The U.S Commerce Department said on Sunday it would "vigorously defend" an executive order that seeks to bar transactions with Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok after a federal judge halted the action.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on Friday blocked the Commerce Department order set to take effect on Nov. 12 that would have effectively barred ByteDance-owned TikTok from operating in the United States.

The Commerce Department said on Sunday it would "comply with the injunction ... but intends to vigorously defend the (executive order) and the Secretary’s implementation efforts from legal challenges."

Beetlestone enjoined the agency from barring data hosting within the United States for TikTok, content delivery services and other technical transactions.

President Donald Trump`s administration contends that TikTok poses national security concerns as personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China`s government. TikTok denies the allegations.

Beetlestone wrote that the "government’s own descriptions of the national security threat posed by the TikTok app are phrased in the hypothetical."

On Sept. 27, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by ByteDance that stopped the Commerce Department from ordering Apple Inc&nbsp;and Alphabet Inc`s Google&nbsp;app stores to remove TikTok for download by new users. That order had been set to take effect later that day.

Nichols is set to hold a hearing on Wednesday on the other aspects of the Commerce Department order that Beetlestone blocked on Friday.

Beetlestone`s order, in a suit brought by three TikTok content creators, also blocks the app store download ban.

Talks have been ongoing to finalize a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc&nbsp;and Oracle Corp&nbsp;to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee U.S. operations. Trump said last month the deal had his "blessing."

The U.S Commerce Department said on Sunday it would "vigorously defend" an executive order that seeks to bar transactions with Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok after a federal judge halted the action.

The U.S Commerce Department said on Sunday it would "vigorously defend" an executive order that seeks to bar transactions with Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok after a federal judge halted the action. U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on Friday blocked the Commerce Department order set to take effect on Nov. 12 that would have effectively barred ByteDance-owned TikTok from operating in the United States. The Commerce Department said on Sunday it would "comply with the injunction ... but intends to vigorously defend the (executive order) and the Secretary’s implementation efforts from legal challenges." Beetlestone enjoined the agency from barring data hosting within the United States for TikTok, content delivery services and other technical transactions. President Donald Trump`s administration contends that TikTok poses national security concerns as personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China`s government. TikTok denies the allegations. Beetlestone wrote that the "government’s own descriptions of the national security threat posed by the TikTok app are phrased in the hypothetical." On Sept. 27, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by ByteDance that stopped the Commerce Department from ordering Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc`s Google app stores to remove TikTok for download by new users. That order had been set to take effect later that day. Nichols is set to hold a hearing on Wednesday on the other aspects of the Commerce Department order that Beetlestone blocked on Friday. Beetlestone`s order, in a suit brought by three TikTok content creators, also blocks the app store download ban. Talks have been ongoing to finalize a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee U.S. operations. Trump said last month the deal had his "blessing."

US will 'vigorously defend' TikTok executive order despite ruling

A top aide to Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has admitted he helped fund a contentious report alleging links between Joe Biden's son and China. He, however, insisted his boss did not know about it.

Senior aide Mark Simon on Sunday stepped down from his post at Apple Daily after the admission.

The 64-page document by a fictitious author, which was circulated online and seized on by US President Donald Trump's supporters, alleged business connections between Hunter Biden and China.

Investigations in recent days, however, raised questions about its veracity and how it was compiled.

In a series of tweets over the weekend Lai said senior aide Mark Simon, a vocal critic of Biden, had "worked with the project". "Mark used my private company's money to reimburse for the research he requested. It's only US$10,000 so he didn't have to have my approval," Lai wrote.

"I know it is hard for anyone to believe that I didn't know about it and my integrity is damaged," he added.

Lai was one of the first people to be arrested under a new national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in June following last year's pro-democracy protests.

Lai has long been a thorn in the side of Beijing and has spoken favourably of Trump's willingness to confront China. His Apple Daily newspapers and Next Magazine are unashamedly pro-democracy and he is routinely villified by China's state media.&nbsp;

According to AFP, Simon Sunday said he acted in his own capacity in paying for some of the research that ended up in the dossier.&nbsp;

"Apple Daily had nothing to do with the report and certainly Mr. Lai has nothing to do with it," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"All were completely unaware of me helping out with expenses of research."

Earlier on Friday, NBC published an investigation saying the 64-page dossier had "questionable authorship and anonymous sourcing". The investigation found the listed author, a supposed Swiss security analyst called Martin Aspen, was a fabricated identity and that his picture had been created using software.

According to NBC, blogger and academic Christopher Balding, a former associate professor at Fulbright University Vietnam, said he had contributed to the report and admitted Aspen did not exist. He said the report was was "commissioned by Apple Daily", Lai's staunchly pro-democracy and anti-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The paper denied that characterisation, as did Simon.&nbsp;

"I nor anyone at Apple did anything in terms of research or writing, just no role whatsoever.&nbsp;&nbsp;All arms length," he said.&nbsp;

"$10k is well within my discretion, but putting Apple people and Jimmy in the firing line was wrong. I was far too casual with using Apple Daily name, I abused the trust I have been given," he added, explaining his decision to resign.

Apple Daily's newsroom was raided by more than 200 police officers and authorities accuse Lai of "colluding with foreign forces" and money laundering.

(with inputs)

A top aide to Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has admitted he helped fund a contentious report alleging links between Joe Biden's son and China. He, however, insisted his boss did not know about it.

A top aide to Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has admitted he helped fund a contentious report alleging links between Joe Biden's son and China. He, however, insisted his boss did not know about it. Senior aide Mark Simon on Sunday stepped down from his post at Apple Daily after the admission. The 64-page document by a fictitious author, which was circulated online and seized on by US President Donald Trump's supporters, alleged business connections between Hunter Biden and China. Investigations in recent days, however, raised questions about its veracity and how it was compiled. In a series of tweets over the weekend Lai said senior aide Mark Simon, a vocal critic of Biden, had "worked with the project". "Mark used my private company's money to reimburse for the research he requested. It's only US$10,000 so he didn't have to have my approval," Lai wrote. "I know it is hard for anyone to believe that I didn't know about it and my integrity is damaged," he added. Lai was one of the first people to be arrested under a new national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in June following last year's pro-democracy protests. Lai has long been a thorn in the side of Beijing and has spoken favourably of Trump's willingness to confront China. His Apple Daily newspapers and Next Magazine are unashamedly pro-democracy and he is routinely villified by China's state media. According to AFP, Simon Sunday said he acted in his own capacity in paying for some of the research that ended up in the dossier. "Apple Daily had nothing to do with the report and certainly Mr. Lai has nothing to do with it," he said. "All were completely unaware of me helping out with expenses of research." Earlier on Friday, NBC published an investigation saying the 64-page dossier had "questionable authorship and anonymous sourcing". The investigation found the listed author, a supposed Swiss security analyst called Martin Aspen, was a fabricated identity and that his picture had been created using software. According to NBC, blogger and academic Christopher Balding, a former associate professor at Fulbright University Vietnam, said he had contributed to the report and admitted Aspen did not exist. He said the report was was "commissioned by Apple Daily", Lai's staunchly pro-democracy and anti-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The paper denied that characterisation, as did Simon. "I nor anyone at Apple did anything in terms of research or writing, just no role whatsoever. All arms length," he said. "$10k is well within my discretion, but putting Apple people and Jimmy in the firing line was wrong. I was far too casual with using Apple Daily name, I abused the trust I have been given," he added, explaining his decision to resign. Apple Daily's newsroom was raided by more than 200 police officers and authorities accuse Lai of "colluding with foreign forces" and money laundering. (with inputs)

Hong Kong media tycoon Lai unaware of Biden dossier, aide says

Two former eBay Inc&nbsp;employees pleaded guilty on Thursday to participating in a cyber stalking campaign against a Massachusetts couple whose online newsletter was viewed by top executives as critical of the e-commerce company.

Federal prosecutors in Boston said former eBay employees Stephanie Stockwell and Brian Gilbert and others harassed the couple through Twitter and sent them disturbing packages like a bloody Halloween pig mask and live spiders and cockroaches during the August 2019 campaign.

They pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit cyber stalking and conspiring to tamper with a witness, becoming the latest ex-members of eBay`s security and global intelligence team to admit wrongdoing. Three other former employees have also pleaded guilty.

"I made a mistake, and I need to own up to it," Gilbert said during a hearing held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend a 24-month prison sentence for Stockwell, the former manager of eBay`s global intelligence center, and no more than 37 months for Gilbert, a former senior manager of special operations for its global security team.

They are among seven defendants, including onetime eBay security executives James Baugh and David Harville, who prosecutors said targeted the couple in Natick, Massachusetts, with threatening messages and unwanted deliveries.

Prosecutors said the defendants also conducted covert surveillance in a bid to terrorize the couple and deter them from criticizing eBay.

They did so after two top executives expressed frustration with the newsletter, EcommerceBytes. The executives included former Chief Executive Devin Wenig, who a person familiar with the matter has said is the "Executive 1" identified in court papers.

Wenig, a former executive of Thomson Reuters, has not been charged and has denied knowing about the scheme.&nbsp;

Two former eBay Inc employees pleaded guilty on Thursday to participating in a cyber stalking campaign against a Massachusetts couple whose online newsletter was viewed by top executives as critical of the e-commerce company.

Two former eBay Inc employees pleaded guilty on Thursday to participating in a cyber stalking campaign against a Massachusetts couple whose online newsletter was viewed by top executives as critical of the e-commerce company. Federal prosecutors in Boston said former eBay employees Stephanie Stockwell and Brian Gilbert and others harassed the couple through Twitter and sent them disturbing packages like a bloody Halloween pig mask and live spiders and cockroaches during the August 2019 campaign. They pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit cyber stalking and conspiring to tamper with a witness, becoming the latest ex-members of eBay`s security and global intelligence team to admit wrongdoing. Three other former employees have also pleaded guilty. "I made a mistake, and I need to own up to it," Gilbert said during a hearing held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a 24-month prison sentence for Stockwell, the former manager of eBay`s global intelligence center, and no more than 37 months for Gilbert, a former senior manager of special operations for its global security team. They are among seven defendants, including onetime eBay security executives James Baugh and David Harville, who prosecutors said targeted the couple in Natick, Massachusetts, with threatening messages and unwanted deliveries. Prosecutors said the defendants also conducted covert surveillance in a bid to terrorize the couple and deter them from criticizing eBay. They did so after two top executives expressed frustration with the newsletter, EcommerceBytes. The executives included former Chief Executive Devin Wenig, who a person familiar with the matter has said is the "Executive 1" identified in court papers. Wenig, a former executive of Thomson Reuters, has not been charged and has denied knowing about the scheme.

Ex-eBay employees admit to cyber stalking campaign targetting couple

The deputy White House national security advisor has denounced China's treatment of Uighur Muslims, saying there was no justification for the country maintaining "concentration camps" within its borders.

Matt Pottinger made the remark in Mandarin in an online address to the UK-based Policy Exchange think tank.

Pottinger has been a leading figure in the development of President Donald Trump's China policy.

His remark represented a further ratcheting up of American rhetoric against China in the run-up to the November 3 US presidential election, in which Trump, a Republican, has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy theme.

Last week, US national security advisor Robert O'Brien said China was perpetrating "something close to" genocide with its treatment of Muslims in its Xinjiang region.

The United States has denounced China's treatment of Uighur and other minority Muslims in Xinjiang and imposed sanctions on officials it blames for abuses.

It has not, though, so far termed Beijing's actions genocide, a designation that would have significant legal implications and require stronger action against China.

The United Nations estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang, and activists say crimes against humanity and genocide are taking place there. China has denied any abuses and says its camps in the region provide vocational training and help fight extremism.

Pottinger spoke after China's President Xi Jinping delivered a speech on the 70th anniversary of Chinese troops entering the Korean War to fight against US troops, in which he warned that China will never allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be undermined.

Xi did not directly refer to the present-day United States, with which relations have sunk to their lowest in decades over disputes ranging from trade and technology to human rights and the coronavirus.

The deputy White House national security advisor has denounced China's treatment of Uighur Muslims, saying there was no justification for the country maintaining "concentration camps" within its borders.

The deputy White House national security advisor has denounced China's treatment of Uighur Muslims, saying there was no justification for the country maintaining "concentration camps" within its borders. Matt Pottinger made the remark in Mandarin in an online address to the UK-based Policy Exchange think tank. Pottinger has been a leading figure in the development of President Donald Trump's China policy. His remark represented a further ratcheting up of American rhetoric against China in the run-up to the November 3 US presidential election, in which Trump, a Republican, has made a tough approach to China a key foreign policy theme. Last week, US national security advisor Robert O'Brien said China was perpetrating "something close to" genocide with its treatment of Muslims in its Xinjiang region. The United States has denounced China's treatment of Uighur and other minority Muslims in Xinjiang and imposed sanctions on officials it blames for abuses. It has not, though, so far termed Beijing's actions genocide, a designation that would have significant legal implications and require stronger action against China. The United Nations estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang, and activists say crimes against humanity and genocide are taking place there. China has denied any abuses and says its camps in the region provide vocational training and help fight extremism. Pottinger spoke after China's President Xi Jinping delivered a speech on the 70th anniversary of Chinese troops entering the Korean War to fight against US troops, in which he warned that China will never allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be undermined. Xi did not directly refer to the present-day United States, with which relations have sunk to their lowest in decades over disputes ranging from trade and technology to human rights and the coronavirus.

