China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that&nbsp;US&nbsp;import&nbsp;bans&nbsp;on some products from&nbsp;China's&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region were sabotaging global&nbsp;supply&nbsp;chains.

Earlier, the Trump administration on Monday&nbsp;blocked US&nbsp;imports&nbsp;of cotton, apparel and other products from five entities in western&nbsp;China's&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-puts-block-on-chinese-products-from-uighur-forced-labour-327588">US puts block on Chinese products from Uighur ‘forced labour’</a>

"The Chinese government is engaged in systematic abuses against the Uighur people" and other minorities, said Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection agency.

The actions announced consisted of "withhold release orders" or WROs, which empower the CBP to seize products from the blacklisted companies and organizations.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-concerned-about-religious-repression-of-uighurs-in-china-327618/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The US government is increasingly using such orders to pressure Beijing over its detention of more than one million members of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang for ostensible reeducation.

Calling attention to abuses

In July, the customs agency placed WRO blocks on hair products, used for wigs and extensions, from several companies operating in Xinjiang, and in August did the same for garments made and sold by the Hero Vast Group.

"The Chinese government needs to close its concentration camps," said Cuccinelli.

The move came as rights groups and members of US Congress press the administration of President Donald Trump to take more resolute action over alleged Chinese repression of Muslims in the country's vast west.

In July the US Treasury imposed sanctions on a major paramilitary group, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, accusing it of abuses against Uighurs and other mostly Muslim groups.

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that US import bans on some products from China's Xinjiang region were sabotaging global supply chains. Earlier, the Trump administration on Monday blocked US imports of cotton, apparel and other products from five entities in western China's Xinjiang region.

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that US import bans on some products from China's Xinjiang region were sabotaging global supply chains. Earlier, the Trump administration on Monday blocked US imports of cotton, apparel and other products from five entities in western China's Xinjiang region. Also read: US puts block on Chinese products from Uighur ‘forced labour’ "The Chinese government is engaged in systematic abuses against the Uighur people" and other minorities, said Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection agency. The actions announced consisted of "withhold release orders" or WROs, which empower the CBP to seize products from the blacklisted companies and organizations. The US government is increasingly using such orders to pressure Beijing over its detention of more than one million members of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang for ostensible reeducation. Calling attention to abuses In July, the customs agency placed WRO blocks on hair products, used for wigs and extensions, from several companies operating in Xinjiang, and in August did the same for garments made and sold by the Hero Vast Group. "The Chinese government needs to close its concentration camps," said Cuccinelli. The move came as rights groups and members of US Congress press the administration of President Donald Trump to take more resolute action over alleged Chinese repression of Muslims in the country's vast west. In July the US Treasury imposed sanctions on a major paramilitary group, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, accusing it of abuses against Uighurs and other mostly Muslim groups.

US bans on Xinjiang imports to sabotage global supply chains, says China

The suspension of a US&nbsp;university professor has ignited a debate over the use of a seemingly innocuous Chinese word.

While communicating with his students during a lecture, Professor Greg Patton at the University of Southern California (USC) said&nbsp;"in China, the common pause word is 'that, that, that'. So in China, it might be na-ge, na-ge, na-ge."

In Chinese, the word "na-ge" (那个) is a common filler phrase that people use when they're hesitating or trying to find the right word. It literally translates to the word "that".

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I cannot believe this is real, but it is. 
 
This USC Professor is on leave after students were offended that a Chinese word he used during a lecture on foreign languages sounded like an english racial slur. 
 
Watch the video for yourself: <a href="https://t.co/HkFPMEP5I2">pic.twitter.com/HkFPMEP5I2</a>
— Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) <a href="https://twitter.com/cabot_phillips/status/1301516424276578305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Annunciated, na-ge sounds like the n-word, which led several of the professor's students to complain to the university. Responding to the complaint, the dean of the university, Geoffrey Garrett, told students that Prof Patton would no longer be teaching the course.

"It is simply unacceptable for the faculty to use words in class that can marginalise, hurt and harm the psychological safety of our students," he said.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-us-china-relationship-took-a-turn-for-the-worse-314882">How US-China relationship took a turn for the worse</a>

However, the word's usage has&nbsp;a wholly different history and language in a lecture on communication in international business.

News of the spat reached China, where many posted on social media saying they thought Professor Patton's punishment, conversely, was discrimination against speakers of the Chinese language.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/there-will-be-no-extension-trump-says-on-tiktok-deadline-326736" hreflang="en">'There will be no extension': Trump says on TikTok deadline</a>

Lost in translation

There have been many documented incidents of the word being used innocuously and leading to misunderstandings, and even violence.

