"We in the US must end our reliance on China" -Trump

In a speech, Mr Trump vowed to create 10 million jobs in 10 months, saying "we will end our reliance on China". 

In August, Mr Trump said he wanted to offer tax credits to entice US firms to move factories out of China. 

He also threatened to strip government contracts from firms that continue to outsource work to China. 

In stark contrast, the NY Times report details how Mr Trump has been looking to land business in China. His efforts accelerated in 2012 with the opening of a Shanghai office.

The tax records it obtained show that he has invested at least $192,000 in five small companies created specifically to pursue projects in China over a number of years. 

Those companies claimed at least $97,400 in business expenses since 2010, including some minor payments for taxes and accounting fees as recently as 2018. 

But the US president's plans in China have been largely driven by Trump International Hotels Management, through direct ownership of THC China Development, according to the NY Times.