US says no justification for Uighur 'concentration camps' in China

China says the United States must immediately stop interfering in its internal affairs, after the leader of the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile met a US State Department official in Washington.

It was the first time that the head of the Tibetan Central Administration (CTA) had been received at the State Department.

Lobsang Sangay, the president of the CTA, met the new US special coordinator on Tibet last week.

Relations between the two world powers are at their lowest point in decades over a range of issues, including trade, Taiwan, human rights, the South China Sea and the coronavirus.

"China will take all necessary measures to protect its interests," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a daily news conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

The meeting "sent a seriously wrong signal to Tibetan independence forces," he said, adding, "the US should immediately stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China`s internal affairs."

Describing Sangay as an anti-China separatist, Zhao said the United States should cease any official contact with him.

China seized control over Tibet in 1950. International human rights groups and exiles have since condemned what they call China's oppressive rule in Tibetan areas.

Since its formation in 1959, the Tibetan government-in-exile has been based in Dharamshala in northern India.&nbsp;

China's relations with India became fraught in recent months following a bloody clash between troops stationed on the disputed Himalayan border.

(with inputs)

China says the United States must immediately stop interfering in its internal affairs, after the leader of the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile met a US State Department official in Washington.

China says the United States must immediately stop interfering in its internal affairs, after the leader of the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile met a US State Department official in Washington. It was the first time that the head of the Tibetan Central Administration (CTA) had been received at the State Department. Lobsang Sangay, the president of the CTA, met the new US special coordinator on Tibet last week. Relations between the two world powers are at their lowest point in decades over a range of issues, including trade, Taiwan, human rights, the South China Sea and the coronavirus. "China will take all necessary measures to protect its interests," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a daily news conference in Beijing on Tuesday. The meeting "sent a seriously wrong signal to Tibetan independence forces," he said, adding, "the US should immediately stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China`s internal affairs." Describing Sangay as an anti-China separatist, Zhao said the United States should cease any official contact with him. China seized control over Tibet in 1950. International human rights groups and exiles have since condemned what they call China's oppressive rule in Tibetan areas. Since its formation in 1959, the Tibetan government-in-exile has been based in Dharamshala in northern India. China's relations with India became fraught in recent months following a bloody clash between troops stationed on the disputed Himalayan border. (with inputs)

US should stop meddling: China on exiled Tibetan leader's visit to state dept

China has refuted a newspaper report that said foreign nationals were under threat of arbitrary detention.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Chinese officials had issued repeated warnings to US government officials that China may detain Americans in response to the Justice Department`s prosecution of Chinese scholars affiliated to the military.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it was Washington that was mistreating foreign citizens, accusing the United States of "outright political repression" of their academics.

"The US claim that foreign nationals in China are under threat of arbitrary detention is playing the victim and confusing black and white," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing.&nbsp;

China protects the safety and legitimate rights of foreigners, he said.

In September, a State Department advisory warned against travel to China, saying the Chinese government uses arbitrary detention and exit bans for US citizens and others "to gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments".

The Trump administration has increasingly accused China of using cyber operations and espionage to steal US technological, military and other know-how. Beijing denies this.

Earlier this year, Chinese prosecutors in June indicted two Canadian citizens on espionage charges, a move seen by Western governments as punishment for Canada's arrest of Huawei Technologies Co Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in late 2018.

Beijing has denied the indictment was related to Meng's case and has repeatedly called for the release of Meng.

China has refuted a newspaper report that said foreign nationals were under threat of arbitrary detention. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Chinese officials had issued repeated warnings to US government officials that China may detain Americans in response to the Justice Department`s prosecution of Chinese scholars affiliated to the military.

China has refuted a newspaper report that said foreign nationals were under threat of arbitrary detention. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Chinese officials had issued repeated warnings to US government officials that China may detain Americans in response to the Justice Department`s prosecution of Chinese scholars affiliated to the military. The Chinese foreign ministry said it was Washington that was mistreating foreign citizens, accusing the United States of "outright political repression" of their academics. "The US claim that foreign nationals in China are under threat of arbitrary detention is playing the victim and confusing black and white," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing. China protects the safety and legitimate rights of foreigners, he said. In September, a State Department advisory warned against travel to China, saying the Chinese government uses arbitrary detention and exit bans for US citizens and others "to gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments". The Trump administration has increasingly accused China of using cyber operations and espionage to steal US technological, military and other know-how. Beijing denies this. Earlier this year, Chinese prosecutors in June indicted two Canadian citizens on espionage charges, a move seen by Western governments as punishment for Canada's arrest of Huawei Technologies Co Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in late 2018. Beijing has denied the indictment was related to Meng's case and has repeatedly called for the release of Meng.

China denies report that said it may detain Americans

The fight between China and the United States is only intensifying. The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election"> presidential election</a> is barely weeks away but that hasn't stopped the Trump administration from taking on China. Perhaps the election is the reason <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> is going after China so strongly.

Whatever be the reason, the relationship is going downhill. The latest point of contention is Tibet. The United States has appointed a Tibet coordinator — a senior human rights official.

He will "promote a dialogue between the Dalai Lama and China."

The post is not new but&nbsp;it's been lying vacant since Trump came to power.&nbsp;Now, in the thick of the election, he has filled the vacancy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-china-is-trying-repair-the-damage-done-by-its-wolf-warriors-335570">Also read|&nbsp;How China is trying repair the damage done by its wolf warriors</a>

The message is clear, America doesn't want to leave any opportunity to pull China down.&nbsp;

Robert Destro, the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour will take this job. The announcement comes right after China's re-election to the UN Human Rights Council — a&nbsp;council that America left two years ago.

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo briefed the press yesterday. He used the opportunity to once again criticise China on its human rights violations.

"Whether it's Xinjiang, what's taking place there, whether it's Tibet, we've talked about that a little bit here this morning, whether that's in inner Mongolia and the inner Mongolians simple desire to live in freedom and exercise their own understandings of what freedom and human dignity look like. In each of those places and in Hong Kong, in each of those places, we simply are demanding of the chinese communist party what we ask of every nation is to preserve basic freedoms, human dignity, religious freedom for every one of their citizens," Pompeo said.

Clearly, the United States wanted to make a statement. They wanted to highlight China's persecution of minorities&nbsp;on a day when China was re-elected to the Human Rights Council.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-city-where-china-welcomed-the-world-xi-prepares-for-a-colder-one-335458">Also read|&nbsp;In city where China welcomed the world, Xi prepares for a colder one</a>

So what will America's new appointee do?

Beijing has never dealt with the special coordinator for Tibet and it won't deal with this one either. China criticised the appointment and said the US&nbsp;is meddling in its internal affairs.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of Chinese ministry of foreign affairs said,&nbsp;"The establishment of the so-called 'special coordinator for tibetan issues' by the US is totally out of political manipulation and aiming to interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine the development and stability of Tibet. China always firmly opposed it and has never recognized it."

Such statements may not make any difference to America's approach. This month, the United States, alongside 39 other countries, raised China's rights violations at the United Nations.

A joint statement was presented to the General Assembly. It demanded that independent observers including the UN Human Rights Chief must have unfettered access to Xinjiang where more than one million muslims are facing persecution.

Last month, Mike Pompeo led a campaign to the Vatican. He urged the Pope to condemn China's human rights abuses. He was denied a meeting with the Pope, but Pompeo did communicate his stand to the Vatican's top officials.

In July, the US state department&nbsp;barred the Chinese officials who restrict access to Tibet.

Chinese authorities who have restricted journalists, tourists, diplomats or American officials won't be able to get an American visa now.

The US has taken a tough stand against China on the issue of human rights.

What it needs is global consensus and the support, at least of the quad — Australia, Japan and India — to counter China on this.

The fight between China and the United States is only intensifying. The presidential election is barely weeks away but that hasn't stopped the Trump administration from taking on China.

The fight between China and the United States is only intensifying. The presidential election is barely weeks away but that hasn't stopped the Trump administration from taking on China. Perhaps the election is the reason Donald Trump is going after China so strongly. Whatever be the reason, the relationship is going downhill. The latest point of contention is Tibet. The United States has appointed a Tibet coordinator — a senior human rights official. He will "promote a dialogue between the Dalai Lama and China." The post is not new but it's been lying vacant since Trump came to power. Now, in the thick of the election, he has filled the vacancy. Also read| How China is trying repair the damage done by its wolf warriors The message is clear, America doesn't want to leave any opportunity to pull China down. Robert Destro, the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour will take this job. The announcement comes right after China's re-election to the UN Human Rights Council — a council that America left two years ago. The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo briefed the press yesterday. He used the opportunity to once again criticise China on its human rights violations. "Whether it's Xinjiang, what's taking place there, whether it's Tibet, we've talked about that a little bit here this morning, whether that's in inner Mongolia and the inner Mongolians simple desire to live in freedom and exercise their own understandings of what freedom and human dignity look like. In each of those places and in Hong Kong, in each of those places, we simply are demanding of the chinese communist party what we ask of every nation is to preserve basic freedoms, human dignity, religious freedom for every one of their citizens," Pompeo said. Clearly, the United States wanted to make a statement. They wanted to highlight China's persecution of minorities on a day when China was re-elected to the Human Rights Council. Also read| In city where China welcomed the world, Xi prepares for a colder one So what will America's new appointee do? Beijing has never dealt with the special coordinator for Tibet and it won't deal with this one either. China criticised the appointment and said the US is meddling in its internal affairs. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of Chinese ministry of foreign affairs said, "The establishment of the so-called 'special coordinator for tibetan issues' by the US is totally out of political manipulation and aiming to interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine the development and stability of Tibet. China always firmly opposed it and has never recognized it." Such statements may not make any difference to America's approach. This month, the United States, alongside 39 other countries, raised China's rights violations at the United Nations. A joint statement was presented to the General Assembly. It demanded that independent observers including the UN Human Rights Chief must have unfettered access to Xinjiang where more than one million muslims are facing persecution. Last month, Mike Pompeo led a campaign to the Vatican. He urged the Pope to condemn China's human rights abuses. He was denied a meeting with the Pope, but Pompeo did communicate his stand to the Vatican's top officials. In July, the US state department barred the Chinese officials who restrict access to Tibet. Chinese authorities who have restricted journalists, tourists, diplomats or American officials won't be able to get an American visa now. The US has taken a tough stand against China on the issue of human rights. What it needs is global consensus and the support, at least of the quad — Australia, Japan and India — to counter China on this.

US appoints Tibet coordinator to send a message to China

President Xi Jinping of China recently pledged&nbsp;to the United Nations General Assembly that the country would become carbon neutral by 2060. It was an unexpected announcement from the world’s greatest emitter of carbon dioxide.

President Trump fired back: “Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America, and I will not stand for it.”

Mr. Trump’s criticism is both self-serving and not entirely wrong. Despite China’s growing commitment to environmental protection and huge investments in renewable energy — more than 45 percent of the world’s total in 2017, according to the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation — there is no clear evidence that the stricter and more centralized enforcement measures introduced by Mr. Xi have brought truly significant gains against pollution so far.

Steel production in China, after peaking in 2014 and dropping for two years, has risen again since 2017. So have coal production — China produced half of the world’s total last year&nbsp;— and coal consumption. (The share of coal in China’s total energy consumption has dropped a bit, though, and in 2018 dipped to below 60 percent for the first time.)

According to a briefing paper by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air from June, China had more coal-fired capacity under construction or in planning at the time (249.6 gigawatts) than the existing capacity of either the United States or India.

Now, too, the Chinese government’s rush to stimulate an economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic gives officials at all levels reason to “go all out to make up for the loss,” as the deputy governor of the northwestern province of Gansu, Li Peixing, urged this summer.

More construction permits reportedly were issued for coal-fired power plants in China in the first half of this year than in 2018 or 2019. By May, the concentrations of four air pollutants exceeded levels recorded a year earlier, according to the Finland-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Mr. Xi’s recent vow to make China carbon neutral by 2060 might be inspired by the environmental version of the Kuznets curve hypothesis: Growth might increase pollution and environmental degradation at early stages of economic development but will eventually decrease them, when incomes are high. For the theory to pan out with China, however, Beijing would have to shift growth models, and move away from its reliance on heavy industry as the engine of growth and from its dependence on coal.

