In today's Politico, reporter Josh Boak says that "tackling the economic challenges posed by China" has become a key campaign issue for the Republican presidential candidates.

Boak quotes Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) Executive Director Scott Paul on the challenges facing U.S. manufacturing, especially in such a competitive industrial sector as "advanced technology products":

“Advanced technology products have been under that radar for some time.  But now, the gap has widened that it’s reached a crisis stage.”

Boak cites AAM's work, which has "championed domestic policies to enable an American manufacturing renaissance" and quotes Paul on the problem of lost U.S. manufacturing:

“Sophisticated technology products that we should be making here, we’re starting to lose to the Chinese — next-generation semiconductors and solar equipment and optoelectronics,” Paul said.

Read more about what the candidates are saying on the campaign trail regarding trade and manufacturing.