US candidates say China challenger and partner
Source: Agencies |
October 24, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
US President Barack Obama and rival Mitt Romney sparred over China during a debate on foreign policy on Monday night, but as usual the focus was less on the Asian giant's rise as a world power than its impact on the American economy.
Both candidates said they want America to have a positive relationship with China, but Beijing must play by "international trade rules."
China played a relatively minor part in the debate - the last topic raised by moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News in the 90-minute encounter - dominated by security in the Middle East.
Romney repeated his threat to designate China a "currency manipulator" on his first day in office for allegedly undervaluing the yuan to help its exporters, which he said would allow the US to apply punitive tariffs.
He also accused Chinese of stealing US intellectual property and computer hacking.
"I want a great relationship with China," Romney said. "China can be our partner. But that does not mean they can just roll all over us and take our jobs on an unfair basis."
Obama described China as both a challenger and a potential international partner.
Obama said that in order to build businesses to compete with China in the long-term, the US needed to "take care of business at home" by supporting education and research.
Romney, who said the US could not just "surrender" in the face of trade violations, rolled his eyes at Obama's mention of education as a way of making America more competitive against China.
The tone of the debate - which was the last of the three held between the candidates before Americans go to the polls - underscores how the tightly contested November 6 election is being fought primarily over the state of the US economy, with unemployment running at just under the 8 percent mark.
Romney said that China needs to create 20 million jobs every year, and wants a stable world in which it can trade its goods, but he said China would not respect a United States that has a heavily indebted economy and is cutting back its military.
Obama contended America was stronger in the world today than when he took office. He said that his administration's strategic "pivot" toward the Asia-Pacific as the US winds down its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was because it would be a region of massive economic growth in the future.
"We believe China can be a partner but we are also sending a very clear message that America is a Pacific power and we are going to have a presence there," he said.
Both candidates said they want America to have a positive relationship with China, but Beijing must play by "international trade rules."
China played a relatively minor part in the debate - the last topic raised by moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News in the 90-minute encounter - dominated by security in the Middle East.
Romney repeated his threat to designate China a "currency manipulator" on his first day in office for allegedly undervaluing the yuan to help its exporters, which he said would allow the US to apply punitive tariffs.
He also accused Chinese of stealing US intellectual property and computer hacking.
"I want a great relationship with China," Romney said. "China can be our partner. But that does not mean they can just roll all over us and take our jobs on an unfair basis."
Obama described China as both a challenger and a potential international partner.
Obama said that in order to build businesses to compete with China in the long-term, the US needed to "take care of business at home" by supporting education and research.
Romney, who said the US could not just "surrender" in the face of trade violations, rolled his eyes at Obama's mention of education as a way of making America more competitive against China.
The tone of the debate - which was the last of the three held between the candidates before Americans go to the polls - underscores how the tightly contested November 6 election is being fought primarily over the state of the US economy, with unemployment running at just under the 8 percent mark.
Romney said that China needs to create 20 million jobs every year, and wants a stable world in which it can trade its goods, but he said China would not respect a United States that has a heavily indebted economy and is cutting back its military.
Obama contended America was stronger in the world today than when he took office. He said that his administration's strategic "pivot" toward the Asia-Pacific as the US winds down its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was because it would be a region of massive economic growth in the future.
"We believe China can be a partner but we are also sending a very clear message that America is a Pacific power and we are going to have a presence there," he said.
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