President Trump Orders Help For Chinese Phone-Maker After China Approves Money For Trump Project

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A mere 72 hours after the Chinese government agreed to put a half-billion dollars into an Indonesian project that will personally enrich President Donald Trump, he ordered a bailout for a Chinese-government-owned cellphone maker ZTE. 

“President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast,” President Trump announced on Twitter on May 13. “Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!” President Trump did not mention in that tweet or its follow-ups that on May 10, the developer of a theme park resort outside of Jakarta had signed a deal to receive as much as $500 million in Chinese government loans, as well as another $500 million from Chinese banks. Trump’s family business, the Trump Organization, has a deal to license the Trump name to the resort, which includes a golf course and hotels.

President Trump, despite his promises to do so during the campaign, has not divested himself of his businesses, and continues to profit from them. “You do a good deal for him, he does a good deal for you. Quid pro quo,” said Richard Painter, the White House ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush.


President Trump Orders Help For Chinese Phone-Maker After China Approves Money For Trump Project Is China Straight-Up Bribing Donald trump? (Vanity Fair) Trump helps sanctioned Chinese phone maker after China delivers a big loan to a Trump project (Vox) Trump Indonesia Real Estate Project Gets Chinese Government Ally (NYTimes)