Echoing Trump, Scott Walker calls on Obama to call off China summit

President urged to show ‘some backbone’ and cancel Xi Jinping visit
Walker, like Republican rival Donald Trump, blames China for economic woes

Tom McCarthy in New York
Monday 24 August 2015 23.35 BST

Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker on Monday called on President Barack Obama to show “some backbone” and cancel an upcoming state visit by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, blaming turmoil in US markets on Monday on China’s recent currency devaluation.

“Americans are struggling to cope with the fall in today’s markets driven in part by China’s slowing economy and the fact that they actively manipulate their economy,” Walker said in a statement issued by his campaign. “Rather than honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping with an official state visit next month, President Obama should focus on holding China accountable over its increasing attempts to undermine US interests.”

“There’s serious work to be done rather than pomp and circumstance,” Walker said. “We need to see some backbone from President Obama.”

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Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, did not speculate on the risks of derailing the relationship by abruptly canceling the state visit, which is planned for September and which would be the first official visit by a Chinese president since Obama hosted Hu Jintao in 2011.

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