David Solimini

Communications Director, TNSP

11/12/11

Romney’s critiques of Obama on China fell woefully short tonight.  And his rival, the former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, agreed.  In fact, Obama has constructively engaged with China—our second largest trading partner—to sign trade agreements that (along with an agreement with India) will support 250,000 American jobs.  

Obama has taken China to the WTO numerous times in defense of U.S. trade interests.  In September 2011 alone, Obama filed a major WTO action against China in defense of another 300,000 jobs in the agricultural sector and prevailed in a major case enforcement against unfair Chinese tire imports.  Other major cases involved the U.S. steel and financial industry.  http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2011/september/united-states-files-wto-case-against-china-prote; http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2011/september/united-states-prevails-wto-dispute-about-chinese.  http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2010/september/united-states-files-two-wto-cases-against-china

Obama also recently reached an agreement with China to more strictly enforce the country’s intellectual property laws and to increase the access of U.S. companies to Chinese government procurement opportunities. Under U.S. pressure, China also ended subsidies to wind power equipment manufacturers, making things fairer for an important U.S. industry. http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2011/june/china-ends-wind-power-equipment-subsidies-challenged

Romney’s tough talk on China isn’t all wrong, but Obama is already doing it, skillfully and with an eye on the big picture.

The Truman National Security Project is a leadership institute which recruits, trains, and positions progressives to lead on national security. More at www.TrumanProject.org.

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