In July 2016, a fight broke out on the subway in the city of southern Guangzhou, after a black man heard a Chinese man saying na-ge and mistook it for the n-word.

Footage went viral online showing the black man slapping the chinese commuter and shouting "you dare try that again" and "never say that again"

More recently, in April this year, Taiwanese news website UDN&nbsp;reported that two men nearly came to blows on the island outside a restaurant over the same misunderstanding.

Even Chinese basketball star Yao Ming has spoken of how the word brought him "some trouble" while playing in the US&nbsp;for the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The suspension of a US university professor has ignited a debate over the use of a seemingly innocuous Chinese word. While communicating with his students during a lecture, Professor Greg Patton at the University of Southern California (USC) said "in China, the common pause word is 'that, that, that'.

The suspension of a US university professor has ignited a debate over the use of a seemingly innocuous Chinese word. While communicating with his students during a lecture, Professor Greg Patton at the University of Southern California (USC) said "in China, the common pause word is 'that, that, that'. So in China, it might be na-ge, na-ge, na-ge." In Chinese, the word "na-ge" (那个) is a common filler phrase that people use when they're hesitating or trying to find the right word. It literally translates to the word "that". I cannot believe this is real, but it is. This USC Professor is on leave after students were offended that a Chinese word he used during a lecture on foreign languages sounded like an english racial slur. Watch the video for yourself: pic.twitter.com/HkFPMEP5I2 — Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) September 3, 2020 × Annunciated, na-ge sounds like the n-word, which led several of the professor's students to complain to the university. Responding to the complaint, the dean of the university, Geoffrey Garrett, told students that Prof Patton would no longer be teaching the course. "It is simply unacceptable for the faculty to use words in class that can marginalise, hurt and harm the psychological safety of our students," he said. Also see: How US-China relationship took a turn for the worse However, the word's usage has a wholly different history and language in a lecture on communication in international business. News of the spat reached China, where many posted on social media saying they thought Professor Patton's punishment, conversely, was discrimination against speakers of the Chinese language. Also read: 'There will be no extension': Trump says on TikTok deadline Lost in translation There have been many documented incidents of the word being used innocuously and leading to misunderstandings, and even violence. In July 2016, a fight broke out on the subway in the city of southern Guangzhou, after a black man heard a Chinese man saying na-ge and mistook it for the n-word. Footage went viral online showing the black man slapping the chinese commuter and shouting "you dare try that again" and "never say that again" More recently, in April this year, Taiwanese news website UDN reported that two men nearly came to blows on the island outside a restaurant over the same misunderstanding. Even Chinese basketball star Yao Ming has spoken of how the word brought him "some trouble" while playing in the US for the National Basketball Association (NBA).

'Neige controversy': US professor's suspension sparks debate over a Chinese word

After the United States pulled out of its consulate in Chengdu, the Chinese foreign embassy said that its move was "justified and necessary response to the unjustifiable behaviour of the US."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-authorities-take-possession-of-closed-us-consulate-in-chengdu-foreign-ministry-316173">Also Read:&nbsp;Chinese authorities take possession of closed US consulate in Chengdu</a>

"China's requirement conforms to the international law and basic norms governing international relations, as well as diplomatic conventions," the country's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-china-consulate-war-why-china-shut-down-the-chengdu-consulate-315816/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China on Monday took control of the US consulate building after ordering the US staff to vacate in retaliation for China's ouster from the Houston consulate in Texas as tensions rose to a new level between the two powerful economies. The United States had accused the Chinese staff in Houston of espionage, as the Chinese hit back making a similar allegation on the US staff at Chengdu citing national security issues.

The US lowered its flag at 6:18 am on Monday as police barracked the area and stepped up security.

In a video message, the US embassy said: "The US consulate in Chengdu has been proudly promoting the mutual understanding between Americans and the people in Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan and Tibet since 1985. We will forever miss you."

Wenbin asserted that the US had taken "unilateral" and "provocative actions" by suddenly asking the Chinese side to close the consulate in Houston.&nbsp;

However, the Chinese foreign ministry said that it did not wish to see the "current situation of relations between China and the US" while adding that the "US bears the entire responsibility".

Wenbin urged the United States to "immediately correct its mistakes and create necessary conditions for the bilateral relations".

