US Election 2020: In Pennsylvania, Joe Biden slams 'weak, chaotic' Donald Trump on trade with China

Washington: US president Donald Trump has been “weak and chaotic” with China on trade and could not lead an effective strategy to mobilise a true international effort to pressure, isolate, and punish Beijing to strengthen manufacturing jobs across the country, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has alleged. Speaking at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, a battleground state, on Saturday, he said Trump opened doors for big banks to make money in China. “He (Trump) has been weak and chaotic with China on trade. All he has ended up doing is opening doors for big banks to make money in China and helped contribute to a surge of farm bankruptcies in America,” Biden said. “I’ll do what he’s unable to do: lead an effective strategy to mobilise a true international effort to pressure, isolate, and punish China to actually strengthen manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania and across the country,” he said. Biden asked if President Trump and the Republicans did not have time to deliver a real economic relief to working families and small business, then how in the middle of this pandemic, do they have the time to vote to confirm a Justice to the Supreme Court. “I’ll tell you why — it’s Trump’s dream of wiping Obamacare off the books. Because his nominee has said in the past the law should be struck down. If they get their way, more than 20 million Americans could lose their coverage, including nearly a million Pennsylvanians,” said the Democratic presidential nominee. Responding to the allegations from the ruling Republican party and Trump, Biden denied reports that he was planning to ban fracking. “And let me be clear. I will not ban fracking in Pennsylvania. I will protect Pennsylvania jobs. Period. No matter how many times Donald Trump lies,” he said. “Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t think the big oil companies need a handout from the federal government. I’ll get rid of $40 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, and invest that money in clean energy. I have a plan to create millions of clean energy jobs in wind, solar, and carbon capture. Donald Trump never delivered on his promise for a big infrastructure plan,” Biden said. “He’s done nothing, and our roads and bridges are crumbling just as climate change is accelerating more frequent extreme weather events,” he said. A day after he announced his action plan for COVID-19, Biden said that his administration will provide the funding for PPE and national standards for schools and businesses to reopen safely. He said he will bring together Republicans and Democrats to deliver economic relief to working families, schools, and businesses. “As I said before, I will shutdown the virus, not the economy. We can walk and chew gum at the same time — and build back better than before. An independent analysis put out by Moody’s — a Wall Street firm, projects that my plan will create 18.6 million jobs. That’s seven million more jobs than the President’s plan, and USD 1 trillion more in economic growth than the President’s plan,” he said. “Here’s how my plan works: I’m not going to raise taxes on anyone who makes less than $400,000 a year. But, I’ll ask big corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share. It’s time working people and the middle class get tax relief — to help you buy your first home or to pay for health care premiums or for child care or for caring for an aging loved one,” he added. “We’ll do more than just praise our essential workers. We’ll pay them. We’ll raise the federal minimum to $15 an hour. We’ll make health care affordable for every American,” Biden said.