US State of the Union: President Trump delivers his first State of the Union address

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In his first State of the Union speech, US President Donald Trump tried to strike a positive tone - declaring a new American moment. Taking credit for the strong American economy, he asked for one-and-a-half trillion dollars for new infrastructure. But he also lashed out against what he called unfair trade practices and labelled China and Russia as competitors. CGTN's Nathan King reports from Washington.

As is the tradition the US president was welcomed with thunderous applause and declared that the State of the Union was strong. He said the success of the US economy was due to his policy's and tax cuts, but questioned why the nation that built the Empire State Building in a year now takes 10 years to build a road.

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment we need."

Getting that money will be tough- but he called on the politicians to come together on issues from infrastructure to immigration- a call for unity from a president who has been accused of dividing the nation - and for other countries warnings China and Russia now labelled competitors.

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "Around the world, we face rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values. In confronting these dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unmatched power is the surest means of our defense."

Trump also warned the DPRK- singling out human rights victims and calling Pyongyang depraved. He said he would not repeat the complacency and concessions of the past.

NATHAN KING WASHINGTON The US president failed to mention his poor poll numbers in his speech - he is the most unpopular president in modern history - if things don't change, he could find that getting any of his priorities passed impossible. Nathan King CGTN at the US Congress Washington DC.