China in the U.S. presidential campaign

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COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 26 (UPI) -- China should be at the center of the 2012 Republican campaign for the White House. Unless former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney emphasizes specific solutions for creating jobs by ending unnecessary outsourcing to the Middle Kingdom, he won't win.

U.S. President Barack Obama's economy is a disaster. Since the recovery began in June 2009, economic growth has averaged a paltry 2.4 percent and unemployment hangs stubbornly above 8 percent.

Ronald Reagan, like Obama, inherited a deeply troubled economy. However, Reagan implemented radical solutions to free up the private sector and as he campaigned for re-election the economy was growing at 6 percent.

Nowadays, the economy suffers from too little demand and over-regulation. Consumers are spending again but too many dollars go abroad to purchase foreign oil and Chinese goods without returning to purchase U.S. exports -- thanks in significant measure to congressional Democrats and Obama blocking development of U.S. offshore and Alaskan oil resources and Obama's failure to confront Chinese mercantilism.

China exports to the United States four times more than it buys from here because it maintains an undervalued currency and blocks imports of competitive U.S. products. For example, Beijing maintains a 25 percent tariff on automobiles -- the U.S. tariff is less than 3 percent -- and requires U.S. companies to establish joint ventures with Chinese companies to gain access to its markets.

In new industries, like solar panels and windmills, Beijing has required suppliers to locate in China. Faced with choosing between producing in the United States or China, manufacturers can service both markets from China.

Repeatedly, the Obama administration makes narrow complaints in bilateral forums and the World Trade Organization but once factories are established it is hard to relocate production even when Beijing relents and drops its administrative restrictions on foreign-made products.

The practice most destructive to U.S. interests is China's 40 percent undervalued currency, which artificially under-prices Chinese goods on American store shelves. Licensing and regulating the price of dollar-yuan conversions accomplish this, and official intervention in currency markets.

Beijing mops up excess demand for yuan, which would force its value higher, by printing and selling yuan to importers for dollars and euros, and then uses the proceeds to invest in U.S. Treasurys and oil and other mineral deposits around the world.

The latter enhances Beijing's diplomatic clout and its ability to justify its authoritarian brand of state-managed capitalism.

This currency manipulation violates China's WTO commitments and International Monetary Fund rules. Campaigning for the White House, Obama promised to address this problem but since becoming president has refused to even admit China manipulates its currency or bring complaints in the WTO and IMF. Successful suits would permit the United States and the European Union to impose broad tariffs on all imports from China and force Beijing to end these practices.

Early in the primary campaign, Romney promised to pursue similar tactics but, since locking up the nomination, has emphasized traditional GOP themes -- deregulation, free trade and lower taxes.

Polls show those don't cut it with swing voters in battleground states and have permitted Obama to attack Romney for outsourcing, perhaps, several thousand jobs as chief executive officer of Bain Capital.

However, the big outsourcer has been Obama by failing to effectively address Chinese mercantilism and by shutting down exploration and development of so much oil.

China and oil account each account for about half the $600 billion annual U.S. trade deficit. Applying the usual policy multipliers, developing domestic resources and taxing China's currency manipulation would easily cut that deficit in half, raise gross domestic product by $500 billion and bring home 5 million outsourced jobs.

That is the story Romney needs to tell voters.

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(Peter Morici is an economist and professor at the Smith School of Business, University of Maryland School, and a widely published columnist.)

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(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)