Former president Jimmy Carter brands US ‘most WARLIKE’ nation on earth
FORMER US president Jimmy Carter has branded his country "the most warlike nation in the history of the world" after discussing relations with China with Donald Trump.
Mr Carter told a congregation at his regular Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, that Mr Trump has called him the first time this weekend. The conversation came after Mr Carter wrote to Mr Trump offering advice on US-China relations. He said Mr Trump told him he was particularly concerned about how China is "getting ahead of us" and that he agreed with the US President on this issue.
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Since 1979, do you know how many times China has been at war with anybody? None
He said: “And do you know why? I normalised diplomatic relations with China in 1979.
“Since 1979, do you know how many times China has been at war with anybody? None. And we have stayed at war.”
Mr Carter said the US was “the most warlike nation in the history of the world" due to its desire to impose American values on other countries.
He suggested China was investing resources into infrastructure projects such as high-speed railroads instead of defence spending.
He said: ”How many miles of high-speed railroad do we have in this country?
"We have wasted, I think, $3 trillion. China has not wasted a single penny on war, and that's why they're ahead of us. In almost every way.
"And I think the difference is if you take $3 trillion and put it in American infrastructure, you'd probably have $2 trillion left over.
“We'd have high-speed railroad. We'd have bridges that aren't collapsing. We'd have roads that are maintained properly. Our education system would be as good as that of, say, South Korea or Hong Kong.
"I wasn't comparing my country adversely to China. I was just pointing that out because I happened to get a phone call last night."
Mr Carter said he understood why Mr Trump was worried about China overtaking the US as the world's top economic superpower.
He said: “I don't really fear that time, but it bothers President Trump, and I don't know why.”
The White House confirmed the conversation, the first between the two, in a statement released Monday.
A spokesman said: ”President Jimmy Carter wrote President Trump a beautiful letter about the current negotiations with China and on Saturday they had a very good telephone conversation about President Trump's stance on trade with China and numerous other topics.”
