Obama dismisses Romney tough talk on China
US: US President Barack Obama dismissed Mitt Romney's tough talk on
China at their second debate, as the two sparred over how to handle ties
with the world's number two economy.
China policy has emerged as a key issue in the race for the White
House, with Obama mocking his foe's record of making money on overseas
investments and Romney countering that the Democratic incumbent has been
soft on Beijing. "Governor, you're the last person who's going to get
tough on China," Obama said at Tuesday's debate after Romney repeated
his promise to crack down on Beijing over its widely criticized trade
practices and currency policy.
"When he talks about getting tough on China, keep in mind that
Governor Romney invested in companies that were pioneers of outsourcing
to China, and is currently investing in companies that are building
surveillance equipment for China to spy on its own folks," Obama said.
Obama's aggressive response may have referred to a story his campaign
has highlighted recently -- a New York Times article from earlier this
year that laid out how Bain Capital, the private equity firm founded by
Romney, was profiting from investments in Chinese companies.
The Times detailed how a Bain-run fund in which a Romney blind trust
has holdings bought the video surveillance division of a Chinese firm
that says it is the largest supplier to a monitoring system that allows
Beijing to watch over schools, hospitals, and theaters. In a web video
released last month, the Obama campaign also accused Romney of investing
in Youku, the Chinese equivalent of YouTube, which it described as a
haven for pirated US videos, and of backing a Chinese firm accused of
pirating Microsoft software.
Romney made a point of returning to the issue of China multiple times
during the fiery town hall-style debate at Hofstra University in New
York -- the second of three debates before the November 6 vote.
AFP
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