中国对川普商标申请的处理引发伦理担忧

China has given preliminary approval to a raft of trademark requests from President Donald Trump's business empire, renewing concerns of ethics watchdogs that the president's private dealings conflict with his role as leader of a world superpower, and therefore violate the U.S. Constitution.

Trump attorneys filed the 38 trademark applications last April, while Mr. Trump was still a contender for the Republican presidential nomination. China's Trademark Office signaled its tentative approval over the past two weeks.

If there is no objection, the trademarks will be officially registered in 90 days. They cover a wide variety of Trump interests, including everything from hotels, restaurants, golf clubs, bars, real estate and finance, to escort and concierge services.

The Trump Organization also received a single trademark approval in February for Trump-branded construction services. That approval came after a 10-year legal battle.

A group of presidential ethics experts say China's favorable consideration of Trump requests buttresses their argument that foreign governments seeking to curry favor with the president would be inclined to show preferential treatment to the president's business interests.

Representatives of the Trump Organization, however, say securing trademarks is a natural part of doing business in countries around the globe in keeping with international law.