November 14, 2017 | By: ANDREW SOERGEL –
President Donald Trump on Friday vowed not to let the United States be “taken advantage of anymore” during a trade-focused speech delivered in Vietnam as part of his lengthy tour of Asia. But the American commander in chief’s focus on trade equality with a group of developing nations throughout Southeast Asia may prove difficult to attain.
Speaking at a CEO event tied to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Da Nang, Vietnam, Trump promoted his “America first” agenda while lashing out at familiar targets like North Korea and the World Trade Organization. “We have not been treated fairly by the World Trade Organization,” Trump said. “Organizations like the WTO can only function properly when all members follow the rules and respect the sovereign rights of every member.