Obama, McCain Lambast China Now, Might Court It as President

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Bloomberg

By Ken Fireman and Mark Drajem

(Bloomberg) -- John McCain threatens to ban toy imports from China and lashes its government for stifling religion and free speech. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to punish China for currency manipulation.

The presidential candidates' rhetoric in recent weeks signals that a tougher U.S. policy toward China may be in store under a new administration. History suggests otherwise.

Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush denounced China on the campaign trail and promised a harder line. Both changed course when confronting the realities of governing, which today include China's role as the second-largest foreign owner of U.S. debt -- its holdings have increased eight-fold since 2000 -- and as a central partner in efforts to contain North Korean nuclear ambitions.

``There is a tendency for president after president to come in bashing,'' says Richard Baum, a China scholar at the University of California at Los Angeles who says he quit as an informal Clinton adviser last month after she began attacking the Asian nation. ``But six months later, everything is the same, because the relationship is too important.''


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=amrXJKHNOmL8&refer=home

[rpannier]

1. Unfortunately... This is too true

[hendo]

2. blaming China is common in campaigns.

However, it is hard to follow through, because a pissed off China could royally screw over the US economy.

[MadMaddie]

3. This is poor political timing..China is going through a disaster

of huge proportions...it is not the time to atack them on these issues. They are still only days into the disaster....

When Katrina happened the US was not attacked or hammered for the crazy shit that was going on.


This is not appropriate at this time.

[Doctor_J]

4. China is going to have to be dealt with

headlines like this are for the terminally stupid.

[ckramer]

5. Currency manipulation?

get a mirror, Hillary.