Trump Arrived in Davos as a Party Wrecker. He Leaves Praised as a Pragmatist.<br />Many worried that Mr. Trump’s attacks on the World Trade Organization, his threats to pull the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement<br />and his frequent intonations of a trade war with China could undermine the global economic expansion.<br />“On behalf of the business leaders here in this room let me particularly congratulate you for the historic tax reform,” Mr. Schwab said, adding<br />that the tax cuts were “fostering job creation while providing a tremendous boost to the world economy.”<br />Whatever the optics of the head of an institution dedicated to reducing economic inequality offering<br />his unqualified support for Mr. Trump’s tax cuts, Mr. Schwab was indeed speaking for business.<br />“There’s a very constructive mind-set in the Trump administration to find the best path forward,” said Vas Narasimhan, global head of drug<br />development for Novartis, who attended a dinner Mr. Trump hosted on Thursday night with leaders of more than a dozen European companies.<br />In a briefing with reporters on Thursday, Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Union trade minister,<br />expressed concerns about the Trump administration’s threats of a trade war with China.<br />“I’m optimistic that, with other world leaders, most of these issues can be tackled<br />in a productive way for the global economy and for global businesses.”<br />During the dinner, Mr. Trump made the rounds, stopping to ask executives how they<br />plan to increase investment in the United States, according to attendees.