It doesn’t seem inclined to, and Washington doesn’t have much standing when it comes to holding Beijing to account for its environmental record.

The problem predates the Trump administration. While I was conducting fieldwork in the northern province of Shanxi several years ago, a local official told me that, considering how much better China’s environmental record was than India’s, foreign governments’ loud demands that China curb pollution must be a plot to contain the country’s rise.

Since then, Mr. Trump’s move to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate accord — under which the Obama administration had committed to reducing America’s emissions and to contributing $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund — has further undermined, predictably, Washington’s credibility on environmental issues. The same goes for the Trump administration’s&nbsp;on domestic environmental regulations: undoing the Clean Power Plan, promising to revitalize the coal industry, easing restrictions on oil and gas drilling, and moving to lift limits on chemicals that can be used near streams and wetlands.

Rising tensions between the United States and China, and the suspension of most official mechanisms for bilateral dialogue, have also diminished the United States’ influence.

Beijing, facing what it considers to be an increasingly hostile international context, is trying to make the Chinese economy more self-reliant. Even liberal-minded Chinese leaders, such as Vice Premier Liu He — Mr. Xi’s top economic adviser and his point person for trade negotiations with the United States — is promoting a strategy of so-called, <a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/xxjxs/2020-09/05/c_1126455277.htm">which prioritizes “domestic circulation</a>,” or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-xi-speeds-up-inward-economic-shift-11597224602">the development of domestic consumption and market</a>, partly to reduce China’s dependence on foreign trade.

As China moves to become more self-sufficient economically, Washington’s leverage over the country’s development and environmental standards is likely to decline.

For years, many Chinese people looked at U.S. diplomatic missions in China as the only reliable source for air-quality data. In late July, amid a rapid downward spiral in U.S.-China relations, the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu was closed. A month later, an American journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/luoshanji/status/1297344062207344641">tweeted</a>, “Joke among Chengdu friends is how much better the air quality has become since the U.S. consulate closed”— at least going by <a href="https://aqicn.org/city/chengdu/">air-quality data</a>&nbsp;provided by the Chinese government.

Environmental degradation in China is bad for the United States, too.

Air pollution from Asia has been the cause at times of as much as <a href="https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/17/2943/2017/">65 percent of the increase in ozone levels</a>&nbsp;in some parts of America. A 2014 study of 2006 data for air pollution in China found that when strong winds blew across the Pacific Ocean, pollutants produced by <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/111/5/1736">China’s export industries</a>&nbsp;accounted for, at worst, 4 percent to 6 percent of the carbon monoxide recorded in the Western United States, up to 11 percent of the black carbon pollution and 12 percent to 24 percent of sulfate concentrations. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/03/08/391056439/why-chinas-pollution-could-be-behind-our-cold-snowy-winters">NASA physicists</a> have said that air pollutants from China and other Asian countries may “contribute to colder and snowier winters in the United States.”

These facts should be of great concern for the Trump administration — if only because they are of great concern for Americans. According to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/04/21/u-s-views-of-china-increasingly-negative-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/">a survey by the Pew Research Center in April</a>, China’s impact on the global environment topped American people’s list of concerns about China.

Yet Washington’s attempt to decouple the U.S. and Chinese economies will only make matters worse. In&nbsp;his agenda <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/trump-campaign-announces-president-trumps-2nd-term-agenda-fighting-for-you">for a second term in office</a>, Mr. Trump vows to deny federal contracts to companies that outsource activities to China, while offering major deductions to companies in essential industries, like pharmaceutics and robotics, that bring back their manufacturing to the United States. If that shift happens, though, the production of pollutants that Washington had essentially exported to China along with its outsourcing could return to America.

In 2010, China’s export sector accounted for <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/9/2/024010/meta">1.8 million tons of the fine particulate matter known as PM2.5</a>&nbsp;in China’s air, with 60 percent of these emissions attributed to the production of exports for the United States and other countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. More recent analyses, or even data, are hard to come by, but <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15883-9">a study from May published in Nature Communications</a>&nbsp;found that in 2012, “14.6 percent of China’s industrial-related CO2 emissions were driven by foreign final consumption,” with the United States, Hong Kong and Japan being “the top three regions with the largest carbon footprints in China.”

President Trump likes to cast U.S.-China relations as a zero-sum game: During the 2015 presidential campaign <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/10-times-trump-attacked-china-trade-relations-us/story?id=46572567">he said</a>, “I beat the people from China. I win against China. You can win against China if you’re smart.” But when it comes to environmental protection, decoupling is a lose-lose proposition for both countries.

President Xi Jinping of China recently pledged to the United Nations General Assembly that the country would become carbon neutral by 2060. It was an unexpected announcement from the world’s greatest emitter of carbon dioxide.

President Xi Jinping of China recently pledged to the United Nations General Assembly that the country would become carbon neutral by 2060. It was an unexpected announcement from the world’s greatest emitter of carbon dioxide. President Trump fired back: “Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America, and I will not stand for it.” Mr. Trump’s criticism is both self-serving and not entirely wrong. Despite China’s growing commitment to environmental protection and huge investments in renewable energy — more than 45 percent of the world’s total in 2017, according to the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation — there is no clear evidence that the stricter and more centralized enforcement measures introduced by Mr. Xi have brought truly significant gains against pollution so far. Steel production in China, after peaking in 2014 and dropping for two years, has risen again since 2017. So have coal production — China produced half of the world’s total last year — and coal consumption. (The share of coal in China’s total energy consumption has dropped a bit, though, and in 2018 dipped to below 60 percent for the first time.) According to a briefing paper by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air from June, China had more coal-fired capacity under construction or in planning at the time (249.6 gigawatts) than the existing capacity of either the United States or India. Now, too, the Chinese government’s rush to stimulate an economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic gives officials at all levels reason to “go all out to make up for the loss,” as the deputy governor of the northwestern province of Gansu, Li Peixing, urged this summer. More construction permits reportedly were issued for coal-fired power plants in China in the first half of this year than in 2018 or 2019. By May, the concentrations of four air pollutants exceeded levels recorded a year earlier, according to the Finland-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Mr. Xi’s recent vow to make China carbon neutral by 2060 might be inspired by the environmental version of the Kuznets curve hypothesis: Growth might increase pollution and environmental degradation at early stages of economic development but will eventually decrease them, when incomes are high. For the theory to pan out with China, however, Beijing would have to shift growth models, and move away from its reliance on heavy industry as the engine of growth and from its dependence on coal. It doesn’t seem inclined to, and Washington doesn’t have much standing when it comes to holding Beijing to account for its environmental record. The problem predates the Trump administration. While I was conducting fieldwork in the northern province of Shanxi several years ago, a local official told me that, considering how much better China’s environmental record was than India’s, foreign governments’ loud demands that China curb pollution must be a plot to contain the country’s rise. Since then, Mr. Trump’s move to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate accord — under which the Obama administration had committed to reducing America’s emissions and to contributing $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund — has further undermined, predictably, Washington’s credibility on environmental issues. The same goes for the Trump administration’s on domestic environmental regulations: undoing the Clean Power Plan, promising to revitalize the coal industry, easing restrictions on oil and gas drilling, and moving to lift limits on chemicals that can be used near streams and wetlands. Rising tensions between the United States and China, and the suspension of most official mechanisms for bilateral dialogue, have also diminished the United States’ influence. Beijing, facing what it considers to be an increasingly hostile international context, is trying to make the Chinese economy more self-reliant. Even liberal-minded Chinese leaders, such as Vice Premier Liu He — Mr. Xi’s top economic adviser and his point person for trade negotiations with the United States — is promoting a strategy of so-called, which prioritizes “domestic circulation,” or the development of domestic consumption and market, partly to reduce China’s dependence on foreign trade. As China moves to become more self-sufficient economically, Washington’s leverage over the country’s development and environmental standards is likely to decline. For years, many Chinese people looked at U.S. diplomatic missions in China as the only reliable source for air-quality data. In late July, amid a rapid downward spiral in U.S.-China relations, the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu was closed. A month later, an American journalist tweeted, “Joke among Chengdu friends is how much better the air quality has become since the U.S. consulate closed”— at least going by air-quality data provided by the Chinese government. Environmental degradation in China is bad for the United States, too. Air pollution from Asia has been the cause at times of as much as 65 percent of the increase in ozone levels in some parts of America. A 2014 study of 2006 data for air pollution in China found that when strong winds blew across the Pacific Ocean, pollutants produced by China’s export industries accounted for, at worst, 4 percent to 6 percent of the carbon monoxide recorded in the Western United States, up to 11 percent of the black carbon pollution and 12 percent to 24 percent of sulfate concentrations. NASA physicists have said that air pollutants from China and other Asian countries may “contribute to colder and snowier winters in the United States.” These facts should be of great concern for the Trump administration — if only because they are of great concern for Americans. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center in April, China’s impact on the global environment topped American people’s list of concerns about China. Yet Washington’s attempt to decouple the U.S. and Chinese economies will only make matters worse. In his agenda for a second term in office, Mr. Trump vows to deny federal contracts to companies that outsource activities to China, while offering major deductions to companies in essential industries, like pharmaceutics and robotics, that bring back their manufacturing to the United States. If that shift happens, though, the production of pollutants that Washington had essentially exported to China along with its outsourcing could return to America. In 2010, China’s export sector accounted for 1.8 million tons of the fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 in China’s air, with 60 percent of these emissions attributed to the production of exports for the United States and other countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. More recent analyses, or even data, are hard to come by, but a study from May published in Nature Communications found that in 2012, “14.6 percent of China’s industrial-related CO2 emissions were driven by foreign final consumption,” with the United States, Hong Kong and Japan being “the top three regions with the largest carbon footprints in China.” President Trump likes to cast U.S.-China relations as a zero-sum game: During the 2015 presidential campaign he said, “I beat the people from China. I win against China. You can win against China if you’re smart.” But when it comes to environmental protection, decoupling is a lose-lose proposition for both countries.

When the US and China fight, it is the environment that suffers

The U.S. Treasury will press countries to keep up coronavirus stimulus during International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings next week and urge China to fully participate in debt relief for poor countries, a senior Treasury official said.

In a video interview recorded on Tuesday and published on Friday, Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Brent McIntosh said a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic depended on continued policy support.

"We cannot declare victory at this point, we need to continue pushing for responsive measures," McIntosh told&nbsp;Mark Sobel, U.S. chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, a London-based think tank. "So I think our first message in the meetings is going to be that countries need to be not withdrawing support prematurely."

McIntosh said in the Tuesday interview that he hoped that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi could reach agreement on a new U.S. coronavirus aid package.

Finance officials from the 189 member countries of the IMF and World Bank will meet virtually next week to review the global response to the pandemic and economic recovery prospects. They will also try to negotiate further steps to strengthen debt relief to stave off default crises in poor and highly indebted countries.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said $12 trillion in fiscal stimulus, along with massive monetary easing, has made the outlook "less dire" than in June, but the global economy still faces a tough climb out of a pandemic-induced recession.

DEBT RELIEF FROM CHINA

McIntosh said he would press Chinese officials for "full, faithful transparent compliance" with a G20 freeze on official bilateral debt service for the world`s poorest countries implemented this year.

"China is the largest bilateral lender here. And so what we need to see from official bilateral lenders is transparency, not imposing non-disclosure agreements, not using collateralized financing."

He said China needed to adhere to commonly agreed definitions of official bilateral creditors to include any entity "working at the behest of government," including government ministries, development finance institutions and export credit agencies, among others.

McIntosh said the Trump administration still opposed a general allocation of new IMF Special Drawing Rights -- a move akin to "printing" hundreds of billions of dollars in currency reserves for all members -- because it is not a "targeted or temporary" measure.

But he said the Treasury is encouraging wealthier countries to contribute unused SDRs to an IMF fund to aid poorer countries. The Treasury is working with the White House Office of Management and Budget to determine what U.S. aid package could be offered in this area, he said.

The U.S. Treasury will press countries to keep up coronavirus stimulus during International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings next week and urge China to fully participate in debt relief for poor countries, a senior Treasury official said.

