People’s Daily: ‘America First’ policies hurting US

BEIJING: The Communist Party’s top newspaper issued a rare direct criticism of United States President Donald Trump’s agenda, saying his “America First” policies were hurting his own people and fomenting discontent in the country.

“After more than a year of observing American diplomatic practice, people have seen the US strides under the slogan ‘America First,’ but the complaints of those Americans who have not felt the benefits of ‘America First’ are growing,” said an opinion piece published on the People’s Daily yesterday.

The People’s Daily is the party’s most high-profile platform for communicating the leadership’s views to its roughly 90 million members.

Xi, who’s facing his own political pressures to look tough, has vowed to respond blow-for-blow to US tariffs levied on billions of dollars of Chinese goods.

He’s already imposed retaliatory duties targeting Trump’s base, including Iowa soyabeans and Kentucky bourbon, leading the administration to seek US$12 billion (RM49.20 billion) of relief for farmers.

“The US government may not be interested in the small bills of ordinary Americans,” said “Zhong Sheng”, a pen name used by the paper’s international news section. “Each Zhong Sheng article is a collective work of the People’s Daily International Department to represent its voice on the most important international issues of the day,” said Centre for Advanced China Research president David Gitter.

The US government may not be interested in the small bills of ordinary Americans.

The People’s Daily