After the United States pulled out of its consulate in Chengdu, the Chinese foreign embassy said that its move was "justified and necessary response to the unjustifiable behaviour of the US.

After the United States pulled out of its consulate in Chengdu, the Chinese foreign embassy said that its move was "justified and necessary response to the unjustifiable behaviour of the US." Also Read: Chinese authorities take possession of closed US consulate in Chengdu "China's requirement conforms to the international law and basic norms governing international relations, as well as diplomatic conventions," the country's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Watch: China on Monday took control of the US consulate building after ordering the US staff to vacate in retaliation for China's ouster from the Houston consulate in Texas as tensions rose to a new level between the two powerful economies. The United States had accused the Chinese staff in Houston of espionage, as the Chinese hit back making a similar allegation on the US staff at Chengdu citing national security issues. The US lowered its flag at 6:18 am on Monday as police barracked the area and stepped up security. In a video message, the US embassy said: "The US consulate in Chengdu has been proudly promoting the mutual understanding between Americans and the people in Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan and Tibet since 1985. We will forever miss you." Wenbin asserted that the US had taken "unilateral" and "provocative actions" by suddenly asking the Chinese side to close the consulate in Houston. However, the Chinese foreign ministry said that it did not wish to see the "current situation of relations between China and the US" while adding that the "US bears the entire responsibility". Wenbin urged the United States to "immediately correct its mistakes and create necessary conditions for the bilateral relations".

Our requirement conforms to international law: China on closure of US consulate in Chengdu

Amid the row between the United States and China over internal security issues, the US Justice Department said that a Singaporean has pleaded guilty to using his political consultancy as a "front" &nbsp;to collect information for Chinese intelligence.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/people-in-us-consulate-in-chengdu-interfered-in-our-internal-affairs-china-315732">Also Read:&nbsp;People in US consulate in Chengdu interfered in our internal affairs, says&nbsp;China</a>

Assistant Attorney General John Demers said that Jun Wei Yeo "was using career networking sites and a false consulting firm to lure Americans who might be of interest to the Chinese government.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-china-orders-closure-of-us-consulate-in-chengdu-315763/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Jun Wei Yeo has filed a plea in a US court to one charge of operating illegally as a foreign agent.

In the plea, Yeo admitted to working between 2015 and 2019 for Chinese intelligence "to spot and assess Americans with access to valuable non-public information, including US military and government employees with high-level security clearances."

Meanwhile, a Chinese researcher who had taken refuge in China's San Francisco consulate to avoid visa fraud charges was arrested today.

Tang Juan allegedly had links to China's People's Liberation Army but hadn't mentioned it in her visa application. The FBI said it had found pictures of her in uniform with insignia for the PLA "civilian cadres" and found documents indicating she was a member of the Chinese Communist Party after searching her apartment in Davis, California.

Tang was one of the four Chinese researchers who was charged. The US Justice Department said that they were part of China's effort to "infiltrate" US institutions to gain scientific and technological knowledge.

The United States and China have been involved in a tit-for-tat battle over the closure of each other's consulates over national security issues. On Thursday, the United States accused Chinese authorities at the Houston consulate of&nbsp;"intellectual property" and national security threats. US authorities ordered the Chinese officials to vacate within 72 hours.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Houston mission was a "hub of spying and intellectual property theft".

China hit back on Friday&nbsp;ordered the US consulate in Chengdu to close in retaliation. China's foreign ministry said the US staff "was engaged in activities outside of their capacity, interfered in China's internal affairs, and endangered China's security and interests"..

Amid the row between the United States and China over internal security issues, the US Justice Department said that a Singaporean has pleaded guilty to using his political consultancy as a "front" to collect information for Chinese intelligence.

