Former U.S. vice president Joe Biden has enormously harmed the U.S. economy in his five decades as a politician, President Donald Trump has said, adding that if the Democratic leader wins the November 3 polls it would be a win for China.

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Mr. Biden , 77, and his running mate Kamala Harris are challenging incumbents President Trump , 74, and Vice President Mike Pence in the presidential election.

Mr. Biden spent the last 47 years shipping your jobs to China and foreign countries. You know that. I’ve spent the last four years bringing the jobs back to our country and back to Ohio, Mr. Trump said at a rally in Dayton, Ohio on Monday.

The Republican leader described the November 3 polls as the most important in recent memory. “On November 3rd, Americans will decide whether we lift our nation to soaring new heights of prosperity or whether we will allow Joe Mr. Biden --Sleepy Joe -- to shut down our economy, impose a USD 4 trillion tax hike, abolish Ohio clean coal, oil, natural gas, and ship your jobs in factories overseas to China and countries that you never even heard of, he said.

The democratic tax plans for the 2020 election lists a gradual increase in proposed taxes by USD 4 trillion in the next decade, placing a greater burden on the super-rich category.

“Put simply: If Mr. Biden wins, China wins. If we win, Ohio wins and most importantly, in all fairness, America wins. Because you finally have the president who puts America first, and I do put America first, Mr. Trump said to applause from the audience.

Mr. Trump has held election rallies in the last two weeks, notwithstanding the risks posed by the coronavirus. Thousands attend the events without masks and breaking social-distancing norms. Mr. Trump has called the rallies “protest against stupidity”.

“You know this is really not a rally. This has to do with workers, programs, all the things we love. And this is really what we call ‘a friendly protest’ You know what we’re protesting. We’re protesting stupidity, okay, because so many stupid things you see, Mr. Trump said.

Seeking a second term, Mr. Trump said the people know the terrible damage that Mr. Biden has inflicted on the economy in his near-50 years in politics.

“Can you believe it? For 47 years Joe Mr. Biden shook the hands of American workers and then stabbed them in the back. He said ‘Washington vultures’ I mean, think of it, he said.

He’s been doing it for 47 years. I’ve been doing it for three and a half years so he should be able to beat me I would think. He’s much more experienced. Oh! he’s great. Oh! he’s a beauty. But he betrayed you. He lied to you. He abused you. Which is why it’s time to retire Joe Mr. Biden . This is serious talk, Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Biden championed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Trump said, adding that the NAFTA had many adverse affects on the US economy and China’s entry into the WTO led them to go up like a rocket.

The World Trade Organization considers China as a developing nation, Mr. Trump said. No. They’re not a developing nation. By being a developing nation they get all sorts of advantages over us so we’ve been protesting it, he said.

As vice president, Mr. Biden did nothing even as China stole intellectual property, flooded the market with dumped goods, unfairly subsidised its industries, manipulated its currency, Mr. Trump alleged.

“They poison our communities with fentanyl. You know that? Instead, Biden allowed China to ravage our towns, raid our factories, and rip apart our communities. That’s what they did,” he said. The US had last month sanctioned several Chinese citizens for trafficking fentanyl, a banned opioid.