The U.S. Treasury will press countries to keep up coronavirus stimulus during International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings next week and urge China to fully participate in debt relief for poor countries, a senior Treasury official said. In a video interview recorded on Tuesday and published on Friday, Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Brent McIntosh said a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic depended on continued policy support. "We cannot declare victory at this point, we need to continue pushing for responsive measures," McIntosh told Mark Sobel, U.S. chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, a London-based think tank. "So I think our first message in the meetings is going to be that countries need to be not withdrawing support prematurely." McIntosh said in the Tuesday interview that he hoped that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi could reach agreement on a new U.S. coronavirus aid package. Finance officials from the 189 member countries of the IMF and World Bank will meet virtually next week to review the global response to the pandemic and economic recovery prospects. They will also try to negotiate further steps to strengthen debt relief to stave off default crises in poor and highly indebted countries. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said $12 trillion in fiscal stimulus, along with massive monetary easing, has made the outlook "less dire" than in June, but the global economy still faces a tough climb out of a pandemic-induced recession. DEBT RELIEF FROM CHINA McIntosh said he would press Chinese officials for "full, faithful transparent compliance" with a G20 freeze on official bilateral debt service for the world`s poorest countries implemented this year. "China is the largest bilateral lender here. And so what we need to see from official bilateral lenders is transparency, not imposing non-disclosure agreements, not using collateralized financing." He said China needed to adhere to commonly agreed definitions of official bilateral creditors to include any entity "working at the behest of government," including government ministries, development finance institutions and export credit agencies, among others. McIntosh said the Trump administration still opposed a general allocation of new IMF Special Drawing Rights -- a move akin to "printing" hundreds of billions of dollars in currency reserves for all members -- because it is not a "targeted or temporary" measure. But he said the Treasury is encouraging wealthier countries to contribute unused SDRs to an IMF fund to aid poorer countries. The Treasury is working with the White House Office of Management and Budget to determine what U.S. aid package could be offered in this area, he said.

US Treasury to push COVID stimulus, China debt participation at IMF meeting

China has attempted to “seize” control of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India by force as part of its territorial aggression, US’ national security advisor has said, underlining that time has come to accept that dialogue and agreements will not persuade Beijing to change.

India and China are locked in a five-month-long tense border standoff in eastern Ladakh that has significantly strained their relations. Both sides have held a series of high-level diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border row. However, no breakthrough has been achieved to end the standoff.

“CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) territorial aggression is also apparent on its Indian border where China has attempted to seize control of the Line of Actual Control by force,” US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said in a remark on China early this week in Utah.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, while India contests it. The Chinese territorial aggression is also true in the Taiwan Strait where the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy and Air Force continue to conduct threatening military drills, O’Brien said.

“Beijing’s signature international development programme, One Belt One Road (OBOR), involves impoverished companies taking on opaque and unsustainable Chinese loans to pay Chinese firms employing Chinese labourers to build their infrastructure,” he said.

Many of these projects are unnecessary, shoddily built and are “white elephants”, the national security advisor said. “And now these countries’ dependence on the Chinese debt leaves their sovereignty eroded and with no choice but to hue to the party’s line on UN votes or any other issue that the Chinese Communist Party considers a red line,” he said. O’Brien also noted that China’s other international aid efforts include selling surveillance systems and similar tools of repression to “pariah regimes” around the world, including Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. “The time has come to accept that dialogue and agreements will not persuade or compel the People’s Republic of China to change. There’s nothing to be gained from looking the other way or turning the other cheek. We’ve been doing that for too long,” he said.

O’Brien said the US must stand up to the Chinese and protect the American people.

“We must promote American prosperity, practice peace through strength and advance American influence in the world,” he said, adding that under President Donald Trump’s leadership that is exactly what the US has done.

O’Brien said the Trump administration has adopted a competitive approach to China. That approach, he said, has two primary objectives. First, improve the resiliency of US institutions, alliances and partnerships to prevail against the challenges that China presents; and the second is to impose tangible cost in order to compel Beijing to cease or reduce actions harmful to America’s vital national interest and those of its allied and partner nations.

“President Trump has taken decisive action to meet these objectives. He is working to prevent companies that answer to the CCP’s intelligence and security apparatus,” O’Brien said.

Citing examples, he said Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE have been prevented from accessing Americans’ personal and private data and national secrets. The Trump administration, he said, has also imposed import and export restrictions on US semiconductor technology and other exports going to Huawei and similar Chinese telecommunications corporations.

“Our democratic partners are starting to follow. Just last month, the UK joined democracies such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Sweden in committing to using trusted suppliers to build their future 5G networks,” O’Brien said.

“Carriers like Jio in India, Telstra in Australia, SK and KT in South Korea, NTT in Japan, and others have prohibited the use of Huawei equipment in their networks. The Trump administration is investigating and prosecuting the economic espionage aggressively,” he said.

O’Brien said the Trump administration has strengthened its military relationships in the Indo Pacific.

“One important partnership which will be one of the most key partnerships for the United States in the 21st century, India, is thriving,” he said. He also noted that the US has signed extended US military access to Singapore’s air and naval bases. The country is also working closely with Japan, Australia and New Zealand to strengthen relationships with the Pacific Islands, especially Timor. It is also working closely with Mongolia.

However, O’Brien said even as the US competes with China, it does welcome cooperation where America’s interests align. “The US has a deep and abiding respect for the Chinese people and enjoys longstanding ties to that country, including our alliance in World War II,” O’Brien said.

China has attempted to “seize” control of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India by force as part of its territorial aggression, US’ national security advisor has said, underlining that time has come to accept that dialogue and agreements will not persuade Beijing to change.

China has attempted to “seize” control of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India by force as part of its territorial aggression, US’ national security advisor has said, underlining that time has come to accept that dialogue and agreements will not persuade Beijing to change. India and China are locked in a five-month-long tense border standoff in eastern Ladakh that has significantly strained their relations. Both sides have held a series of high-level diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border row. However, no breakthrough has been achieved to end the standoff. “CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) territorial aggression is also apparent on its Indian border where China has attempted to seize control of the Line of Actual Control by force,” US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said in a remark on China early this week in Utah. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, while India contests it. The Chinese territorial aggression is also true in the Taiwan Strait where the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy and Air Force continue to conduct threatening military drills, O’Brien said. “Beijing’s signature international development programme, One Belt One Road (OBOR), involves impoverished companies taking on opaque and unsustainable Chinese loans to pay Chinese firms employing Chinese labourers to build their infrastructure,” he said. Many of these projects are unnecessary, shoddily built and are “white elephants”, the national security advisor said. “And now these countries’ dependence on the Chinese debt leaves their sovereignty eroded and with no choice but to hue to the party’s line on UN votes or any other issue that the Chinese Communist Party considers a red line,” he said. O’Brien also noted that China’s other international aid efforts include selling surveillance systems and similar tools of repression to “pariah regimes” around the world, including Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. “The time has come to accept that dialogue and agreements will not persuade or compel the People’s Republic of China to change. There’s nothing to be gained from looking the other way or turning the other cheek. We’ve been doing that for too long,” he said. O’Brien said the US must stand up to the Chinese and protect the American people. “We must promote American prosperity, practice peace through strength and advance American influence in the world,” he said, adding that under President Donald Trump’s leadership that is exactly what the US has done. O’Brien said the Trump administration has adopted a competitive approach to China. That approach, he said, has two primary objectives. First, improve the resiliency of US institutions, alliances and partnerships to prevail against the challenges that China presents; and the second is to impose tangible cost in order to compel Beijing to cease or reduce actions harmful to America’s vital national interest and those of its allied and partner nations. “President Trump has taken decisive action to meet these objectives. He is working to prevent companies that answer to the CCP’s intelligence and security apparatus,” O’Brien said. Citing examples, he said Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE have been prevented from accessing Americans’ personal and private data and national secrets. The Trump administration, he said, has also imposed import and export restrictions on US semiconductor technology and other exports going to Huawei and similar Chinese telecommunications corporations. “Our democratic partners are starting to follow. Just last month, the UK joined democracies such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Sweden in committing to using trusted suppliers to build their future 5G networks,” O’Brien said. “Carriers like Jio in India, Telstra in Australia, SK and KT in South Korea, NTT in Japan, and others have prohibited the use of Huawei equipment in their networks. The Trump administration is investigating and prosecuting the economic espionage aggressively,” he said. O’Brien said the Trump administration has strengthened its military relationships in the Indo Pacific. “One important partnership which will be one of the most key partnerships for the United States in the 21st century, India, is thriving,” he said. He also noted that the US has signed extended US military access to Singapore’s air and naval bases. The country is also working closely with Japan, Australia and New Zealand to strengthen relationships with the Pacific Islands, especially Timor. It is also working closely with Mongolia. However, O’Brien said even as the US competes with China, it does welcome cooperation where America’s interests align. “The US has a deep and abiding respect for the Chinese people and enjoys longstanding ties to that country, including our alliance in World War II,” O’Brien said.

‘Time to accept talks won’t make China change aggressive stance’: US NSA

The Trump administration has disapproved of the Confucius Institute, a programme that brings Chinese language classes to America, citing it invites a "malign influence" from China.

More than 60 US universities host Confucius Institute through partnerships with an affiliate of China's Ministry of Education.

The administration on Friday also encouraged US schools and colleges to rethink their ties to it. Schools were advised to examine the programme's activities and take action to safeguard the educational environment.

The letters do not explicitly urge schools to cut ties with the Confucius Institute but say the measure could avoid problems.

The move marks the Trump administration's latest attempt to curb China's presence in the US amid a battle over trade, the coronavirus and human rights issues.

In letters to universities and state education officials, the State Department and Education Department said the programme gives China a foothold on US soil and poses a threat to free speech.

“The presence of this authoritarian influence on our campuses has never been more concerning, nor more consequential,” officials wrote in the letters, which were signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Under the programme, China provides teachers and textbooks, and typically splits the cost with the university. It also brings Chinese language classes to about 500 elementary and secondary classrooms.

The programme has drawn mounting scrutiny from US officials amid rising tensions with China.&nbsp;

In August, the State Department labelled the programme's national office as a foreign mission of the Chinese Communist Party.

In Friday's letters also, US officials drew attention to China's new national security law in Hong Kong, which critics say curtails free expression and other liberties.

DeVos and Pompeo echoed longstanding complaints from academic groups that say schools give China too much control over what's taught in Confucius Institute classes.&nbsp;

(with inputs)

The Trump administration has disapproved of the Confucius Institute, a programme that brings Chinese language classes to America, citing it invites a "malign influence" from China.

The Trump administration has disapproved of the Confucius Institute, a programme that brings Chinese language classes to America, citing it invites a "malign influence" from China. More than 60 US universities host Confucius Institute through partnerships with an affiliate of China's Ministry of Education. The administration on Friday also encouraged US schools and colleges to rethink their ties to it. Schools were advised to examine the programme's activities and take action to safeguard the educational environment. The letters do not explicitly urge schools to cut ties with the Confucius Institute but say the measure could avoid problems. The move marks the Trump administration's latest attempt to curb China's presence in the US amid a battle over trade, the coronavirus and human rights issues. In letters to universities and state education officials, the State Department and Education Department said the programme gives China a foothold on US soil and poses a threat to free speech. “The presence of this authoritarian influence on our campuses has never been more concerning, nor more consequential,” officials wrote in the letters, which were signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Under the programme, China provides teachers and textbooks, and typically splits the cost with the university. It also brings Chinese language classes to about 500 elementary and secondary classrooms. The programme has drawn mounting scrutiny from US officials amid rising tensions with China. In August, the State Department labelled the programme's national office as a foreign mission of the Chinese Communist Party. In Friday's letters also, US officials drew attention to China's new national security law in Hong Kong, which critics say curtails free expression and other liberties. DeVos and Pompeo echoed longstanding complaints from academic groups that say schools give China too much control over what's taught in Confucius Institute classes. (with inputs)

Trump admin sees 'malign influence' in China-backed school programme

The Trump administration has issued new import restrictions against Chinese companies it accuses of using slave labour. These goods also include&nbsp;products from suspected mass prison camps in China's western Xinjiang region.

The US trade action is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration targetting Chinese authorities and businesses over allegations of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.

Five companies in Xinjiang and one in eastern Anhui province, which make apparel, cotton, computer and hair products, have been named in the new order by United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP).

One of Xinjiang's vocational skills education and training centres is also named in the order. This term -- vocational skills education and training centres -- is used by Beijing to refer to the large&nbsp;camps where inmates from Muslim minorities are allegedly detained.

The agency issued "Withhold Release Orders" for all six Chinese entities, which are intended to prevent goods suspected to have been made with forced labour from entering the US.&nbsp;In these camps, these minorities are made to pledge loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, and work as free or low-cost forced labour in factories and nearby facilities.&nbsp;

The orders allow CBP to detain shipments at US ports and gives companies the opportunity to export their shipments or demonstrate that the merchandise was not produced with forced labour.

The new orders targetting forced labour in China followed two years of investigations by USCBP.&nbsp;A stronger action is, however, still under review by the US administration.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;a special report by CNN substantiates the claims. According to the report, the US accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang are part of a wider pattern of alleged&nbsp;human rights violations&nbsp;by the Chinese government in the region.

CNN says it "has documented&nbsp;multiple testimonies of people who escaped from the camps, including women who say they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to undergo sterilization procedures – all accusations which China has denied."

(with inputs)

The Trump administration has issued new import restrictions against Chinese companies it accuses of using slave labour. These goods also include products from suspected mass prison camps in China's western Xinjiang region.

The Trump administration has issued new import restrictions against Chinese companies it accuses of using slave labour. These goods also include products from suspected mass prison camps in China's western Xinjiang region. The US trade action is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration targetting Chinese authorities and businesses over allegations of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. Five companies in Xinjiang and one in eastern Anhui province, which make apparel, cotton, computer and hair products, have been named in the new order by United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP). One of Xinjiang's vocational skills education and training centres is also named in the order. This term -- vocational skills education and training centres -- is used by Beijing to refer to the large camps where inmates from Muslim minorities are allegedly detained. The agency issued "Withhold Release Orders" for all six Chinese entities, which are intended to prevent goods suspected to have been made with forced labour from entering the US. In these camps, these minorities are made to pledge loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, and work as free or low-cost forced labour in factories and nearby facilities. The orders allow CBP to detain shipments at US ports and gives companies the opportunity to export their shipments or demonstrate that the merchandise was not produced with forced labour. The new orders targetting forced labour in China followed two years of investigations by USCBP. A stronger action is, however, still under review by the US administration. Meanwhile, a special report by CNN substantiates the claims. According to the report, the US accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang are part of a wider pattern of alleged human rights violations by the Chinese government in the region. CNN says it "has documented multiple testimonies of people who escaped from the camps, including women who say they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to undergo sterilization procedures – all accusations which China has denied." (with inputs)

US blocks Xinjiang goods from Chinese companies, accusing them of slave labour

China has accused the United States of "fabricating lies" and trying to take the world back to the "jungle age" after Washington blamed Beijing and UN agencies for "the murder of millions of baby girls."

Long-simmering tensions between the United States and China have hit the boiling point at the United Nations over the coronavirus pandemic, spotlighting Beijing's bid for greater multilateral influence in a challenge to Washington's traditional leadership.

To this end, US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made the remarks at a UN General Assembly meeting on Thursday on the anniversary of a landmark 1995 women's conference.

DeVos and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a statement on Thursday, both accused China of subjecting Uighurs and other minorities to forced abortion, forced sterilisation, and involuntary implantation of birth control devices.

A spokesperson for China's UN mission in New York said in a statement that the remarks were "sheer fabrication."

"Some US politicians lie and cheat as a habit," the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

"They maliciously create political confrontation and undermine multilateral cooperation. The United States, going against the trend of the times, is becoming the biggest destroyer of the existing international order and trying all means to take the world back to the 'jungle age'."

US President Donald Trump's administration cut funding in 2017 for UNFPA, saying it "supports a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation."&nbsp;

The United Nations said that was an inaccurate perception.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Friday, in response, said it regretted the accusations by DeVos.

UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem told reporters that any coercion of women was against their practice and policy.

China has accused the United States of "fabricating lies" and trying to take the world back to the "jungle age" after Washington blamed Beijing and UN agencies for "the murder of millions of baby girls.

China has accused the United States of "fabricating lies" and trying to take the world back to the "jungle age" after Washington blamed Beijing and UN agencies for "the murder of millions of baby girls." Long-simmering tensions between the United States and China have hit the boiling point at the United Nations over the coronavirus pandemic, spotlighting Beijing's bid for greater multilateral influence in a challenge to Washington's traditional leadership. To this end, US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made the remarks at a UN General Assembly meeting on Thursday on the anniversary of a landmark 1995 women's conference. DeVos and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a statement on Thursday, both accused China of subjecting Uighurs and other minorities to forced abortion, forced sterilisation, and involuntary implantation of birth control devices. A spokesperson for China's UN mission in New York said in a statement that the remarks were "sheer fabrication." "Some US politicians lie and cheat as a habit," the spokesperson said. "They maliciously create political confrontation and undermine multilateral cooperation. The United States, going against the trend of the times, is becoming the biggest destroyer of the existing international order and trying all means to take the world back to the 'jungle age'." US President Donald Trump's administration cut funding in 2017 for UNFPA, saying it "supports a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation." The United Nations said that was an inaccurate perception. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Friday, in response, said it regretted the accusations by DeVos. UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem told reporters that any coercion of women was against their practice and policy.

At UN, China accuses US of trying to take world back to 'jungle age'

Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory and the United States strongly opposes unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims in Arunachal Pradesh by incursions, be it military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), US State Department official said.

"We have our position on some parts of the border for sure is explicitly clear. For nearly six decades, the US has recognised that Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions, by military or civilian incursions across the established LAC," the state department official said, during a Foreign Press Centre briefing on Thursday, amid the India-China border face-off.

Giving an update on the India-US bilateral relations, the senior official said, "At a time when India is facing substantial security challenges, the growth in our defense partnership is exceptionally important. This partnership includes defense sales, particularly our offers of advanced US weapon systems, as a demonstration of our commitment to India's security and sovereignty."

"Interoperability between our military services has reached unprecedented levels, as demonstrated by the Tiger Triumph exercise last year and the Indian Navy's recent passage exercise with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in the Indian Ocean."

The official also said that the US is looking forward to the 2+2 ministerial later this year.

Over the upcoming Quad meet in Tokyo next month, the official said, "One final highlight on the multilateral front is our increasingly strong Quad partnership with Australia, India, and Japan. We look forward to the upcoming meeting of Quad foreign ministers on October 6th and we welcome additional opportunities for engagement such as having Australia join the Malabar naval exercise."

The official also spoke about China's growing military aggression. He said that one just has to "open the internet browser to see various areas where China has engaged in aggressive, hostile, or bullying behaviour against its neighbours or against its own citizens."

Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory and the United States strongly opposes unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims in Arunachal Pradesh by incursions, be it military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), US State Department official said.

Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory and the United States strongly opposes unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims in Arunachal Pradesh by incursions, be it military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), US State Department official said. "We have our position on some parts of the border for sure is explicitly clear. For nearly six decades, the US has recognised that Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions, by military or civilian incursions across the established LAC," the state department official said, during a Foreign Press Centre briefing on Thursday, amid the India-China border face-off. Giving an update on the India-US bilateral relations, the senior official said, "At a time when India is facing substantial security challenges, the growth in our defense partnership is exceptionally important. This partnership includes defense sales, particularly our offers of advanced US weapon systems, as a demonstration of our commitment to India's security and sovereignty." "Interoperability between our military services has reached unprecedented levels, as demonstrated by the Tiger Triumph exercise last year and the Indian Navy's recent passage exercise with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in the Indian Ocean." The official also said that the US is looking forward to the 2+2 ministerial later this year. Over the upcoming Quad meet in Tokyo next month, the official said, "One final highlight on the multilateral front is our increasingly strong Quad partnership with Australia, India, and Japan. We look forward to the upcoming meeting of Quad foreign ministers on October 6th and we welcome additional opportunities for engagement such as having Australia join the Malabar naval exercise." The official also spoke about China's growing military aggression. He said that one just has to "open the internet browser to see various areas where China has engaged in aggressive, hostile, or bullying behaviour against its neighbours or against its own citizens."

US opposes China's attempts to advance territorial claims in Arunachal: State dept

Chinese daily Global Times&nbsp;has, in its reaction to Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, testing positive for coronavirus, slammed the US President for his mishandling of the pandemic.

Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece Global Times, said that Trump and the First Lady "have paid the price" for the gamble to play down the COVID-19.

"President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection," the editor said.

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President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection.
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1311907328451514368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping has not yet reacted on the news.

Trump said in a tweet early Friday: "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-and-wife-melania-test-positive-for-coronavirus-world-leaders-wish-speedy-recovery-331890">Also read | Trump and wife Melania test positive for coronavirus; world leaders wish speedy recovery</a>

Trump's positive test caps a months-long response to the virus, the seriousness of which he has consistently underplayed. Earlier on Thursday night, the president predicted that the end of the pandemic was in sight.

Trump and his wife had begun a quarantine process after Hope Hicks, a top advisor and trusted aide, tested positive for the coronavirus. Hicks travels regularly with the president on Air Force One and, along with other senior aides, accompanied him to Ohio for the presidential debate on Tuesday and to Minnesota for a campaign event on Wednesday.

In consequence, The White House has dropped a Florida campaign trip from Trump's schedule on Friday. He had been due to hold a campaign event at Sanford airport in Florida on Friday evening but his new schedule just lists a midday phone call on "Covid-19 support to vulnerable seniors."

Trump will, however, continue to perform his duties as the president of America.

The president, who is tested regularly for COVID-19, has kept up a rigorous travel schedule across the country in recent weeks, holding rallies with thousands of people in the run-up to the November 3 election, despite warnings from public health professionals against having events with large crowds.

Trump has come under sharp criticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States alone. The president has, however, touted his management of the crisis as one of the best in the world.

The development alters the presidential race dramatically.

(with inputs)

Chinese daily Global Times has, in its reaction to Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, testing positive for coronavirus, slammed the US President for his mishandling of the pandemic.

Chinese daily Global Times has, in its reaction to Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, testing positive for coronavirus, slammed the US President for his mishandling of the pandemic. Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece Global Times, said that Trump and the First Lady "have paid the price" for the gamble to play down the COVID-19. "President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection," the editor said. President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection. — Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) October 2, 2020 × Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping has not yet reacted on the news. Trump said in a tweet early Friday: "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" Also read | Trump and wife Melania test positive for coronavirus; world leaders wish speedy recovery Trump's positive test caps a months-long response to the virus, the seriousness of which he has consistently underplayed. Earlier on Thursday night, the president predicted that the end of the pandemic was in sight. Trump and his wife had begun a quarantine process after Hope Hicks, a top advisor and trusted aide, tested positive for the coronavirus. Hicks travels regularly with the president on Air Force One and, along with other senior aides, accompanied him to Ohio for the presidential debate on Tuesday and to Minnesota for a campaign event on Wednesday. In consequence, The White House has dropped a Florida campaign trip from Trump's schedule on Friday. He had been due to hold a campaign event at Sanford airport in Florida on Friday evening but his new schedule just lists a midday phone call on "Covid-19 support to vulnerable seniors." Trump will, however, continue to perform his duties as the president of America. The president, who is tested regularly for COVID-19, has kept up a rigorous travel schedule across the country in recent weeks, holding rallies with thousands of people in the run-up to the November 3 election, despite warnings from public health professionals against having events with large crowds. Trump has come under sharp criticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States alone. The president has, however, touted his management of the crisis as one of the best in the world. The development alters the presidential race dramatically. (with inputs)

Chinese daily slams Trump in first reaction as US president tests positive for coronavirus

US House Democrats said on Wednesday that American intelligence agencies have failed to adapt to the growing threat posed by China. They have also warned Washington would be unable to compete with Beijing in the future without significant changes.

This comes amid campaigning for the November 3 election, in which dealings with China have been the most important foreign policy issue for Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, as well as congressional candidates.

A report released by Democrats on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee - chaired by Representative Adam Schiff - called for a full review of intelligence gathering, saying spy agencies had come to treat traditional intelligence missions as secondary to counterterrorism.

The report said the unfolding of the coronavirus pandemic after it began in China showed the need to better understand Chinese decision-making, including at the provincial level, and that the intelligence community had paid insufficient attention to "soft" security threats, such as infectious diseases.

"The stakes are high," a redacted version of the report said. "If the IC (intelligence community) does not accurately characterize and contextualize Beijing's intent, America's leaders will fail to understand the factors that motivate Chinese decision-making."

Separately, a House Republican "China Task Force" led by Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Michael McCaul released its report calling for more than 400 changes in US strategy, including shifting supply chains from China and a trade agreement with Taiwan.

The Democratic intelligence report said Washington should strengthen its ability to "disrupt and deter" Chinese influence operations, and called for a bipartisan congressional study to evaluate intelligence.

It called for a broadening of programs to mentor the next generation of China analysts and said agencies should consider "reskilling" programs for those working in counterterrorism.

The Republican report criticised decades of US policy toward China for focussing on economic issues and disregarding rights violations and security threats.

US House Democrats said on Wednesday that American intelligence agencies have failed to adapt to the growing threat posed by China. They have also warned Washington would be unable to compete with Beijing in the future without significant changes.

