Donald Trump accuses China of taking advantage of US, says WTO rules unfair

The United States President Donald Trump alleged that China has taken advantage of it for 30 years and used World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, that are unfair, against the US.

The United States President Donald Trump on Friday (April 10) alleged that China has taken advantage of it for 30 years and used World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, that are unfair, against the US.

While addressing reporters at his daily White House conference on coronavirus, Trump said, "China has been unbelievably taking advantage of us and other countries. You know, for instance, they are considered a developing nation. I said well then make us a developing nation too.

"China gets big advantages because they are a developing nation. India, a developing nation. The United States is the big developed nation. Well, we have plenty of development to do," he said.

"The were given advantages (for being a developing nation). For many years China has ripped off the United States. Then I came along and right now, as you know, China is paying 25 percent," said Trump.

He also pointed out that the US was taken advantage of by the WTO as well. Trump said that the Chinese economy started booming after it joined WTO with the help of the US.

"When China was allowed to join WTO under those circumstances, that was a very bad day for the United States because they have rules and regulations that were far different and far easier than our rules and regulations," he said.

Trump rued the 'unfair treatment' and said his administration will not allow that to happen. "If they don't treat us fairly, we will leave WTO. But now we're starting to win cases," he said.

Meanwhile, the US on Friday reported nearly 18,000 fatalities and the total number of infections reach 500,000 mark. New York, the epicentre of COVID-19 in the US, has registered more than 7,000 deaths and over 170,000 cases.