Donald Trump praises China's decision to scrap limit on presidency term

Posted    about an hour agoSun 4 Mar 2018, 1:47pm      

                                                   Photo:       Mr Trump suggested the US could make a similar change someday.  (AP: Thomas Peter)      

US President Donald Trump praised his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday after the ruling Communist Party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Mr Xi to serve indefinitely.

"He's now president for life, president for life. And he's great," Mr Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trump's remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN.

"And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday," Mr Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932.

An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

Trump's tariffs will hurt the US more

Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs are unlikely to harm China. It is US itself and allies like Canada and Europe, and to an extent Australia, who are in the firing line, Stephen Letts writes.

China's annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Mr Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy.

The Communist Party announced on February 25 the end of the two-term limit for the President — and the Parliament is expected to ratify the move.

During the remarks, Mr Trump praised Mr Xi as "a great gentleman" and added: "He's the most powerful [Chinese] President in a hundred years."

Mr Trump said Mr Xi had treated him "tremendously well" during his visit in November.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

Mr Trump has often praised Mr Xi, but in January Mr Trump said the United States was considering a big "fine" as part of a probe into China's alleged theft of intellectual property.

He has been critical of China's trade policies.

Mr Trump told The New York Times in December that because of North Korea he had "been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war".

Reuters