By Michael C. Bender in Washington and Chao Deng in Beijing
President Trump called antigovernment protests in Hong Kong a
"complicating factor" in his bid for a trade deal with China and
didn't say whether he would sign a bill passed by Congress
supporting the protesters.
"We have to stand with Hong Kong, but I'm also standing with
President Xi, he's a friend of mine, he's an incredible guy," Mr.
Trump said on Fox & Friends Friday morning when asked about the
bill.
The president said he supported Hong Kong, "but we are also in
the process of making the largest trade deal in history and if we
could do that it would be great."
Mr. Trump said the trade talks were helping to moderate Mr. Xi's
response to the protests. Of a possible escalation, Mr. Trump said,
"the only reason he is not going in is because I'm saying it's
going to affect our trade deal."
A senior administration official said Friday that the president
hadn't yet indicated that he had made a final decision on the bill.
The measure would require the U.S. certify annually that Hong Kong
is independent enough from Beijing to retain favored trading status
and would sanction people who commit human-rights abuses in the
city.
A veto from Mr. Trump could set up a possible override. A veto
override requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber. The Senate
bill was passed through a unanimous consent vote, meaning no one
objected. The House passed the bill in a 417-1 vote.
Lawmakers of both parties reiterated their support for the bill
and predicted it would become law regardless of what President
Trump does.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Mr. Trump's
comments "do not reflect what the American people or the Congress
think about President Xi's oppressive policies toward the people of
Hong Kong."
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida tweeted that it would be a
mistake for Mr. Trump to veto the bill and said Congress spoke
"loud and clear" about backing the protesters. Sen. Ted Cruz (R.,
Texas) said the bill passed by "overwhelming veto-proof majorities
and it will become law."
U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators have attempted to keep
economic issues separate from other aspects of foreign policy,
trade experts say, but a major disagreement over Hong Kong, where
violent clashes between police and protesters have been raging for
months, could upend the fragile talks.
The Hong Kong bill has enraged Beijing, where the China's
Foreign Ministry summoned the ranking U.S. diplomat in Beijing in a
formal protest on Wednesday.
"In real diplomacy, there are certain lines you don't cross," Li
Kexin, the deputy chief of the Chinese Embassy, said at an event in
Washington on Thursday night, according to the prepared text of the
comments released by the embassy.
The U.S. and China are working to strike a deal to resolve some
of their disagreements in a trade dispute that has led the two
sides to impose punitive tariffs on each other covering goods
valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Since October, trade
negotiations have dragged on longer than expected, and a decision
on important issues was expected to come down to what Messrs. Trump
and Xi are personally willing to agree upon.
The Wall Street Journal reported that China's chief trade
negotiator has invited his American counterparts to Beijing for a
new round of face-to-face talks, although U.S. negotiators are
reluctant to make the trek unless China makes it clear that it
would make commitments on intellectual-property protection, forced
technology transfers and agricultural purchases.
In Beijing on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China
and the U.S. should strengthen communication on strategic issues,
according to state media, which didn't report any direct comments
by the leader on the two countries' trade war.
Washington and Beijing should seek common ground while putting
aside differences, Mr. Xi said Friday during a meeting with former
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, according to China Central
Television.
"Right now, China-U.S. relations are at a critical juncture, and
face some difficulties and challenges," Mr. Xi said at the Great
Hall of the People in Beijing. The two sides should avoid
misunderstandings and "push China-U.S. relations toward the right
direction of forward development," he said.
The CCTV report didn't explicitly mention the trade fight or
negotiations. Mr. Xi rarely makes comments in public directly about
the U.S.-China trade dispute.
However, Mr. Xi told some visitors at the Great Hall on Friday,
"We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual
respect and equality," according to Reuters citing a pool report.
"When necessary we will fight back, but we have been working
actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this
trade war, and this is not something we want," he said.
Mr. Xi was referring to efforts by negotiators to strike a
partial deal that would leave more difficult issues for later. As
part of phase one, Beijing has been pressing Washington to roll
back existing tariffs as well as those set to take effect Dec.
15.
Mr. Kissinger played a major role in America's 1971 opening to
China after more than two decades of estrangement. Mr. Xi has
previously met with him in Beijing, calling the former secretary of
state an old friend of the Chinese people and hailing his
contributions to U.S.-China relations.
On Friday, Mr. Kissinger said he agreed with Mr. Xi's comments
on U.S.-China ties, and the Chinese president said he hopes Mr.
Kissinger will continue to promote the two countries' relations,
according to state media.
Write to Michael C. Bender at Mike.Bender@wsj.com and Chao Deng
at Chao.Deng@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 22, 2019 16:13 ET (21:13 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.