appropriate counteraction." and "A trade war with China is the last thing I want, but I cannot tolerate our current trade surrender." At the press conference, Romney was asked whether the China's abuses of human rights troubled him. "I am not an expert on the practices of other countries, and don't consider myself sufficiently qualified to characterize the practices of any one country," Romney said. In July 2012, Romney said, "We face another challenge in a rising China. China is attentive to the interests of its government, but it too often disregards the rights of its people. It's selective in the freedoms it allows." Cuba Romney favors keeping the United States embargo against Cuba in place. He said: "The Cuban people still live in constant fear of a brutal totalitarian regime that has demonstrated time and again its utter disregard for basic human dignity." Romney accused President Obama of a policy of "appeasement" toward Cuba. "This president has decided to give a gift, to Castro, to allow remittances to come from the United States to go into Cuba and help the economy of Cuba. He's allowed more traveling into Cuba", Romney said. European allies In 2012, Romney's presidential campaign told The Daily Telegraph that Romney supported the "Anglo-Saxon heritage" and the "shared history" between the people of the United States and the United Kingdom prior to his visit to the country that year. These remarks were considered a racist attack on Obama; Romney's press secretary, Andrea Saul, later denied they represented his views. In his speech, Romney said of Poland, "On behalf of our countrymen, I express deep appreciation for your willingness to fight with us, to stand with us, and to be our friends in times of crisis and military conflict." He added: "In a turbulent world, Poland stands as an example and defender of freedom." Romney accused President Obama of abandoning Poland and the Czech Republic. European debt crisis In November 2011, when Italy was at the forefront of the European debt crisis, Romney said that Congress and the Federal Reserve should not consider plans to bail out Italy in the event its debt crisis deteriorate. In December 2011, Romney stated: "I kind of like America. I'm not looking for it to be fundamentally transformed into something else. I don't want it to become like Europe." In January 2012, Romney said: "We want to ensure that we remain