WASHINGTON, April 30 (Xinhua) -- John Hickenlooper, a Democrat and former governor of the U.S. state of Colorado who is running for president in the 2020 campaign, released Tuesday an outline for his "new open and fair trade policy."
Claiming that his plan aims to "ensure open and fair trade for America," Hickenlooper boasts an agenda that "rejects the idea of demonizing private sector to score political points" and "produces both greater economic equality and greater economic growth."
The presidential candidate laid out five key elements to his plan, urging that U.S. trading partners "adopt and enforce fair labor and safety standards," and "enforce environmental and climate standards."
Meanwhile, the plan also focuses on protecting the intellectual property rights of American companies, ensuring that "U.S. firms enjoy equitable and comparable investment rights abroad," and providing assistance for U.S. workers to "adjust to job displacement from trade."
Hickenlooper, who, according to the five-page outline, is set to unveil his broader economic agenda in New Hampshire on Friday, especially took aim at President Donald Trump's trade policy, saying that the president's tariff measures and decision to walk away from trade agreements is one of the "most harmful and short-sighted actions."
In a short video released on March 4, Hickenlooper, 67, announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2020.
He said in the video that the reason he is running for president is that the American people "are facing a crisis that threatens everything we stand for."
