During the American presidential campaign of 2008, China was virtually a nonissue. During the televised debates between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, China was barely mentioned.
This year, however, things are different. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, has made China a major campaign issue, promising if elected to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his presidency.
Now he has picked as his vice presidential nominee a congressman, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who is not known for his foreign policy credentials but who immediately stomped on President Obama by calling him China's "doormat."