A group of activists in the United States have appealed to the House of Representatives to pass the All-American Flag Act on July 3 arguing that all national flags should be made in the US, said an article in the People's Daily. Excerpts:

Sponsors of the act said the US spent $3.6 million in importing national flags in 2011, $3.3 million of that was from China.

By resorting to patriotism the group has succeeded in drawing wide attention to their proposal. But their argument is filled with obvious trade protectionism, echoing the US people's concern about the declining manufacturing industry. China has become the scapegoat again.

In fact, the US is still the strongest manufacturer of equipment, electronics, bioscience and chemistry. China's exports to the US are mainly made up of commodities for everyday consumption.

That is why US consumers develop a misconception that the US' manufacturing industry is threatened by China. The total output of the US manufacturing industry has reached $5.03 trillion, a nine percent rise year-on-year.

If the US really wants to consolidate its leader position in the manufacturing industry, it should further develop its high-end manufacturing industry instead of blaming China.

Translated by Li Yang