As the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) posted this morning, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Mitt Romney's VP running mate, spoke in Ohio today on the subject of U.S.-China trade policy.

The Washington Post reports that the event at Walsh University attracted about 1,000 people.

Ryan told the crowd:

"Free trade is a powerful tool for peace and prosperity. But our trading partners need to play by the rules"

And, regarding China, Ryan said:

"They steal our intellectual property rights. They block access to their markets. They manipulate their currency."

Ryan also had some harsh words for President Obama's dealings with China:

"President Obama said he’d go to the mat with China...Instead, they’re treating him like a doormat. We’re not going to let that happen.”

As we mentioned in our earlier post, Ryan was among a small number of Republicans who voted against a bill in 2012 to penalize China for its illegal currency manipulation. While AAM is excited to see this issue debated on the campaign trail, we hope that actions will match words. Right now Congressman Ryan's words simply raise questions.  If President Obama is being treated as a "doormat" by China, what about Members of Congress who won't vote to hold China accountable for its cheating?