If Donald Trump is president and the leader of the world’s second-largest economy comes to Washington, he can expect little more than a Big Mac from McDonald’s — O.K., make that a double.
Trump vowed Monday not to throw Chinese President Xi Jinping a lavish state dinner as the Chinese leader will enjoy in September when he visits the U.S. for meetings with President Barack Obama, a little over a year after Jinping hosted Obama in China.
“I’d get him a McDonald’s hamburger and I’d say we gotta get down to work, because you can’t continue to devalue (the Chinese currency),” Trump said Monday night on Fox News. “I would give him a very, yeah, but I would give him a double, probably a double size Big Mac.”
Trump sharpened his attacks against China on Monday after the U.S. stock market took a dive over concerns about China’s economy, leading Trump to call for “a big uncoupling” of the U.S. and Chinese economies.
“They want our people to starve — they’re taking our business away. They’ve taken our jobs away,” Trump said.
U.S. companies have flocked to China to manufacture their products because of lower wages and an undervalued currency.
Trump, who has made a similar call with Mexico, said Monday that he would initiate a trade war with China, saying “you have to do that … you have no choice.”
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also called on Obama on Monday to cancel the state dinner.