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GREENSBORO - A crowd of several hundred gathered on the lawn tucked between the YWCA and Davie Street Monday afternoon to catch Joe Biden's appearance in Greensboro, just a few hours after his stop in Greenville.

The visit from Democratic party's vice presidential candidate is a part of intense focus on North Carolina in this last week of presidential campaigning.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, will visit the state Wednesday. On Sunday, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin visited Asheville, and Republican presidential candidate John McCain will also stop come to state later.

The sky appeared similar to the last time Biden was in town after the presidential debate, but temperatures hung around a brisk 50 degrees on the Monday workday when he took the stage about 2:45 p.m.

Kay Hagan, Democratic candidate for U.S. senator introduced him to an enthusiastic, yet chilly, crowd eight days before Election Day, Nov. 4.

"I'm just hanging onto her skirttails to victory," he told the crowd in his opening remarks. Hagan has waged an ever-tightening race for the U.S. Sentae seat held by Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole.

Biden went into a speech he delivered earlier in the day but with more emphasis on President George W. Bush's trade policy with China.

"Nobody has been willing to stand up to China and nail them when the compete unfairly," he said midway through his 15 minute speech.

He said that China unfairly subsidizes its exports, making it difficult for American business to compete, and linking that to high foreclosure rates and unemployment.

In 2007, under pressure from the United States, the two countries signed an agreement that removed about a dozen subsidies on China's wood, steel and other exports, according to the office of the United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab.

Then he sympathized with those who had lost their jobs in North Carolina with a turn-of-phrase on economic bailouts for the everytown's "Main Street" a few weeks after $700 billion was approved to help bail out investment bankers.

"While we're talking about helping Wall Street," he said, "we should be reaching out to help Elm Street and every other street here in Greensboro."

He also mentioned the Democratic ticket's plan to reimburse college students for community service through tuition payments and a three-month moratorium on foreclosures if they win.

Biden's next stop is in New Port Richey, Fla.