Amid the row between the United States and China over internal security issues, the US Justice Department said that a Singaporean has pleaded guilty to using his political consultancy as a "front" to collect information for Chinese intelligence. Also Read: People in US consulate in Chengdu interfered in our internal affairs, says China Assistant Attorney General John Demers said that Jun Wei Yeo "was using career networking sites and a false consulting firm to lure Americans who might be of interest to the Chinese government. Watch: Jun Wei Yeo has filed a plea in a US court to one charge of operating illegally as a foreign agent. In the plea, Yeo admitted to working between 2015 and 2019 for Chinese intelligence "to spot and assess Americans with access to valuable non-public information, including US military and government employees with high-level security clearances." Meanwhile, a Chinese researcher who had taken refuge in China's San Francisco consulate to avoid visa fraud charges was arrested today. Tang Juan allegedly had links to China's People's Liberation Army but hadn't mentioned it in her visa application. The FBI said it had found pictures of her in uniform with insignia for the PLA "civilian cadres" and found documents indicating she was a member of the Chinese Communist Party after searching her apartment in Davis, California. Tang was one of the four Chinese researchers who was charged. The US Justice Department said that they were part of China's effort to "infiltrate" US institutions to gain scientific and technological knowledge. The United States and China have been involved in a tit-for-tat battle over the closure of each other's consulates over national security issues. On Thursday, the United States accused Chinese authorities at the Houston consulate of "intellectual property" and national security threats. US authorities ordered the Chinese officials to vacate within 72 hours. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Houston mission was a "hub of spying and intellectual property theft". China hit back on Friday ordered the US consulate in Chengdu to close in retaliation. China's foreign ministry said the US staff "was engaged in activities outside of their capacity, interfered in China's internal affairs, and endangered China's security and interests"..

Singaporean pleads guilty in US court to working for Chinese intelligence

As the US presidential election draws near, the conflict between America and China will escalate, impairing global trade which is "extremely important" for emerging markets like India and Brazil that are re-opening amid COVID-19 pandemic, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said.

Cautioning that there will be "deeply damaged firms" in the economy, Rajan said the post-pandemic recovery has to be accompanied by a process of repair.

"There's going to be enormous bankruptcies in the United States certainly and quite possibly in Europe also as we repair the economy, reallocate resources, restructure capital structures," he said on Thursday at the PanIIT USA virtual conference titled 'The New Global Economic Norm: Post CoVID-19'.

"Certainly as we get closer to the US election, the conflict between the US and China is going to increase and that impairs global trade, whichis going to be extremely important going forward, especially for emerging markets like India, Brazil, Mexico, which are going to be significantly impaired by the virus and need some source of demand to pull them out as they start opening up again," he said.

Former Chairperson of the State Bank of India and Salesforce India CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya also addressed the event.

"Global trade is going to be an important factor if they can jump on to it, whether it's trade in goods and services or trade in digital services, it's going to be very important and our countries desperately need an open world," Rajan said.

Rajan, an IIT Delhi graduate and the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said that containment of the coronavirus in countries like the US and India has not happened despite lockdowns, while in some countries containment has been a 2-2.5 month process and virus cases have been brought down to the single digits leading to re-openings.

"There are countries, of course the United States being a prime example, but also India as well as Brazil, Mexico where the containment has not happened despite lockdowns, despite enormous costs. As a result, the cost of the virus is going to be significantly greater than for the countries that have been successful," he said.

Rajan said that for countries like India and the US that are still battling the virus, the main issue right now is to contain the virus, even as he asserted that "unfortunately the spread has become significant enough that containment is going to be very difficult".

"This creates an enormous amount of uncertainty because businesses don't know whether there'll be fresh lockdowns and how difficult they will be. Some states in the US are talking about fresh lockdowns, some states in India are talking about lockdowns and have actually sort of implemented some of those right now," he said.

Rajan also spoke about some of the trends that may emerge post-pandemic.

"There certainly seems to be greater value to working with minds than hands, especially as we go through the pandemic," he said.

He noted that in developed countries, 45-50 per cent of the population can work at home so that the countries can keep working even in the midst of lockdowns.

However, in poorer and developing countries and emerging markets, the number of people who can work at home is much lower, he said.

"As a result, lockdowns have been much more damaging to livelihoods, to economic progress and many in the lower middle class have slipped back into poverty in these countries. There's a number of years that we've lost in terms of economic progress," he said, adding that for going forward, there willl be more emphasis on education and digital technology.

Rajan also underlined that there will be greater automation of work processes.

"Many companies are figuring out how to do things more efficiently during this crisis and that will stay on going forward, which also means that we will have to redeploy workers, we will have to figure out how to do that more effectively and certainly re-training is part of the answer," he said.

Rajan cautioned that corporations, households and governments will have enormous levels of debt as they move out of the pandemic and there will be a lot of focus on how to restructure and bring it down over time.

"The bad debt problems of banks then and the bad debt problems that are likely to emerge for banks across the emerging world is going to be a multiple of what it was in the past and this implies that we need to spend far more time on creating restructuring processes so that firms get back to work and production.

"If we don't focus on the problem of repairing the capital structures of these firms, we're going to have much slower growth, much more problems down the line. So this is something that policymakers need to think about" he said.

