Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has accused China of “raping” the US, in renewed criticism of China’s trade policy.
He told a rally in Indiana that China was responsible for “the greatest theft in the history of the world”.
Mr Trump, a billionaire businessman, has long accused China of manipulating its currency to make its exports more competitive globally.
This, he says, has badly damaged US businesses and workers.
“We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that’s what we’re doing,” he told the campaign rally on Sunday.
“We’re going to turn it around, and we have the cards, don’t forget it,” he added. “We have a lot of power with China.”
Mr Trump, in his campaign manifesto, pledges to “cut a better deal with China that helps American businesses and workers compete”.
He sets out four goals that include immediately declaring China “a currency manipulator” and putting “an end to China’s illegal export subsidies and lax labour and environmental standards”.
Latest figures from the US government show the trade deficit with China reached an all-time high of $365.7bn (£250.1bn) last year. By February this year, it had already reached $57bn.
There was no immediate response from Beijing to Mr Trump’s comments. -BBC