US House Democrats said on Wednesday that American intelligence agencies have failed to adapt to the growing threat posed by China. They have also warned Washington would be unable to compete with Beijing in the future without significant changes. This comes amid campaigning for the November 3 election, in which dealings with China have been the most important foreign policy issue for Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, as well as congressional candidates. A report released by Democrats on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee - chaired by Representative Adam Schiff - called for a full review of intelligence gathering, saying spy agencies had come to treat traditional intelligence missions as secondary to counterterrorism. The report said the unfolding of the coronavirus pandemic after it began in China showed the need to better understand Chinese decision-making, including at the provincial level, and that the intelligence community had paid insufficient attention to "soft" security threats, such as infectious diseases. "The stakes are high," a redacted version of the report said. "If the IC (intelligence community) does not accurately characterize and contextualize Beijing's intent, America's leaders will fail to understand the factors that motivate Chinese decision-making." Separately, a House Republican "China Task Force" led by Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Michael McCaul released its report calling for more than 400 changes in US strategy, including shifting supply chains from China and a trade agreement with Taiwan. The Democratic intelligence report said Washington should strengthen its ability to "disrupt and deter" Chinese influence operations, and called for a bipartisan congressional study to evaluate intelligence. It called for a broadening of programs to mentor the next generation of China analysts and said agencies should consider "reskilling" programs for those working in counterterrorism. The Republican report criticised decades of US policy toward China for focussing on economic issues and disregarding rights violations and security threats.

US Democrats say spy agencies must update approach to China

The United States has imposed restrictions on exports to China’s biggest chip maker SMIC after concluding there is an “unacceptable risk” equipment supplied to it could be used for military purposes.

Suppliers of certain equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation will now have to apply for individual export licenses, according to a letter from the Commerce Department dated Friday and seen by Reuters.

The latest move marks a shift in U.S. policy from earlier this year, when applicants seeking “military end user” licenses to sell to SMIC were told by the Commerce Department that the licenses weren’t necessary, according to three people familiar with the matter.

SMIC said it had not received any official notice of the restrictions and said it has no ties with the Chinese military.

“SMIC reiterates that it manufactures semiconductors and provides services solely for civilian and commercial end-users and end-uses,” SMIC said.

“The Company has no relationship with the Chinese military and does not manufacture for any military end-users or end-uses.”

SMIC is the latest leading Chinese technology company to face U.S. trade restrictions related to national security issues or U.S. foreign policy efforts. Telecoms giant Huawei Technologies had its access to high-end chips curtailed by its addition to a Commerce Department blacklist known as the entity list.

SMIC’s new designation is not as severe as being blacklisted, which makes it difficult to get any export license approved.

The Pentagon earlier this month, Reuters was first to report, said it was working with other agencies to determine whether to blacklist SMIC for its purported links to the Chinese military.

U.S. companies including Lam Research, KLA Corp and Applied Materials, which supply chipmaking equipment, may now need to get licenses to ship certain goods to SMIC.

It is unclear which suppliers received the letter, but typically once the Commerce Department comes to the conclusion that there is a risk of military use or diversion, it sends that information to the companies.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security declined on Saturday to comment specifically on SMIC, but said it was “constantly monitoring and assessing any potential threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests”.

The administration has increasingly trained its focus on Chinese companies that bolster Beijing’s military. Last month, the United States blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted people it said were part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such sanctions against Beijing over the disputed strategic waterway.

The United States has imposed restrictions on exports to China’s biggest chip maker SMIC after concluding there is an “unacceptable risk” equipment supplied to it could be used for military purposes.

The United States has imposed restrictions on exports to China’s biggest chip maker SMIC after concluding there is an “unacceptable risk” equipment supplied to it could be used for military purposes. Suppliers of certain equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation will now have to apply for individual export licenses, according to a letter from the Commerce Department dated Friday and seen by Reuters. The latest move marks a shift in U.S. policy from earlier this year, when applicants seeking “military end user” licenses to sell to SMIC were told by the Commerce Department that the licenses weren’t necessary, according to three people familiar with the matter. SMIC said it had not received any official notice of the restrictions and said it has no ties with the Chinese military. “SMIC reiterates that it manufactures semiconductors and provides services solely for civilian and commercial end-users and end-uses,” SMIC said. “The Company has no relationship with the Chinese military and does not manufacture for any military end-users or end-uses.” SMIC is the latest leading Chinese technology company to face U.S. trade restrictions related to national security issues or U.S. foreign policy efforts. Telecoms giant Huawei Technologies had its access to high-end chips curtailed by its addition to a Commerce Department blacklist known as the entity list. SMIC’s new designation is not as severe as being blacklisted, which makes it difficult to get any export license approved. The Pentagon earlier this month, Reuters was first to report, said it was working with other agencies to determine whether to blacklist SMIC for its purported links to the Chinese military. U.S. companies including Lam Research, KLA Corp and Applied Materials, which supply chipmaking equipment, may now need to get licenses to ship certain goods to SMIC. It is unclear which suppliers received the letter, but typically once the Commerce Department comes to the conclusion that there is a risk of military use or diversion, it sends that information to the companies. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security declined on Saturday to comment specifically on SMIC, but said it was “constantly monitoring and assessing any potential threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests”. The administration has increasingly trained its focus on Chinese companies that bolster Beijing’s military. Last month, the United States blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted people it said were part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such sanctions against Beijing over the disputed strategic waterway.

US tightens exports to China's chipmaker SMIC, citing risk of military use

Elon Musk’s Tesla has decided to sue the US government over the Trump administration's tariffs on items the electric car manufacturer imports from China.

Tesla sues US govt over tariffs on Chinese imports

Amid rising tensions between US and China, New York Police department's officer has been charged of spying on Tibetan immigrants for China.

Amid rising tensions between US and China, New York's police officer caught spying for China

The Chinese government is unlikely to approve the deal China's ByteDance has struck with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc over the future of its video-streaming app TikTok in the United States.

ByteDance has said it will create a US subsidiary partly owned by American majors Oracle and Walmart to pacify the administration of President Donald Trump which had planned to ban TikTok on security grounds.

"It is clear that these articles (terms) extensively show Washington's bullying style and hooligan logic. They hurt China's national security, interests and dignity," said a Global Times report.

The Global Times is a tabloid published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, but does not speak on behalf of the party and government unlike its parent publication.

The article's unidentified author objected to a requirement that four of the five board seats of TikTok Global be occupied by Americans and only one reserved for a Chinese national, as well as the inclusion of a US-approved "national security director".

It also denounced a requirement that ByteDance reveal TikTok's source code to Oracle as part of the latter's stake purchase, as well as the separate management of TikTok from Chinese equivalent Douyin.

"As TikTok and Douyin should have the same source code, this means the US can get to know the operations of Douyin," the editorial continued.

"If the reorganisation of TikTok under US manipulation becomes a model, it means once any successful Chinese company expands its business to the US and becomes competitive, it will be targeted by the US and turned into a US-controlled company via trickery and coercion, which eventually serves only US interests," the author wrote.

ByteDance and Oracle have announced they had reached a deal that would satisfy Trump's call for TikTok to be sold to an American buyer or face shutdown in the United States.

However, both sides have framed the deal differently in public statements.

ByteDance has said TikTok Global will be its subsidiary of which it will own 80%, while Oracle has said the former's ownership would be distributed to its investors, many of which are US-based and that the Beijing-based firm itself would have no stake in TikTok Global.

The Chinese government is unlikely to approve the deal China's ByteDance has struck with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc over the future of its video-streaming app TikTok in the United States.

The Chinese government is unlikely to approve the deal China's ByteDance has struck with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc over the future of its video-streaming app TikTok in the United States. ByteDance has said it will create a US subsidiary partly owned by American majors Oracle and Walmart to pacify the administration of President Donald Trump which had planned to ban TikTok on security grounds. "It is clear that these articles (terms) extensively show Washington's bullying style and hooligan logic. They hurt China's national security, interests and dignity," said a Global Times report. The Global Times is a tabloid published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, but does not speak on behalf of the party and government unlike its parent publication. The article's unidentified author objected to a requirement that four of the five board seats of TikTok Global be occupied by Americans and only one reserved for a Chinese national, as well as the inclusion of a US-approved "national security director". It also denounced a requirement that ByteDance reveal TikTok's source code to Oracle as part of the latter's stake purchase, as well as the separate management of TikTok from Chinese equivalent Douyin. "As TikTok and Douyin should have the same source code, this means the US can get to know the operations of Douyin," the editorial continued. "If the reorganisation of TikTok under US manipulation becomes a model, it means once any successful Chinese company expands its business to the US and becomes competitive, it will be targeted by the US and turned into a US-controlled company via trickery and coercion, which eventually serves only US interests," the author wrote. ByteDance and Oracle have announced they had reached a deal that would satisfy Trump's call for TikTok to be sold to an American buyer or face shutdown in the United States. However, both sides have framed the deal differently in public statements. ByteDance has said TikTok Global will be its subsidiary of which it will own 80%, while Oracle has said the former's ownership would be distributed to its investors, many of which are US-based and that the Beijing-based firm itself would have no stake in TikTok Global.

Beijing unlikely to approve ByteDance's TikTok deal with Oracle, report says

US authorities have charged a Tibetan man serving as a New York police officer with espionage. The officer worked at a station in the Queens section of the city.

The authorities have accused him of gathering information about the city's Tibetan community for the Chinese government. The officer was directed by members of the Chinese consulate in New York, according to the indictment released Monday.

Through his contacts with the Tibetan community, the 33-year-old man gathered information between 2018 and 2020 on the community's activities, as well as identified potential information sources.

According to the indictment, the man allowed members of the Chinese consulate to attend events organized by the New York Police Department.

The Chinese authorities allegedly paid him tens of thousands of dollars for his service.

The officer has been charged with four counts, including enlisting in the service of a foreign country on US soil, misrepresentation and obstructing the operation of a public service.

He was brought before a judge Monday and taken into custody. According to the NYPD, he is currently suspended without pay.

Born in China, the man was granted political asylum in the US, claiming he was tortured by Chinese authorities because of his Tibetan ethnicity.

The investigation revealed, however, that both of his parents were members of the Chinese Communist Party.

After allowing Tibet to function autonomously from 1912-1950, Beijing retook control of the territory in 1951. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has lived in exile since 1959.

US authorities have charged a Tibetan man serving as a New York police officer with espionage. The officer worked at a station in the Queens section of the city.

US authorities have charged a Tibetan man serving as a New York police officer with espionage. The officer worked at a station in the Queens section of the city. The authorities have accused him of gathering information about the city's Tibetan community for the Chinese government. The officer was directed by members of the Chinese consulate in New York, according to the indictment released Monday. Through his contacts with the Tibetan community, the 33-year-old man gathered information between 2018 and 2020 on the community's activities, as well as identified potential information sources. According to the indictment, the man allowed members of the Chinese consulate to attend events organized by the New York Police Department. The Chinese authorities allegedly paid him tens of thousands of dollars for his service. The officer has been charged with four counts, including enlisting in the service of a foreign country on US soil, misrepresentation and obstructing the operation of a public service. He was brought before a judge Monday and taken into custody. According to the NYPD, he is currently suspended without pay. Born in China, the man was granted political asylum in the US, claiming he was tortured by Chinese authorities because of his Tibetan ethnicity. The investigation revealed, however, that both of his parents were members of the Chinese Communist Party. After allowing Tibet to function autonomously from 1912-1950, Beijing retook control of the territory in 1951. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has lived in exile since 1959.

New York police officer charged with spying for China

China's air force has released a video showing nuclear-capable H-6 bombers carrying out a simulated attack on what appears to be Andersen Air Force Base on the US Pacific island of Guam. The video was&nbsp;released on Saturday on People's Liberation Army Air Force Weibo account.

The video was released as China carried out a second day of drills near Chinese-claimed Taiwan, to express Beijing's anger at the visit of a senior US State Department official to Taipei.

"We are the defenders of the motherland`s aerial security; we have the confidence and ability to always defend the security of the motherland's skies," the PLAAF wrote in a brief description for the video.

Guam is home to major US military facilities, including the air base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia Pacific region.

The Chinese air force's two minute and 15 second video -- "The god of war H-6K goes on the attack!" -- peruses dramatic music and scenes like a trailer for a Hollywood movie.

<img alt="Nuclear-capable H-6 bombers" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5e6cd530-8037-4d6c-9e18-a9f55ce3f7cf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Nuclear-capable%20H-6%20bombers.jpg" />

Sample this -- halfway through, a pilot presses a button and looses off a missile at an unnamed seaside runway, as described by a Reuters report. The missile homes in on the runway, a satellite image of which is shown that looks exactly like the layout of Andersen, though it is not named.

The music suddenly stops as images of the ground shaking appear, following by aerial views of an explosion.

But if one observes closely, one scene from the PLA promotional video is actually a footage taken from the Hollywood blockbuster The Rock.

According to some observers, not one but several of the scenes in the new video look like they were lifted directly from the 2008 Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker and the 1996 action-thriller The Rock.

In fact, a person told the South China Morning Post that it was common practice for the PLA’s publicity department to “borrow” from Hollywood films to make their productions look more spectacular.

In 2011, China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed a film about a PLA training exercise that included “borrowed” footage from Top Gun, a 1986 Hollywood film about US fighter pilots.

