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"We've made some very big steps with respect to trade, far
bigger than anything you know," Trump told reporters in Manila
on the sidelines of a summit with leaders of Southeast Asian and
East Asian nations.
He did not give details of his achievements on trade matters
during a tour that took him to Japan, South Korea, China and
Vietnam before his last leg in the Philippines capital.
He said a statement would be issued from the White House on
Wednesday about North Korea, and on trade, key issues of a trip
he described as fruitful.
"It was red carpet like nobody, I think, has probably ever
seen," he said.
In Vietnam at the weekend, Trump and leaders of Pacific Rim
nations agreed to address "unfair trade practices" and "market-
distorting subsidies", a statement that bore the imprint of
Trump's efforts to reshape the global trade landscape.
His "America First" vision has upset a traditional consensus
favoring multinational trade pacts that China now champions. On
the sidelines of the Vietnam meeting, 11 countries kept alive a
Trans Pacific trade deal whose future was thrown into doubt when
Trump withdrew from it in the name of protecting American jobs.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told the summit in Vietnam that
Asia-Pacific nations must "uphold multilateralism", countering
Trump's message that the United States would stay out of trade
deals that surrender its sovereignty.
Trump, by contrast, blasted the World Trade Organization and
multilateral trade deals during his tour. Some analysts expect
tougher U.S. action may be imminent to fight trade imbalances
with China exacerbated by its state-led economic model.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing
by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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