US-China disputes: Major issues of contention
Even as the race for the 59th US Presidential election is in full swing, President Trump’s anti-China posture and action have also intensified. President Trump’s attack on China has invoked a new dimension of the economic “America First” nationalism, for which an aggressive China- challenging American global leadership- has been the main target. Let’s read in detail the major issues of contention the two countries are at loggerheads.
On Coronavirus
US President Donald Trump described as Coronavirus as a “Chinese virus” and accused China of being behind the spread of virus. On many occasions, he said China must be “held accountable” for failing to contain the infection.China- Foreign ministry spokesman responded by suggesting the US army might have brought the epidemic to Wuhan
Vaccine hacking
Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that Chinese-backed hackers were attempting to steal research, intellectual property relating to Covid-19
Two Chinese nationals indicted in US, for alleged hacking of hundreds of firms globally
Trade war
Weary of big trade deficit with China, US declared a trade war in 2018
US, China engaged in tit-for-tat punitive duties on hundreds of billions of dollars of bilateral trade
The two countries signed an initial trade accord in Jan 2020, but Trump said in July he did not plan to proceed to second phase
South China Sea
In early July, Defense department criticised Chinese military exercises around the Paracel Islands in South China Sea (several countries have claims on islands there)
US aircraft carriers carried out drills to “support a free and open Indo-Pacific”China has since said it conducted “high-intensity” naval exercises in the region
Nuclear talks
US has demanded that China take part in talks on a successor to the New START treaty.
China rejected the invitation to join the arms control talks with Russia
Hong Kong, Taiwan
Ended preferential trade treatment for Hong Kong
Restricted visas for Chinese officials seen as infringing on HK’s autonomy, stopped export of sensitive technologies
US announced in Aug its highest-level visit to Taiwan, since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to China in 1979
China imposed sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong in late June
China urged “US to abide by the one- China principle” and cancel Taiwan trip
Uighur persecution
US said that more than 1 million ethnic Uighurs or Turkic-speaking minority in China’s Xinjiang region have been rounded up in internment camps
US froze assets, imposed visa bans on some officials from Xinjiang, 11 firms placed on black list
China claimed that the facilities are vocational education centres
North Korea
China is at odds with the US over North Korea, even though they both want the country to give up its nuclear weapons. Washington has accused China of breaching UN sanctions on North Korea, assertions Beijing has denied. China wants to lift some sanctions, but the US disagrees.
Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.
Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .
