Hillary Clinton vows to 'stand up to China'

US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivers a speech on the US economy at Futuramic Tool & Engineering August 11, 2016 in Warren, Michigan. (AFP photo)

US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has vowed to “stand up to China” and oppose the Pacific trade agreement.

Speaking to a crowd in the US state of Detroit - where she unveiled her plans on global economic issues - Clinton said on Thursday the world's second largest economy had “gamed the system” for too long.

"I will stand up to China and anyone else who tries to take advantage of American workers and companies," she said.

And when countries break the rules, "we won't hesitate to impose targeted tariffs,” Clinton added.

She vowed to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a planned free-trade deal which President Barack Obama negotiated with several others countries.

The TPP is a secretive trade agreement between eleven Pacific Rim countries concerning a variety of matters in regard to economic policy.

"My message to every worker in Michigan and across America is this: I will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership," she said, speaking to a crowd in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.

"I oppose it now, I'll oppose it after the election, and I'll oppose it as president,” she added.

Clinton also attacked Republican rival Donald Trump’s tax proposals, saying they will benefit him personally as well as some of the richest taxpayers in the United States.

"Now, there is a myth out there that he will stick it to the rich and powerful because somehow he's really on the side of the little guy," she told the crowd in Warren.

"Don't believe it," she said.

"He would give trillions in tax cuts to big corporations, millionaires and Wall Street money managers," she added.

"That would explode our national debt and eventually lead to massive cuts in priorities like education, health care, and environmental protection,” Clinton continued.

The former secretary of state is leading in national polls with less than three months to go before the election. She leads Trump by 7 percentage points, with 36.6 percent support to Trump’s 29.6 percent support.