GOP hopeful Mitt Romney has been taking a harsh stance on China recently, going so far as to pledge to name them a currency manipulator on his first day in office. However, as Reuters reports, this harsh stance might not follow through in real policy changes:

Kenneth Lieberthal, who advised the Clinton administration on Asia, said Romney would end up taking a softer approach if he gets into the White House.

"Why walk into office and immediately alienate the folks you are going to be dealing with?" said Lieberthal, who is now director of the John Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution think tank. "You start off by slapping them in the face and then say: 'Let's get to know each other?' It's just not the way the real world works. It may sound great as a campaign slogan ... but it doesn't work as real policy."

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