Five News Perspectives: 12 Heavy Blows – Reasons for US Counterattack against the CCP

Hello everyone, welcome to News Roundtable. Today’s co-hosts are Zhou Ziding, Qin Peng, Tang Qing, Yuting, and myself (Jin Shi). With diverse perspectives and clashes of opinions, we will guide you into the rich world of news.

Today’s focus: 12 heavy punches! A blow to the CCP, why does the US keep taking action? Three major reasons for CCP’s “overcapacity”, posing a global threat; Historic move by the US, sending a signal to Taiwan! The US election showdown, with the CCP as the target.

The historic first summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines has just concluded, but the US’s offensive against the CCP shows no signs of stopping. In recent days, US President Biden and Treasury Secretary Yellen have ramped up their criticism directed at the CCP’s overcapacity issue.

Biden explicitly stated that the CCP’s subsidy policies constitute cheating and threatened to impose triple tariffs on China’s steel and aluminum products.

On the other hand, the CCP leader has been accused of weaponizing overcapacity, intending to launch an economic warfare on the world, involving not only the US and Europe but also developing countries.

At the same time, US Secretary of State Blinken is scheduled to visit China shortly, and US-China defense ministers recently held their first conversation in 18 months. Is the US heading towards more confrontation or relaxation with China?

Meanwhile, with the US election drawing nearer each day, Biden finds himself entangled in the first criminal prosecution case brought against Trump, rushing to swing states to campaign and attempting to prove to voters that he is tougher on the CCP. Who is tougher on the CCP between Trump and Biden? Different views will collide shortly.

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Questions:

Q1: Yuting, it seems like the US has been making continuous significant moves against the CCP recently. Could you give us an overview of these actions?

A: We see that the US government and Congress have unleashed a full-scale offensive against the CCP.

Firstly, they have labeled the CCP directly as the “new axis of evil,” as confirmed by Admiral Aquilino of the Indo-Pacific Command and House Speaker Johnson. This axis includes China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

Secretary Blinken also pointed out at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that China is aiding Russia’s “military expansion” and urged European countries to exert pressure on China. This happened just before Blinken’s visit to China, indicating that he is not going to compromise with China but only manage “conflicts.”

In terms of trade, from President Biden to the dovish Treasury Secretary Yellen, all have been harshly criticizing the CCP. Biden directly called China’s unfair competition “cheating,” which carries significant weight. Recently, the US has employed five major strategies in trade to counter China’s “dumping-war of low prices”.

1. Plans to triple tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum to 25%.
2. Plans to revoke the tariff exemption on Chinese solar panels.
3. Coordinating with the Mexican government to prevent China from using Mexico as a transit point to assemble electric cars and then export them to the US.
4. Initiating a 301 investigation into China’s shipbuilding, shipping, logistics, and other industries.
5. Cracking down on the import of “small packages” to prevent the flooding of Chinese e-commerce low-priced products.

On the technological front, the US has also taken three significant actions:
– Separating TikTok’s international version and its parent company, ByteDance.
– Switching out Chinese-made cranes at US ports.
– Coordinating with the Netherlands and Japan to tighten restrictions on the export of semiconductor equipment and materials to China.

Finally, on military strategic deployments:
1. For the first time since the Cold War, the US has deployed “intermediate-range ballistic missile systems” in the Indo-Pacific region, which Subin should be familiar with and recognizes what it means to China.
2. The US is establishing a “small multilateral” defense system to conduct more joint military exercises and patrols in the Indo-Pacific region. This includes the upcoming largest-ever “US-Philippines joint military exercises” and island-seizure drills directly targeting China’s disputes in the South China Sea.
3. Amid tensions in Iran, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to disrupt Iran’s oil exports, with nearly 80% of Iran’s oil sales going to China. This sanction indirectly targets China as well.
4. This month, US lawmakers introduced an “Unrestricted Act” requiring Chinese military enterprises to withdraw from the Russian market within 180 days, facing complete block sanctions if not complied.

Hence, the US has launched a comprehensive offensive against China in terms of economy, trade, technology, and military.

Q2: Tang Qing, how do you view the series of measures taken by the US?

Q3: However, this period also sees a high frequency of visits from senior US officials to China. Yellen recently left, and Blinken is set to arrive soon. Looking at the current US-China relations, it seems like they are not that strained. How do you see this?

Q4: With the US election unfolding, both candidates are striving to prove that they are tougher on the CCP. It goes without saying that Trump claimed four years ago that choosing Biden would align the US with the CCP, which didn’t happen later. Now, Biden asserts that in reality, he has been tougher on the CCP. Between Trump and Biden, who is tougher? What are your opinions? (Qin Peng, Tang Qing, Yuting, Zhou Ziding).

Yuting’s Answer: In the face of the CCP’s retreat, they are progressively getting harder. It will continue in the future as well. You see, the CCP always can’t help but exaggerate, but whatever they do backfires. There are too many lessons from the past. From the inhumane lockdown during the epidemic to the current economic mess, the CCP tries to attract foreign investment while scaring them away with espionage. In the Hong Kong issue, they betray trust; in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, they vacillate; they use and discard Israel; and are currently provoking neighboring countries in the Indo-Pacific. The world has recognized the CCP’s tricks, they are untrustworthy, unreliable, and have no bottom line. In this context, the pressure on China from the US continues to mount, forcing them to maintain their sanctions.

Q5: Lastly, I would like to ask briefly about your thoughts on this year’s election. Who do you think has a better chance, Trump or Biden?

I also want to pose the same question to our audience. Who do you think is tougher on the CCP, Trump or Biden? Whose chances do you think are higher? Feel free to comment and share your feedback.