US President-Elect Donald Trump Vows To Support Tech Industry

By Richard Chiu
Trump and Tech Leaders
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology industry leaders at Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. From left are, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and Trump.  (Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)

President- elect Donald Trump assured technology industry elite leaders that his administration is "here to help" them shape the technology industry to greater heights, dispelling the animosity he spewed during the campaign season.

Trump's encouragement was heard by many of the country's top tech executives Tesla's Elon Musk, Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Apple's Timothy Cook, among others, who heard it straight from the president- elect's lips.

"This is a truly amazing group of people. I'm here to help you folks do well. In the world! There's nobody like the people in this room and we're going to be there for you," Trump said, during the meeting Wednesday at the 25th-floor conference room of the Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Trump, during the campaign, did not mince words when he charged at Apple to bring back iPhone manufacturing jobs to the US mainland which had been outsourced to China and possible antitrust charges against Amazon. These, however, did not seem to be brought up during the meeting but no indications were made if these would prosper or not.

The meeting was initiated to help "reboot" the relationship between the incoming administration and the tech industry, which many claims were off to a rocky start when Trump's critical view of tech companies taking jobs out from the US and outsourcing it abroad. It was organized by Trump's adviser and son in law Jared Kushner, incoming Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and tech executive Peter Thiel.

Amazon's Bezos, in a statement issued after the meeting with Trump, stated that the meeting was "very productive."

"I shared the view that the administration should make innovation one of its key pillars, which would create a huge number of jobs across the whole country, in all sectors, not just tech - agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing - everywhere," Bezos added.

Not all from Silicon Valley, however, have been won over by Trump as some top-ranking tech executives have been campaigning to boycott the meeting based on the statements issued by Trump in the last election campaign. There were those, however, who came in efforts to present their stand clearly before the president- elect.

Meanwhile, a group formed by engineers and tech specialists issued a statement that they disagree with an attempt to develop a consolidated database which the government may use to monitor citizens, particularly based on religion, race, and origin.

The petition already drew up some 500 signatures which included some tech personnel and employees from Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

  • [Exclusive Interview] A revelation within the brink of life and death — Meg Leung’s mission in Christian art

    Meg Leung (梁麗橋), an artist with a lifelong love for watercolor painting, sees her art as more than a means of expressing her inner world; it is a bridge connecting her to God. Her artistic journey has revealed God’s perfect plan and inspired her to communicate the power of faith through her wor

  • Transgenderism a fundamental human right? Hong Kong public disagrees, survey finds

    A 2024 survey from the Society for Truth and Light (明光社)'s Center for Life and Ethics Research reveals that respondents from various backgrounds prioritize personal safety and fairness when it comes to transgender issues. When laws involve moral judgments, most respondents believe courts should not make the decisions. The study also indicates that religious believers share similar views with non-religious respondents, reflecting that many churches may rarely address gender topics in depth.

  • Discipleship and Evangelism: Walking the Path of the Great Commission

    Like an ever-flowing spring, the gospel refreshes dry, parched lands and needs our unwavering passion and steadfast faith to transform lives and bring renewal. The "flame in our hearts" calls Christians to keep their faith and love for the Lord ablaze, representing the work and power of the Holy Spirit, driving us to proclaim God's glory boldly.

  • North America Chinese Evangelical Seminary year-end report highlights significant ministry progress

    As the year draws to a close, Rev. James Liu, President of the Chinese Evangelical Seminary North America (CESNA), reflected on the seminary’s remarkable growth and ministry development over the past year. Dedicated to providing theological education to Chinese Christians, CESNA continues to uphold its mission to remain faithful to the gospel and nurture believers. This year’s achievements span academic, ministerial, and outreach endeavors, fostering spiritual growth and advancing missionary wo