Customers are turning to more frugality and savings and there will be more pressure for universal good healthcare as a result of this crisis, Rajan said.

"We've seen the consequences of having inadequate healthcare system, not just in the United States but also in places like India," he said.

"There's going to be much more of a need for capable governments. We've seen what government incompetence can do and that has been problematic. There is going to be much more support in public for more capable governments but also more support for regulation," he said, adding that there is probably going to be more resistance to globalisation.

As the US presidential election draws near, the conflict between America and China will escalate, impairing global trade which is "extremely important" for emerging markets like India and Brazil that are re-opening amid COVID-19 pandemic, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said.

As the US presidential election draws near, the conflict between America and China will escalate, impairing global trade which is "extremely important" for emerging markets like India and Brazil that are re-opening amid COVID-19 pandemic, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said. Cautioning that there will be "deeply damaged firms" in the economy, Rajan said the post-pandemic recovery has to be accompanied by a process of repair. "There's going to be enormous bankruptcies in the United States certainly and quite possibly in Europe also as we repair the economy, reallocate resources, restructure capital structures," he said on Thursday at the PanIIT USA virtual conference titled 'The New Global Economic Norm: Post CoVID-19'. "Certainly as we get closer to the US election, the conflict between the US and China is going to increase and that impairs global trade, whichis going to be extremely important going forward, especially for emerging markets like India, Brazil, Mexico, which are going to be significantly impaired by the virus and need some source of demand to pull them out as they start opening up again," he said. Former Chairperson of the State Bank of India and Salesforce India CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya also addressed the event. "Global trade is going to be an important factor if they can jump on to it, whether it's trade in goods and services or trade in digital services, it's going to be very important and our countries desperately need an open world," Rajan said. Rajan, an IIT Delhi graduate and the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said that containment of the coronavirus in countries like the US and India has not happened despite lockdowns, while in some countries containment has been a 2-2.5 month process and virus cases have been brought down to the single digits leading to re-openings. "There are countries, of course the United States being a prime example, but also India as well as Brazil, Mexico where the containment has not happened despite lockdowns, despite enormous costs. As a result, the cost of the virus is going to be significantly greater than for the countries that have been successful," he said. Rajan said that for countries like India and the US that are still battling the virus, the main issue right now is to contain the virus, even as he asserted that "unfortunately the spread has become significant enough that containment is going to be very difficult". "This creates an enormous amount of uncertainty because businesses don't know whether there'll be fresh lockdowns and how difficult they will be. Some states in the US are talking about fresh lockdowns, some states in India are talking about lockdowns and have actually sort of implemented some of those right now," he said. Rajan also spoke about some of the trends that may emerge post-pandemic. "There certainly seems to be greater value to working with minds than hands, especially as we go through the pandemic," he said. He noted that in developed countries, 45-50 per cent of the population can work at home so that the countries can keep working even in the midst of lockdowns. However, in poorer and developing countries and emerging markets, the number of people who can work at home is much lower, he said. "As a result, lockdowns have been much more damaging to livelihoods, to economic progress and many in the lower middle class have slipped back into poverty in these countries. There's a number of years that we've lost in terms of economic progress," he said, adding that for going forward, there willl be more emphasis on education and digital technology. Rajan also underlined that there will be greater automation of work processes. "Many companies are figuring out how to do things more efficiently during this crisis and that will stay on going forward, which also means that we will have to redeploy workers, we will have to figure out how to do that more effectively and certainly re-training is part of the answer," he said. Rajan cautioned that corporations, households and governments will have enormous levels of debt as they move out of the pandemic and there will be a lot of focus on how to restructure and bring it down over time. "The bad debt problems of banks then and the bad debt problems that are likely to emerge for banks across the emerging world is going to be a multiple of what it was in the past and this implies that we need to spend far more time on creating restructuring processes so that firms get back to work and production. "If we don't focus on the problem of repairing the capital structures of these firms, we're going to have much slower growth, much more problems down the line. So this is something that policymakers need to think about" he said. Customers are turning to more frugality and savings and there will be more pressure for universal good healthcare as a result of this crisis, Rajan said. "We've seen the consequences of having inadequate healthcare system, not just in the United States but also in places like India," he said. "There's going to be much more of a need for capable governments. We've seen what government incompetence can do and that has been problematic. There is going to be much more support in public for more capable governments but also more support for regulation," he said, adding that there is probably going to be more resistance to globalisation.

US-China conflict to impair global trade which is vital for India's reopening: Raghuram Rajan