China has given US President Donald Trump the chance to expand his brand, after approving dozens of applications to register the Trump trademark, BBC has reported.
Many of the requests, for industries from hotels to security, were made during the US election
campaign.
President Trump, who already owns about 70 trademarks in China, has pledged not to strike new foreign business deals while in office.
Critics have warned the approvals could breach the US Constitution.
The Associated Press reported that 38 trademark requests had been provisionally given the go
ahead.
The approvals still need to be rubber-stamped. If no one objects to them, they will be formally
registered in 90 days.
In China it is not uncommon for celebrities or businesses to trademark their name, even if they
have no immediate intention of using it, to protect it being used by others.
Shortly before his inauguration, Mr Trump signed over his business interests to his sons – though critics said this did not go far enough.
When news of the trademark applications emerged earlier this year, experts from across the US
political spectrum said granting them could be considered an “emolument” – the term for a fee,
salary or profit provided by a foreign government.
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