It's been an interesting week in the world of U.S.-China relations.  All eyes were focused on Beijing, as Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Chinese officials for two days of diplomatic discussion.

Ironically, much of the visit was obscured by the plight of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng.  Following a brief time of hiding at the U.S. embassy, Chen is now, once again fearful for his safety and the well-being of his family.

These latest negotiations with China accomplished little, which is unfortunate since the latest jobs report showed the U.S. manufacturing sector adding a paltry 16,000 jobs last month.

In an op-ed at CNBC.com, Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) Executive Director Scott Paul pointed out that there are four things the U.S. can do right now to start saving America's manufacturing jobs.

In Marketwatch, Paul said of the U.S.-China talks:

I see a lot of ‘commitments’ made by China — both new and recycled — but I don’t see any consequences if China fails to implement these promises,” Paul said. “Essentially, China has once again escaped any sanctions by agreeing to abide by pacts that it made ten years ago or more, but has so far failed to implement.”

And, in an interview on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show, Paul asked why the Obama Administration isn't laying out real consequences for China's brazen violations of its trade commitments.