US President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney engaged in their favorite game of "Who's the better China-basher" during the second presidential debate in the United States on Tuesday.

But by playing this game they are endangering bilateral ties, which both sides have made painstaking efforts to nurture.

Their China-bashing theatrics are worthy of the magician David Blaine, as they have created the illusion that China is the cause of all the US' troubles and the candidate who appears to be the toughest on China has the best chance of winning.