Hillary Clinton on China: a Timeline (May-July)

22 July 2016

Note: Given the 21st century reality that the China-United States relations constitute the most important bilateral relationship on Earth, the China Institute is continuing its brief selection of quotes from U.S. presidential candidates on the topic of China.

The China Institute is a non-partisan institution, but we do pay close attention to any issues that have a clear relationship to China's international relations.

While these quotes are necessarily taken somewhat out of context because of space limitations, the sources provided will give greater context. To refer to the original source of the quote, please click on the date.




"We've got to get more good jobs. And here's how we're going to do it: We're going to do it by investing -- investing in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy. Because some country is going be the clean-energy superpower. It's going to be either Germany, China or us. I want it to be us."
- Hillary Clinton, May 24, 2016


"I don't understand Donald's bizarre fascination with dictators and strongmen who have no love for America. He praised China for the Tiananmen Square massacre; he said it showed 'strength.' He said, 'You've got to give Kim Jong Un credit' for taking over North Korea - something he did by murdering everyone he saw as a threat, including his own uncle, which Donald described gleefully, like he was recapping an action movie. And he said if he were grading Vladimir Putin as a leader, he'd give him an A."
- Hillary Clinton, June 2, 2016


"So far as we know, my campaign has not been hacked into and we're obviously looking hard at that, but cybersecurity will be an issue that I will be absolutely focused on as president, because whether it's Russia or China, Iran or North Korea, more and more countries are using hacking to steal our information to use it to their advantage and we can't let that go on."
- Hillary Clinton, June 14, 2016


"I agree with Sherrod that with the right investments and a level playing field, American workers will out hustle and out innovate anyone in the world. Now, Donald Trump makes big threats, but he has no serious plan to encourage manufacturing, innovation, or job creation in our country. And there is a difference between getting tough on trade and recklessly starting trade wars. The last time we opted for Trump-style isolationism, it made the great depression longer and more painful. And interestingly, Trump's own products are made in a lot of countries that aren't named America. Trump ties are made in China. Trump suits in Mexico. Trump furniture in Turkey. Trump picture frames in Indiana. Trump barware in Slovenia and I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I'd love him to explain how all that fits with his talk about 'America First.' I honestly believe that the difference between us is not just about policy. We have fundamentally different views of whether America is strong or weak."
- Hillary Clinton, June 21, 2016


"And you know what? We're going to compete and win in the global economy by not letting anybody take advantage of our workers. Not China, not Wall Street, not anyone. And we're going to defend and strengthen the tough rules to rein in Wall Street that were put in place after the crash. When corporations pay fines for breaking the law, those fines should cut into executives' bonuses. And if laws are violated, individuals, not just corporations, should be held accountable."
- Hillary Clinton, June 27, 2016


"He has applauded the strength China showed in the Tiananmen Square massacre, offered admiration for Kim Jong Un's murderous consolidation of power in North Korea, and consistently lavished praise on Vladimir Putin. Tonight, Trump yet again lauded Saddam Hussein as a great killer of terrorists, noting with approval that he never bothered to read anyone their rights."
- Hillary Clinton, July 5, 2016


"And remember, remember what he promised: 'I'm going to do for the country what I did for my business.' Well, we should believe him - and make sure he never has the chance to bankrupt America the way he bankrupted his businesses. So I just want you to take all this information and tell everybody you can. Because people need to make an informed choice. So when Trump says he is for working men and women of America, but Trump Furniture is made in Turkey instead of Lakewood, New Jersey, that matters. Trump Suits were made in Mexico, instead of Ashland, Pennsylvania. Trump Lamps are made in China, not Altoona, Pennsylvania. If he wants to make America great again, maybe he should start by actually making things in America again."
- Hillary Clinton, July 6, 2016