and a perceived lack of respect for US and its leaders.
But standing alongside the prime ministers of Japan and Australia in Manila yesterday, he said that was all changing.
"The way they have treated us, the respect that Japan and China and South Korea, in particular - because we went there - have treated us has been really a great respect for the people of our country, the people of the US," he said.
"It was red carpet like nobody, I think, has probably ever received. And that really is a sign of respect, perhaps, for me a little bit, but really for our country."
But observers said the concrete accomplishments from the tour are few, with the banner US$250 billion (S$340 billion) of trade agreements announced in Beijing not quite what it was cracked up to be.
'BIG PROGRESS'
Mr Trump said there would be good news once he returned to the White House tomorrow.
"We have made a lot of big progress on trade," he told reporters. "We have deficits with almost everybody. Those deficits are going to be cut very quickly and very substantially." - AFP
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