Scott Walker to Obama: 'Show some backbone' and cancel Chinese state visit

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last updated 25 August 2015

Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) told reporters Monday that he believes President Obama should cancel Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit in September, citing the economic turmoil that analysts say started over concerns about slowing growth in China.

"There's serious work to be done rather than pomp and circumstance," he said. "We need to see some backbone from President Obama." Walker added: "Why would we be giving one of our highest things a president can do... at a time when all of these problems are pending there? We should say those... honors should only be bestowed upon leaders and countries that are allies and supporters of the United States, not just for China, which is a strategic competitor." White House officials say that by having Xi in Washington, D.C., with Obama, the president will be able to bring up his concerns on the economy and make progress on other issues, like stopping climate change, The Washington Post reports.

Walker said if Obama was to rescind the invitation, other countries would "respect" his decision. He also said that he's not just following in the footsteps of GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, who has mentioned his hardline stance against China in campaign speeches since he entered the race. "It's something I've talked about repeatedly," Walker said. "Just because the media covers some candidates more than others doesn't mean the rest of us aren't talking about things."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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