Donald Trump on China: a Timeline (May-July)

22 July 2016

Note: Given the 21st century reality that the China-United States relations constitute the most important bilateral relationship on Earth, the China Institute is continuing its brief selection of quotes from U.S. presidential candidates on the topic of China.

The China Institute is a non-partisan institution, but we do pay close attention to any issues that have a clear relationship to China's international relations.

While these quotes are necessarily taken somewhat out of context because of space limitations, the sources provided will give greater context. To refer to the original source of the quote, please click on the date.


"The pathetic new hit ad against me misrepresents the final line. "You can tell them to go BLANK themselves" - was about China, NOT WOMEN!"
- Donald Trump, May 16, 2016


"I just felt I had an obligation to do this. You look at our trade deals, I will make those deals so good so fast. And you know what? We'll have great relationships with these countries. We don't have a good relationship with China. China's building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea, OK? And yet they're ripping money from us left and right. We rebuilt China single-handedly. What they've taken out of our country, we have rebuilt China."
- Donald Trump, May 18, 2016


"You're not going to have a trade war. Two things are going to happen. China devalues their currency, that's how they're killing us, Ok? They devalue their currency. They are behaving very, very badly. And, on top of that, they are building fortresses on the South China Sea. And they're doing things… [China will] behave and China will be our friend. A lot of you don't know the world of economics and you shouldn't even bother. Just do me a favor, leave it to me, I have so much fun. Enjoy your life."
- Donald Trump, May 19, 2016


"ISIS, China, Russia and all would love for [Clinton] to be president. 4 more years!"
- Donald Trump, May 20, 2016


"What the hell is wrong with speaking? And, you know what, it's called opening a dialogue. It's opening a dialogue. And I don't say it's gonna happen, and probably it won't. ... I wouldn't go there, that I can tell you. If [Kim Jong Un] came here, I'd accept him, but I wouldn't give him a state dinner like China or all these other nations who are ripping us off when we give them these big state dinners. We give them state dinners like you've never seen. We shouldn't have dinners at all. We should be eating a hamburger on a conference table, and we should make better deals with China and others and forget the state dinners."
- Donald Trump, June 15, 2016


"Unfortunately my ties are made in China and I will say this, the hats -- 'Make America Great Again' -- I searched long and hard to find somebody that made the hats in this country."
- Donald Trump, June 21, 2016


"Hillary Clinton took up to $25 million from Saudi Arabia, where being gay is also punishable by death. Hillary took millions from Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and many other countries that horribly abuse women and LGBT citizens. To cover-up her corrupt dealings, Hillary Clinton illegally stashed her State Department emails on a private server. Her server was easily hacked by foreign governments - perhaps even by her financial backers in Communist China - putting all of America in danger."
- Donald Trump, June 22, 2016


"China will enter the TPP through the back door at a later date. They are watching, they are studying. They are not in it now, but are going to be in it. If it is good, they will be there. By the way, if it is no good, they'll pass. It's the same way, always is."
- Donald Trump, June 28, 2016


"China, and many others, are taking advantage of the U.S. with our terrible trade pacts."
- Donald Trump, July 3, 2016