Dr. Zhang Lijuan is a professor at School of Economics, Shandong University. Her current research fields are World Economy, Trade Policy, Commercial Diplomacy, US-China Relations.
The U.S. presidential debates have seen a lot of tough talk on China. But how can the candidates fail to see that maintaining strong U.S.-China trade relations is vital to U.S. economic interests?
China's perennial role as the pantomime villain in U.S. election campaigns means that crucial questions regarding the restructuring of the U.S. economy are shelved, to the detriment of all involved.
China's rapidly expanding domestic consumer market means that the "made in China" label must look to satisfy its home consumers first in the battle for global brand recognition.
While a slowdown in trade volumes is expected, the country should address the ramifications of setting a lower growth target for such sectors as manufacturing and processing.