Notably, the H-6 has been involved in multiple Chinese flights around and near Taiwan, according to Taiwan's air force, including those last week. The H-6K is the latest model of the bomber, which is based on the 1950s vintage Soviet Tu-16.

China's air force has released a video showing nuclear-capable H-6 bombers carrying out a simulated attack on what appears to be Andersen Air Force Base on the US Pacific island of Guam.

China's air force has released a video showing nuclear-capable H-6 bombers carrying out a simulated attack on what appears to be Andersen Air Force Base on the US Pacific island of Guam. The video was released on Saturday on People's Liberation Army Air Force Weibo account. The video was released as China carried out a second day of drills near Chinese-claimed Taiwan, to express Beijing's anger at the visit of a senior US State Department official to Taipei. "We are the defenders of the motherland`s aerial security; we have the confidence and ability to always defend the security of the motherland's skies," the PLAAF wrote in a brief description for the video. Guam is home to major US military facilities, including the air base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia Pacific region. The Chinese air force's two minute and 15 second video -- "The god of war H-6K goes on the attack!" -- peruses dramatic music and scenes like a trailer for a Hollywood movie. Sample this -- halfway through, a pilot presses a button and looses off a missile at an unnamed seaside runway, as described by a Reuters report. The missile homes in on the runway, a satellite image of which is shown that looks exactly like the layout of Andersen, though it is not named. The music suddenly stops as images of the ground shaking appear, following by aerial views of an explosion. But if one observes closely, one scene from the PLA promotional video is actually a footage taken from the Hollywood blockbuster The Rock. According to some observers, not one but several of the scenes in the new video look like they were lifted directly from the 2008 Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker and the 1996 action-thriller The Rock. In fact, a person told the South China Morning Post that it was common practice for the PLA’s publicity department to “borrow” from Hollywood films to make their productions look more spectacular. In 2011, China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed a film about a PLA training exercise that included “borrowed” footage from Top Gun, a 1986 Hollywood film about US fighter pilots. Notably, the H-6 has been involved in multiple Chinese flights around and near Taiwan, according to Taiwan's air force, including those last week. The H-6K is the latest model of the bomber, which is based on the 1950s vintage Soviet Tu-16.

China's PLA video showing attack on US airbase uses footage from Hollywood films

China's ByteDance Ltd is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc take stakes in the short-video app's business to address US security concerns.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he supported a deal in principle would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the United States, even as it appeared to conflict with his earlier executive order for China's ByteDance to divest the video app.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-proposes-new-deal-with-oracle-and-walmart-trump-gives-his-blessings-328746">Also read |&nbsp;TikTok proposes new deal with Oracle and Walmart; Trump gives his blessings</a>

According to a report published by Bloomberg News on Sunday, Oracle will take a 12.5% stake in TikTok Global and store all its user data in its cloud to comply with US national security requirements.&nbsp;

Retail giant Walmart said it would take a 7.5% stake.

The two companies would pay a combined $12 billion for their stakes if they agree to a $60 billion asking price, Bloomberg reported.

The final valuation had not been set as the companies worked out the equity structure and measures for data security.

ByteDance was racing to avoid a crackdown on TikTok after the US Commerce Department said on Friday that it would block new downloads and updates to the app from Sunday.

US officials had expressed concern that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans that use the app were being passed on to China's Communist Party government.

China's ByteDance Ltd is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc take stakes in the short-video app's business to address US security concerns.

China's ByteDance Ltd is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc take stakes in the short-video app's business to address US security concerns. US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he supported a deal in principle would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the United States, even as it appeared to conflict with his earlier executive order for China's ByteDance to divest the video app. Also read | TikTok proposes new deal with Oracle and Walmart; Trump gives his blessings According to a report published by Bloomberg News on Sunday, Oracle will take a 12.5% stake in TikTok Global and store all its user data in its cloud to comply with US national security requirements. Retail giant Walmart said it would take a 7.5% stake. The two companies would pay a combined $12 billion for their stakes if they agree to a $60 billion asking price, Bloomberg reported. The final valuation had not been set as the companies worked out the equity structure and measures for data security. ByteDance was racing to avoid a crackdown on TikTok after the US Commerce Department said on Friday that it would block new downloads and updates to the app from Sunday. US officials had expressed concern that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans that use the app were being passed on to China's Communist Party government.

China's ByteDance seeks $60 billion TikTok valuation in US deal, report says

Washington's crackdown on WeChat will disrupt communications between millions of people in the United States and their friends, families and business partners in China.

But the app had not managed to reproduce in the US its success in China as the dominant smartphone-based payments platform.

The US Commerce Department announced partial bans on Friday on WeChat as well as video app TikTok.

The order will slow down WeChat to make it unuseable in the United States for videochats with family and friends.

"They are slowing the speed to technically make it virtually impossible to use audio, video, or send images," said Wu Ziyi, a Chinese graduate student in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

- Universal app -

In China, WeChat took the country toward cashless commerce in just a few years, and it is used by hundreds of millions for everyday payments.

It is a kind of universal app, a digital bank account and identification card, for ordering food or a car, sending gifts, managing medical issues, and interfacing government services.

Owned by technology giant TenCent, WeChat in the United States has around 19 million active daily users, said Adam Blacker of Apptopia, a mobile apps consultant.

"It's mostly used by Chinese visiting or working here or by Chinese-Americans staying in touch with their relatives," said William Reinsch of the Center for Strategic and international Studies in Washington.

That includes several hundred thousand Chinese students in the US, who use it for "at least 90 percent" of their daily online conversations, according to Wu.

He said that it can be used to exchange small amounts of money.

But it cannot be connected to a US bank account or credit or debit card, and because it only works in Chinese yuan.

US businesses also use WeChat for communications with Chinese suppliers, and can possibly use it for payments, though other services -- like the Alipay function of TenCent rival Alibaba -- are better built to handle large sums and foreign exchange.

If US businesses do use its payments function, said Reinsch, "I haven't heard of anybody complaining that they might be stopped from doing that."

Now, under the Commerce Department order, WeChat cannot be used for transferring money inside the United States.

Reinsch said US businesses were mainly concerned that the long-flagged crackdown would apply to use of WeChat outside the United States, which would hamstring their China businesses.

That usage appears to still be allowed.

- Tough competition in US -

WeChat did once try to break into the US payments market, but made few inroads due to resistance by banks and merchants, regulations that favor credit and debit cards over digital wallets, and stiff competition.

In 2018 the company declared its WeChat Pay app was poised to take off, especially in brand-name shops where Chinese tourists abound, hoping to leverage that for a broader expansion.

The gambling and tourism conglomerate Caesars Entertainment began taking WeChat payments at restaurants, shops and entertainment venues in Las Vegas, aiming to help Chinese tourists spend their money.

But with US-based rivals like Zelle, Venmo and Apple Pay contesting the market, WeChat barely registered, and Caesars appears to have given it up.

The company did not respond to a query on WeChat.

Wu said Chinese in the United States might still find ways to use the app, through VPN networks or by other means, but most are already moving to other chat apps for communications with families back home.

"My family is very traditional, so we will probably just go back to the phone call," he sighed.

Washington's crackdown on WeChat will disrupt communications between millions of people in the United States and their friends, families and business partners in China.

Washington's crackdown on WeChat will disrupt communications between millions of people in the United States and their friends, families and business partners in China. But the app had not managed to reproduce in the US its success in China as the dominant smartphone-based payments platform. The US Commerce Department announced partial bans on Friday on WeChat as well as video app TikTok. The order will slow down WeChat to make it unuseable in the United States for videochats with family and friends. "They are slowing the speed to technically make it virtually impossible to use audio, video, or send images," said Wu Ziyi, a Chinese graduate student in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. - Universal app - In China, WeChat took the country toward cashless commerce in just a few years, and it is used by hundreds of millions for everyday payments. It is a kind of universal app, a digital bank account and identification card, for ordering food or a car, sending gifts, managing medical issues, and interfacing government services. Owned by technology giant TenCent, WeChat in the United States has around 19 million active daily users, said Adam Blacker of Apptopia, a mobile apps consultant. "It's mostly used by Chinese visiting or working here or by Chinese-Americans staying in touch with their relatives," said William Reinsch of the Center for Strategic and international Studies in Washington. That includes several hundred thousand Chinese students in the US, who use it for "at least 90 percent" of their daily online conversations, according to Wu. He said that it can be used to exchange small amounts of money. But it cannot be connected to a US bank account or credit or debit card, and because it only works in Chinese yuan. US businesses also use WeChat for communications with Chinese suppliers, and can possibly use it for payments, though other services -- like the Alipay function of TenCent rival Alibaba -- are better built to handle large sums and foreign exchange. If US businesses do use its payments function, said Reinsch, "I haven't heard of anybody complaining that they might be stopped from doing that." Now, under the Commerce Department order, WeChat cannot be used for transferring money inside the United States. Reinsch said US businesses were mainly concerned that the long-flagged crackdown would apply to use of WeChat outside the United States, which would hamstring their China businesses. That usage appears to still be allowed. - Tough competition in US - WeChat did once try to break into the US payments market, but made few inroads due to resistance by banks and merchants, regulations that favor credit and debit cards over digital wallets, and stiff competition. In 2018 the company declared its WeChat Pay app was poised to take off, especially in brand-name shops where Chinese tourists abound, hoping to leverage that for a broader expansion. The gambling and tourism conglomerate Caesars Entertainment began taking WeChat payments at restaurants, shops and entertainment venues in Las Vegas, aiming to help Chinese tourists spend their money. But with US-based rivals like Zelle, Venmo and Apple Pay contesting the market, WeChat barely registered, and Caesars appears to have given it up. The company did not respond to a query on WeChat. Wu said Chinese in the United States might still find ways to use the app, through VPN networks or by other means, but most are already moving to other chat apps for communications with families back home. "My family is very traditional, so we will probably just go back to the phone call," he sighed.

Millions of US users to be hit by WeChat ban

China said Saturday it had officially implemented a mechanism enabling it to restrict foreign entities, a much-anticipated move seen as retaliation to US penalties against Chinese companies such as telecom giant Huawei.

An announcement by the Ministry of Commerce did not mention any specific foreign entities, but broadly spelled out the factors that could trigger punitive measures, which may include fines, restriction of business activities and investment in China, and the entry of personnel or equipment into the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-asks-us-to-stop-bullying-after-trump-bans-tiktok-and-wechat-threatens-retaliation-328547">Also read:&nbsp;China asks US to stop 'bullying' after Trump bans TikTok and WeChat; threatens retaliation</a>

The launch of China's "unreliable entities list" ups the ante in the escalating commercial fight with the Trump administration, which has used its own "entity list" to bar Huawei from the US market on national security grounds.

The announcement also came a day after the United States ordered a ban on downloads of popular video app <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/tiktok">TikTok</a> and effectively <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-ban-tiktok-and-wechat-downloads-from-september-20-328428">blocked the use</a> of the Chinese super-app WeChat on similar grounds, which prompted a threat by China to strike back.

China would consider sanctions on entities whose activities "harm China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests" or violate "internationally accepted economic and trade rules".

That language closely tracks wording that Beijing has used to repeatedly denounce US actions against Chinese companies.

China said Saturday it had officially implemented a mechanism enabling it to restrict foreign entities, a much-anticipated move seen as retaliation to US penalties against Chinese companies such as telecom giant Huawei.

China said Saturday it had officially implemented a mechanism enabling it to restrict foreign entities, a much-anticipated move seen as retaliation to US penalties against Chinese companies such as telecom giant Huawei. An announcement by the Ministry of Commerce did not mention any specific foreign entities, but broadly spelled out the factors that could trigger punitive measures, which may include fines, restriction of business activities and investment in China, and the entry of personnel or equipment into the country. Also read: China asks US to stop 'bullying' after Trump bans TikTok and WeChat; threatens retaliation The launch of China's "unreliable entities list" ups the ante in the escalating commercial fight with the Trump administration, which has used its own "entity list" to bar Huawei from the US market on national security grounds. The announcement also came a day after the United States ordered a ban on downloads of popular video app TikTok and effectively blocked the use of the Chinese super-app WeChat on similar grounds, which prompted a threat by China to strike back. China would consider sanctions on entities whose activities "harm China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests" or violate "internationally accepted economic and trade rules". That language closely tracks wording that Beijing has used to repeatedly denounce US actions against Chinese companies.

China launches counter-mechanism to US sanctions list

A World Trade Organization panel ruled Tuesday that Trump administration tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods are illegal

WTO says US tariffs on Chinese goods violated international trade rules

The items include cotton, garments, hair products and electronics from five specific manufacturers in Xinjiang as well as adjacent Anhui.

US restricts imports from China's Xinjiang region for 'forced labour'

A leading US magazine has, in a recent report, said China's President Xi Jinping had risked his future with the high-profile incursions into Indian territory that "unexpectedly flopped" in the face of ferocious fightback by the Indian Army.

