Buddy Roemer Slams Obama Over China Policies

Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana has made political reform the chief issue of his dark-horse presidential bid and not international affairs, but he weighed in on foreign policy this week when he ripped into President Barack Obamas handling of relations with China. While Roemer, who served in the U.S. House before his term as governor, has pulled out of running for the Republican presidential nomination, he is still in the mix for the Reform Partys nomination and that of Americans Elect.

I have been very disappointed in the lack of leadership this administration has showed in regard to our rival China, Roemer said. We must strongly consider the recent weakness in China's growth and a string of bizarre events, including the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood, the attempted defection and then disappearance of Chongqing Police Chief Wang Lijung, the purge of communist hardliner Bo Xilai,reports of an attempted coup in Beijing, and now the dramatic escape of human rights activist Chen Guangcheng that have publicly revealed the rotten underpinnings of Chinas corrupt, communist autocracy. The muffled, embarrassed, and confused reactions of the U.S. Department of State and the Obama administration have revealed how deeply tied into this criminal regime our own government and policies have become.

The obvious fact is that China is still a nation where, as Mao said, All power grows from the barrel of a gun. There is little to no rule of law in this dynasty where the rights guaranteed by their own constitution are rarely enforced and where party members live like princes and have inconvenient foreigners poisoned," Roemer continued. Yet the American government continues to pretend that this state can be trusted to honor its treaties, meet its obligations and behave in a civilized manner. China is unable to act with honor at home, nor has it ever been able to in the international arena. For three decades, this behavior has allowed the communist regime in Beijing to lie, cheat and steal its way to prosperity at the expense of the American economy and American jobs.

China is not a reliable business partner for our firms or its employees; its not a safe haven for our investment capital, nor a responsible ally for our nation, Roemer insisted in conclusion. It is time for the United States to stand up for what is right in regard to human dignity and by doing so what is right for our economic future.

Roemer is calling for China to release dissidents, end censorship, respect human rights and religious freedom and push for more democracy. He also wants to remove China as a "most favored" trade partner and raise tariffs on that nation.