CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Aug 20 (AFP) - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry on Friday promised to help boost US job growth and take a harder line on alleged abuses by China as he touted his economic plan.
"We know how to put people to work," he said, attacking US President George W. Bush over the loss of some 160,000 manufacturing jobs in this conservative state, which the Republican carried in 2000.
Later, Kerry was to head to Florida to survey the devastation left by Hurricane Charley, the worst such storm to hit that state in 12 years. Bush toured some of the hardest-hit areas on Sunday.
Ahead of the November 2 election, the incumbent enjoys an edge over the challenger on national security issues, but faces widespread unhappiness with his stewardship of the US economy.
As Kerry spoke to several hundred people under a banner proclaiming "A Real Plan for a Stronger Economy," his campaign released a six-point plan that included pledges to take a harder line on China.
One point vowed an "immediate investigation into China's worker rights abuses, and stepped up funding for worker's rights and anti-abusive child labor efforts," while another said he would undertake "more forceful efforts to stop illegal currency manipulation by China and other countries."
Kerry also promised to end tax incentives for companies that move operations abroad, costing US jobs, and provide them instead to firms that hire in the United States, and to enforce trade agreements with other countries.
"We need a president and an administration that stand up and fight for the American worker, because if you give the American worker a fair playing field to compete on, there's no-one in the world" that worker cannot compete against, he said.
Kerry also pledged to repeal Bush tax cuts on incomes above 200,000 dollars a year, and outlined plans to cut corporate taxes, lower health care costs, and invest in education and worker training.