Romney talks tough on China trade

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REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Presidential candidate Mitt Romney says the United States needs to crack down on intellectual property violations by China,

The Republican former Massachusetts governor, in a speech Thursday at Microsoft headquarters near Seattle, said he would take a tough stance as president against foreign importers who steal U.S. designs and technology, The Washington Post reported.

"If you cheat, there's a huge advantage," Romney said. "Fortunately in most of our lives, we find a way to stop the cheaters ... we haven't done that with regards to trade. China, in particular, has realized the extraordinary advantage to cheating."

Romney, who accused President Barack Obama of standing in the way of free trade, said he would impose punitive tariffs on some Chinese products and work with other countries to set intellectual property sanctions against China and prevent the transfer of some technologies, the newspaper said.

The Democratic National Committee disputed Romney's assertions about the Obama administration's intellectual property enforcement, saying the president has "made clear that he will enforce America's trade laws and stand with American workers."