Trump trumpets US$50b investment ahead of victory rally

NEW YORK: Donald Trump boasted Tuesday of securing a US$50 billion (RM222 billion) Japanese telecoms investment to create 50,000 US jobs, claiming another high-stakes personal win for the economy before kicking off round two of a victory tour.
The US president-elect provided no details on the jobs or investment, which he trumpeted following a meeting with Japanese self-made billionaire Masayoshi Son at Trump Tower in New York.
The property developer, who has never previously held office and whose defeat of Hillary Clinton stunned the world, first tweeted the announcement, then strode into the lobby of his headquarters to brief reporters in person.
"This is Masa of SoftBank from Japan and he's just agreed to invest US$50 billion in the United States and 50,000 jobs," said Trump, standing with his arm around a grinning Son.
"He's one of the great men of industry, so I just want to thank you very much," he added, turning to shake the Japanese magnate's hand.
"I just came to celebrate his new job," said Son, repeating his commitment and saying that SoftBank would be investing in startup companies in America.
The flamboyant tycoon brandished a piece of paper that indicated SoftBank and Foxconn, the Taiwanese technology giant, "commit to invest US$50bn + US$7bn in US, generate 50k + 50k new jobs in US in next four years".
Trump got into hot water last week by taking a protocol-busting telephone call from the president of Taiwan and is under increasing fire in the media for conflicts of interest between his vast business empire and taking top office.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Son said the money will be coming from a US$100 billion investment fund that he is setting up with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and other potential partners.

Air Force One threat
Trump, who won the election by promising to create jobs and shake up the political establishment, claimed the Japanese investment as a personal coup.
"Masa said he would never do this had we (Trump) not won the election!" the maverick Republican wrote on Twitter.
It marked the second time in a week Trump has claimed to have acted personally to save or create jobs after saving hundreds of manufacturing jobs from leaving Indiana for Mexico.
That agreement with air-conditioning plant Carrier was announced ahead of his inaugural victory rally in Ohio, and has raised his stock among Republican and Democrat voters alike, a Politico/Morning Consult poll found Tuesday.
Trump bolstered his populist credentials further by threatening to cancel a ballooning contract for two new Air Force One jets: one of the most glittering assets of the US presidency that now need updating.
He claimed, without backup proof, that the contract had escalated to more than US$4 billion, and said he was committed to keeping government spending down and saving taxpayers' money.
Converting twin 747-8 jumbo jets into state-of-the-art command centres by 2024 was estimated to cost US$3 billion when Boeing won the contract in January 2015.
"I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number. We want Boeing to make a lot of money, but not that much money," Trump told reporters in the first of his two rare appearances in the lobby of his Trump Tower on Tuesday.
Mad Dog
Boeing did not directly address Trump's comments, but issued a statement saying that it looked forward to delivering "the best planes for the president at the best value for the American taxpayer".
Team Trump says the president-elect is filling out his cabinet at the fastest rate "since at least 1968".
The incoming Republican president resumes his unorthodox victory tour on Tuesday by traveling to Fayetteville, North Carolina, saying "thank you" to another of the swing states that swept him into office.
There, in a 10,000-seat sports arena, he is scheduled to share the stage with James Mattis, the decorated four-star Marine general nicknamed Mad Dog whom he will formally name as defense secretary.
Trump first announced that Mattis was his pick while soaking up adulation at his inaugural post-election rally in Cincinnati last Thursday, driving the crowd wild in another drastic break with tradition.
If nothing else Trump has thrilled his supporters.
Joann Chylinski, queuing up outside the stadium not far from the Fort Bragg military base, welcomed Trump's interventions on the job market as "great."
Carlysle Narburgh, 18, who works three jobs, said she was also pleased about the threat to cancel the Air Force One order.
"That was actually a pretty good decision, if you ask me," she said. — AFP