On Joe Biden's inauguration day, China sanctions Trump administration
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is one of 28 prominent figures in the Trump administration to have been sanctioned by China on January 21, 2021. AFP - ANDREW HARNIK
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
This is China's first reaction to Joe Biden's nomination.
The systemic rival of the United States in the race for the place of the first world power, wanted to issue a warning to the new administration by sanctioning the outgoing team.
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With our correspondent in Beijing,
Stéphane Lagarde
Beijing will have waited for the departure of Donald Trump to publish its press release.
One o'clock in the morning in the Chinese night: 28 names of American officials appear on the
site of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
.
Among them, White House advisers Peter Navarro, Robert O'Brien and Matthew Pottinger, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia David Stilwell, Secretary of Health Alex Azar, Representative of the United States United at the UN Kelly Craft, but also the former advisers of Donald Trump, John Bolton and Stephen Bannon, without forgetting
Mike Pompeo
, the American secretary of state bête noire of the Chinese regime.
All of them, along with their families, are now banned from entering People's Republic of China as well as the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao.
A statement with a bitter tone: Beijing does not forget that “
certain anti-Chinese politicians, because of their selfish political interests, their prejudices and their hatred against China […] have planned, promoted and executed a series of maneuvers madmen who have seriously interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people and severely disrupted [the] relations [between the two countries].
"
Scheduled to arrive within minutes of the start of Joe Biden's presidency, this announcement is also a way of reminding the new White House that the Chinese leaders will not give up on what they consider to be part of the vital interests of the China.
►
To listen: How will the trade wars turn out?
"
Counterproductive and cynical decision
"
The response of the new team in power in Washington was not long in coming.
"
Imposing these sanctions on the day of the inauguration appears to be an attempt to play on partisan divisions
," Emily Horne, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told Reuters in a statement.
Americans on both sides must criticize this counterproductive and cynical measure.
President Biden looks forward to working with the leaders of both parties to position America to supplant China
.
"
Antony Blinken, a seasoned diplomat chosen by Joe Biden for the post of secretary of state, said in a confirmation hearing before a Senate committee on Tuesday that China "
undoubtedly
" represents in his eyes the most important challenge for them. United States and any other country.
Oliver-Remy Bel, researcher at the Atlantic Council in Washington: what will be the future relationship of the Biden administration with China?
Anne Corpet
The first symbolic gesture of the new American president, the representative of Taiwan in the United States was officially invited to the inauguration ceremony.
What Taipei presented this Thursday as a first since Washington chose in 1979 to recognize Beijing.
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To read also: Washington accuses Beijing of "genocide" in Xinjiang, a first conflict on the horizon for Biden
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China
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