TAORMINA, Italy U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said on Saturday that \"of course\" President Donald Trump backed NATO's mutual defense doctrine, despite not making an explicit reference to it during a visit to Brussels this week. <\/p>\n
Speaking at NATO headquarters earlier this week, Trump disappointed allies by not mentioning his support for Article 5, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is viewed as an attack on all. <\/p>\n
During his election campaign, Trump appeared to called Article 5 into question by suggesting that NATO members who did not pay their fair share for the alliance may not deserve to benefit from it. <\/p>\n
\"I think it's extraordinary that there would be an expectation that the president would have to say explicitly that he supports Article 5. Of course he does,\" McMaster told reporters at the end of a Group of Seven summit in Sicily. <\/p>\n
\"He did not make a decision not to say it,\" McMaster continued. \"It was implicit in the speech. There was no decision to not put it in there. It is a matter of fact that the United States, the president, stands firmly behind our Article 5 commitments under NATO.\" <\/p>\n
(Reporting by Noah Barkin; Editing by Crispian Balmer) <\/p>\n
BEIJING Profits earned by Chinese industrial firms rose 14.0 percent in April from a year earlier, official data showed on Saturday, slowing from March's pace and adding to concerns that the world's second-largest economy may be losing steam. <\/p>\n
BEIJING China is determined to open its market and is positive about promoting talks on a China-EU investment agreement, a senior Chinese official said on Saturday ahead of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Brussels for a summit with the European Union. <\/p>\n
NEW YORK U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chief Jay Clayton is expected to name Steven Peikin, a partner from his former law firm, to help lead enforcement at the agency, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. <\/p>\n
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\nMcMaster says 'of course' Trump supports NATO Article 5 - Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"