Need to crack down on China when they cheat: Romney

[1]

US needs to open up markets and also needs to crack down on China when it indulges in illegal practices, Mitt Romney, the leading Republican presidential candidate has said.

"We have to open up markets, and we have to crack down on China when they cheat," Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, said participating in the South Carolina Republican presidential debate on Thursday.

Romney alleged that the biggest impediment to job growth in US is Obama. "This president is the biggest impediment to job growth in this country, and we have to replace Barack Obama to get America working again," he said.

The views of Romney on China were agreed upon by other candidates, but for Ron Paul, the Congressman from Texas, who said that outsourcing manufacturing to China also helped getting goods at a much lower price to Americans.

"When you get products, if they're buying products cheaper over there - let's say the computer costs a hundred dollars instead of a thousand dollars. "Well, the person's just saved USD 900. That helps the economy. That USD 900 stays in that person's pocket. Whether it's shoes or a computer. So we shouldn't be frightened about trade or sending money on," he said.

"But we have to look at the reason why they're doing this. I mean, even the car companies - there's obviously a problem with car companies here. "They're in bigger trouble, and we had to bail them out. But there are foreign companies that build cars in this country and they make a living out of this. "So it's more complex than that, but we have to do whatever we can," Paul said.

Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania Senator said he is the only person on this stage that will do something about it.

"I've got a specific plan in place that I've put out there, called the Made In the USA plan, for exactly these kinds of companies, that have great technology and then go somewhere else to make them because America is uncompetitive," Santorum said.

"That's why we have to cut the corporate tax for all corporations who manufacture and process in this country," he said.