The Newsweek report further describes Xi Jinping as the "architect" of the PLA's recent aggressive moves against India.

Xi, 67, already roiling the Communist Party with a "rectification" campaign and mass persecution of foes, will launch "another brutal purge" following the Chinese army's failures on the Indian border, the Newsweek says in an opinion piece.

"Unfortunately for Xi, he is the "architect" of these aggressive moves into India and his People's Liberation Army (PLA) has unexpectedly flopped. The Chinese army's failures on the Indian border will have consequences," it says.

The recent developments give Xi an excuse to pick up the pace of replacing adversaries in the armed forces with loyal elements, it adds.

"More important, the failures motivate China's aggressive ruler -- who as chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission, is the leader of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the ruling Communist Party of China -- to launch another offensive against Indian positions," the magazine warns.

Tensions escalated manifold along the LAC in eastern Ladakh after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details.

"China is thought to have suffered at least 43 deaths in the Galwan clash," the magazine says.

Citing Cleo Paskal of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, it says the number of Chinese killed could exceed 60.

"Indian troops fought back ferociously. Beijing won't admit the extent of the debacle," it says.

It says that late last month, for the first time in a half-century, India carried out an offensive against China, taking back high ground the Chinese recently grabbed.

"China's forces were surprised when Indian troops mounted their attempt to retake strategic high points. Stunned Chinese soldiers retreated," it says.

"China's subsequent efforts to counter the Indian moves proved ineffective. At least for the moment, India's troops, in the southernmost of the three areas of conflict, are in control of territory once in Chinese hands," it adds.

It says the PLA Ground Force can move against undefended targets. However, it is not clear how effective it is in battle.

"The Ground Force does not have a track record of success in contested situations. Its last major engagement was in 1979 when, in the effort to 'teach Vietnam a lesson,' the Chinese troops were repelled and humiliated by their much smaller neighbour," the magazine notes.

"India is not giving the invaders the opportunity to improve," it says, adding that India's troops are displaying 'newfound boldness'.

"The game has changed," Paskal says. "You can say the Indians are more aggressive or more aggressively defensive, but they are in fact bolder and better."

"The setback in the Himalayas poses problems for Xi, which means it poses a problem for everyone else," it adds.

It says that in China's highly politicised system, the setbacks in Ladakh cannot be perceived as Xi's fault, so he will almost surely purge elements of the military.

The Indian Army and the PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May.

Following fresh confrontation around the southern bank of the Pangong lake, India further bolstered its military presence in the region by sending additional troops, battle tanks and other weaponry.

Amidst the very tense situation in eastern Ladakh, India and China reached an agreement to resolve their border row at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.

The agreement included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

It also mentions that the two sides should expedite work to conclude "new confidence building measures" to enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas. However, the agreement has not mentioned any timeline for disengagement of troops.

 
&nbsp;

A leading US magazine has, in a recent report, said China's President Xi Jinping had risked his future with the high-profile incursions into Indian territory that "unexpectedly flopped" in the face of ferocious fightback by the Indian Army.

A leading US magazine has, in a recent report, said China's President Xi Jinping had risked his future with the high-profile incursions into Indian territory that "unexpectedly flopped" in the face of ferocious fightback by the Indian Army. The Newsweek report further describes Xi Jinping as the "architect" of the PLA's recent aggressive moves against India. Xi, 67, already roiling the Communist Party with a "rectification" campaign and mass persecution of foes, will launch "another brutal purge" following the Chinese army's failures on the Indian border, the Newsweek says in an opinion piece. "Unfortunately for Xi, he is the "architect" of these aggressive moves into India and his People's Liberation Army (PLA) has unexpectedly flopped. The Chinese army's failures on the Indian border will have consequences," it says. The recent developments give Xi an excuse to pick up the pace of replacing adversaries in the armed forces with loyal elements, it adds. "More important, the failures motivate China's aggressive ruler -- who as chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission, is the leader of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the ruling Communist Party of China -- to launch another offensive against Indian positions," the magazine warns. Tensions escalated manifold along the LAC in eastern Ladakh after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. "China is thought to have suffered at least 43 deaths in the Galwan clash," the magazine says. Citing Cleo Paskal of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, it says the number of Chinese killed could exceed 60. "Indian troops fought back ferociously. Beijing won't admit the extent of the debacle," it says. It says that late last month, for the first time in a half-century, India carried out an offensive against China, taking back high ground the Chinese recently grabbed. "China's forces were surprised when Indian troops mounted their attempt to retake strategic high points. Stunned Chinese soldiers retreated," it says. "China's subsequent efforts to counter the Indian moves proved ineffective. At least for the moment, India's troops, in the southernmost of the three areas of conflict, are in control of territory once in Chinese hands," it adds. It says the PLA Ground Force can move against undefended targets. However, it is not clear how effective it is in battle. "The Ground Force does not have a track record of success in contested situations. Its last major engagement was in 1979 when, in the effort to 'teach Vietnam a lesson,' the Chinese troops were repelled and humiliated by their much smaller neighbour," the magazine notes. "India is not giving the invaders the opportunity to improve," it says, adding that India's troops are displaying 'newfound boldness'. "The game has changed," Paskal says. "You can say the Indians are more aggressive or more aggressively defensive, but they are in fact bolder and better." "The setback in the Himalayas poses problems for Xi, which means it poses a problem for everyone else," it adds. It says that in China's highly politicised system, the setbacks in Ladakh cannot be perceived as Xi's fault, so he will almost surely purge elements of the military. The Indian Army and the PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Following fresh confrontation around the southern bank of the Pangong lake, India further bolstered its military presence in the region by sending additional troops, battle tanks and other weaponry. Amidst the very tense situation in eastern Ladakh, India and China reached an agreement to resolve their border row at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet. The agreement included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC. It also mentions that the two sides should expedite work to conclude "new confidence building measures" to enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas. However, the agreement has not mentioned any timeline for disengagement of troops.

Xi Jinping's aggressive moves against India 'unexpectedly flopped': US media report

China's Defence Ministry has said the US poses the biggest threat to the international order and world peace, while also blasting a critical US report on the country's military ambitions.

The statement follows the September 2 release of the annual Defence Department report to Congress on Chinese military developments and goals that it said would have "serious implications for US national interests and the security of the international rules-based order".

This year's report came as relations between Beijing and Washington hit the lowest in decades amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian called the report a “wanton distortion” of China's aims and the relationship between the People's Liberation Army and China's 1.4 billion people.

“Many years of evidence shows that it is the US that is the fomenter of regional unrest, the violator of the international order and the destroyer of world peace,” he said, adding US actions in Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries over the past two decades have resulted in the deaths of more than 800,000 people and displacement of millions.

“Rather than reflecting on itself, the US issued a so-called report that made false comments about China's normal defense and military construction," he said in the statement.

“We call on the US to view China''s national defence and military construction objectively and rationally, cease making false statements and related reports, and take concrete actions to safeguard the healthy development of bilateral military relations."

Consisting of more than 150 pages, the report analysed China''s strategy toward Taiwan, a US ally which China considers a part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.&nbsp;

It also looked at areas where the 2 million-member PLA, the world''s largest standing military, has overtaken the US, including in the size of its navy, now the world''s largest with approximately 350 ships and submarines compared to around 293 for the US.

China has also built a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic and cruise missiles and has one of the world''s largest forces of advanced long-range surface-to-air systems, the report said.

China's Defence Ministry has said the US poses the biggest threat to the international order and world peace, while also blasting a critical US report on the country's military ambitions.

China's Defence Ministry has said the US poses the biggest threat to the international order and world peace, while also blasting a critical US report on the country's military ambitions. The statement follows the September 2 release of the annual Defence Department report to Congress on Chinese military developments and goals that it said would have "serious implications for US national interests and the security of the international rules-based order". This year's report came as relations between Beijing and Washington hit the lowest in decades amid the coronavirus pandemic. Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian called the report a “wanton distortion” of China's aims and the relationship between the People's Liberation Army and China's 1.4 billion people. “Many years of evidence shows that it is the US that is the fomenter of regional unrest, the violator of the international order and the destroyer of world peace,” he said, adding US actions in Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries over the past two decades have resulted in the deaths of more than 800,000 people and displacement of millions. “Rather than reflecting on itself, the US issued a so-called report that made false comments about China's normal defense and military construction," he said in the statement. “We call on the US to view China''s national defence and military construction objectively and rationally, cease making false statements and related reports, and take concrete actions to safeguard the healthy development of bilateral military relations." Consisting of more than 150 pages, the report analysed China''s strategy toward Taiwan, a US ally which China considers a part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary. It also looked at areas where the 2 million-member PLA, the world''s largest standing military, has overtaken the US, including in the size of its navy, now the world''s largest with approximately 350 ships and submarines compared to around 293 for the US. China has also built a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic and cruise missiles and has one of the world''s largest forces of advanced long-range surface-to-air systems, the report said.

Chinese military calls US biggest threat to world peace

The US says it has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers who have been deemed to be a security risk.

WION Dispatch: US revokes more than 1,000 visas of Chinese nationals

China and the United States targetted each other on their understanding of the press freedom as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party for refusing to carry an op-ed by the US envoy.

The comments came amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the two nations&nbsp;ahead of November's US presidential election, with arguments over trade, human rights and the coronavirus pandemic.

"The People's Daily's response once again exposes the Chinese Communist Party's fear of free speech and serious intellectual debate – as well as Beijing's hypocrisy when it complains about lack of fair and reciprocal treatment in other countries," Pompeo said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The refusal by the People's Daily comes after a US decision to revoke more than 1,000 visas of Chinese nationals this week, and as both countries restrict or revoke visas for each others' journalists.

Titled "Resetting the Relationship Based on Reciprocity", Ambassador Terry Branstad's article referred to an imbalance in the US-China relationship, noting that US companies, journalists, diplomats, and even civil society suffered unequal access in China.

"While US journalists face restrictions on reporting and even entering China, Chinese state media workers have long enjoyed open access in the United States," Branstad wrote.

The People's Daily then wrote a letter saying the US envoy's article failed to meet its standards.

"In our opinion, the op-ed in the name of Ambassador Branstad is full of loopholes and seriously inconsistent with facts," the paper said, in a letter released by the State Department.

In a statement on Thursday, the paper said it had the right, like US media, to decide what it publishes and to make necessary edits, decrying Pompeo's remarks as a vicious attack on Chinese media.

"It is extremely ironic that on the one hand the US side rudely and unreasonably supresses Chinese media like the People's Daily as Communist Party 'propaganda machines', and on the other demands they disseminate wrong points of view for the United States."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China's ambassador in Washington, who frequently appears in US media, has never smeared his host country and is committed to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation.

Pompeo said China must respect the free press.

"Their refusal to do so shows just how much China's unelected Party elites fear their own people's free-thinking and the free world's judgment about their governance practices inside China."

China and the United States targetted each other on their understanding of the press freedom as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party for refusing to carry an op-ed by the US envoy.

China and the United States targetted each other on their understanding of the press freedom as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party for refusing to carry an op-ed by the US envoy. The comments came amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the two nations ahead of November's US presidential election, with arguments over trade, human rights and the coronavirus pandemic. "The People's Daily's response once again exposes the Chinese Communist Party's fear of free speech and serious intellectual debate – as well as Beijing's hypocrisy when it complains about lack of fair and reciprocal treatment in other countries," Pompeo said in a statement late on Wednesday. The refusal by the People's Daily comes after a US decision to revoke more than 1,000 visas of Chinese nationals this week, and as both countries restrict or revoke visas for each others' journalists. Titled "Resetting the Relationship Based on Reciprocity", Ambassador Terry Branstad's article referred to an imbalance in the US-China relationship, noting that US companies, journalists, diplomats, and even civil society suffered unequal access in China. "While US journalists face restrictions on reporting and even entering China, Chinese state media workers have long enjoyed open access in the United States," Branstad wrote. The People's Daily then wrote a letter saying the US envoy's article failed to meet its standards. "In our opinion, the op-ed in the name of Ambassador Branstad is full of loopholes and seriously inconsistent with facts," the paper said, in a letter released by the State Department. In a statement on Thursday, the paper said it had the right, like US media, to decide what it publishes and to make necessary edits, decrying Pompeo's remarks as a vicious attack on Chinese media. "It is extremely ironic that on the one hand the US side rudely and unreasonably supresses Chinese media like the People's Daily as Communist Party 'propaganda machines', and on the other demands they disseminate wrong points of view for the United States." Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China's ambassador in Washington, who frequently appears in US media, has never smeared his host country and is committed to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation. Pompeo said China must respect the free press. "Their refusal to do so shows just how much China's unelected Party elites fear their own people's free-thinking and the free world's judgment about their governance practices inside China."

China, US exchange barbs after paper refuses to carry envoy's op-ed

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