The US-China relationship is witnessing a rapid and unprecedented deterioration that is no longer limited to the trade war between the two countries, but rather opened with it other files, which prompted officials in the American administration to take stances directed against China.
Over the past few months, a number of elements of the US President Donald Trump's administration have gone out to attack China in an unprecedented public image, and the National Security Council, the State Department, the FBI, and the Justice Department have coordinated a severe offensive campaign against China in Washington, DC.
In front of a crowd of state governors, National Security Adviser Michael O'Brien said last month that "the Communist Party of China aims to control its own citizens and the citizens of other countries," warning that China seeks to influence the American people and their way of life.
Then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke during his participation in the Copenhagen Summit of Democracy held remotely, saying that Europe must choose between freedom and tyranny, warning Europeans that the Communist Party of China wants to force them to choose between the United States and China.
Pompeo expressed his desire to see and hear "more public statements from Europe on the subject of the Chinese challenge clearly so that there is no room for ambiguity in choosing between tyranny and freedom."
As for FBI Director Christopher Ray, he confirmed last week that his agency was able to "reveal the technical methods China is trying to conspire against in the country."
Ray warned the American people that "his life, security and health are at risk because of China's practices."
He noted that the FBI opens every 10 hours an investigation into China's practices.
Justice Minister William Barr is expected to speak within days of other dimensions of China's illegal policies against American citizens.
Washington has escalated its stances towards China on several contentious issues, including:
Uighur issue
US President Donald Trump signed a few days ago the "Human Rights Policy Act against the Uighurs" that Congress passed last month, and imposes sanctions on Chinese officials involved in human rights violations, and attempts to eradicate the religious identity of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang, western China, and passed both houses of Congress ( Senators and Representatives) decisions hostile to China's position on its Muslim minority in a similar way.
And Washington imposed sanctions last week on a number of Communist Party leaders in Xinjiang for their responsibility for the arrest campaigns against Muslims in the region.
Taiwan and the South China Sea Navigation
Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo issued an official statement on Monday, expressing Washington's rejection of all Chinese measures in the South China Sea.
The new American position marks a major turning point in Washington's policy toward Beijing, whereby the United States is no longer a neutral player in China’s conflict with its neighbors from participating countries in the South China Sea, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Beijing has been claiming sovereignty over large swathes of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands, which is often a source of concern, and carried out military maneuvers early this month.
Pompeo stressed that his country "will deal with Beijing's quest for resources in the disputed South China Sea as an illegal matter," which reflects an accelerating tension in the relations of the two countries.
And at the beginning of the month, two American aircraft carriers carried out military exercises in the South China Sea, and the Pentagon said in a statement that "these efforts support the permanent obligations of the United States to defend the right of all countries to fly, sail, and work wherever permitted by international law." To Washington's willingness and intention to defend its allies.
Hong Kong
The National Security Law that China imposed on Hong Kong granted broad judicial and security powers in contravention of the British withdrawal agreement from the island.
The US Congress unanimously adopted bills imposing sanctions on China against the backdrop of this controversial law that threatens Hong Kong's autonomy arrangements, and Trump has promised Chinese officials severe sanctions because of the deteriorating status of the region.
Blocking Chinese electronic applications
The Trump administration intends to develop plans and regulations prohibiting the United States government from purchasing goods or services from any company that uses the products of 5 Chinese companies, chiefly Huawei.
Pompeo said that China is pressuring many countries to allow its markets to be opened to Huawei and its multiple products, and considered that the company - which was founded by the Communist regime - "represents a tool of spying for the Chinese state."
According to White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Trump is expected to take "strong action" against the implementation of Tik Tok - and perhaps others - within days.
Navarro confirmed in an interview with Fox Network that "these applications send all your personal data to servers in China, which directly enables the Chinese army and the Communist Party there and other government agencies to steal our intellectual property."
The pandemic of the emerging coronavirus and its accelerating consequences during the past five months have pushed the relationship between the two countries further, against the backdrop of accusing the Trump administration of covering up the virus, which allowed it to spread globally.
Face however
The US National Security Strategy, the beginning of Trump's presidential term, explicitly indicated that China seeks to challenge the power, influence, and interests of the United States, in an attempt to harm the security and prosperity of the American people.
The National Defense Strategy issued by the Pentagon in mid-2018 clearly indicated to China that it is "a strategic competitor seeking to modernize its armed forces, to ensure its regional control over the Pacific Ocean and South Asia and to fight the United States' global influence."
China's military budget exceeded 170 billion dollars in 2018, after only 77 billion in 2007, which led to the number of soldiers exceeding two million.
Hence, some military experts believe that containing China peacefully now would only postpone the date of the confrontation for several years, and the coming days will reveal the increasing tension in the relations of the two countries, especially with the upcoming presidential elections in the United States.