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<p>China and U.S. tensions have sharply risen over the past few months, <br/>but many might have missed this as the CV pandemic takes over our global<br/> consciousness.</p>
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<p>China has used the cover of the pandemic to take over the autonomy of<br/> Hong Kong, with a security measure causing backlash within HK. China’s <br/>bill states that the law is to prevent and punish any acts of <br/>secession, subversion or terrorism. Several pro-democracy lawmakers <br/>within Hing Kong <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/world/hong-kong-pro-democracy-lawmakers-slam-china-national-security-law-2632917.html">criticized</a><br/> China’s move to take over national security legislation, accusing them <br/>of implementing a law to take away their limited autonomy.</p>
<p>The U.S. also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/world/asia/trump-pompeo-china-hong-kong.html">responded</a>,<br/> with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the White House economic <br/>adviser, Kevin Hassett, stating the Trump administration would punish <br/>China. Trump himself warned of consequences for Beijing, which at first <br/>wasn’t immediately clear. However, it has now been reported that the <br/>U.S. has sanctioned 33 Chinese entities including businesses and <br/>institutions for human rights violations.</p>
<p> <br/> </p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-adds-33-chinese-companies-institutions-economic-blacklist">reported</a> by <em>Voice Of America</em>,<br/> the Commerce Department stated it was sanctioning nine companies and <br/>institutions on grounds they were “complicit in human rights violations <br/>and abuses committed in China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary <br/>detention, forced labor and high-technology surveillance against <br/>Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups in <br/>the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.”</p>
<p>China replied to the U.S. threats by daring the U.S. to do <br/>something, elevating the already exceptionally high tensions mounting <br/>between the two countries, in addition to previous <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1188623.shtml">threats</a> about sanctioning U.S. tech companies by adding them to their “unreliable entities list.”</p>
<p>More specifically, China essentially told the U.S.: “We’re going to <br/>do what we want in Hong Kong, and we’re not scared of the consequences,”<br/> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-22/cornered-china-dares-trump-to-hit-back-with-hong-kong-power-grab?srndhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-22/cornered-china-dares-trump-to-hit-back-with-hong-kong-power-grab?srnd=premium=premium">according</a> to <em>Bloomberg</em>.</p>
<p>Then a few days later Beijing <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/beijing-urges-u-drop-wishful-074856233.html">said</a><br/> that the U.S.’s plan of changing China was “wishful thinking,” warning <br/>directly and distinctly that some in America were pushing relations to a<br/> “new Cold War.”</p>
<blockquote><br/><p>“China<br/> has no intention to change the U.S., nor to replace the U.S. It is also<br/> wishful thinking for the U.S. to change China,” China, Foreign Minister<br/> Wang Yi said.</p><br/></blockquote>
<p>However, these recent events aren’t the full story, the two countries have been fighting in what is being deemed a <a href="https://www.mcsally.senate.gov/news/press-releases/mcsally-were-entering-a-new-cold-war-with-china">“cold war”</a><br/> by U.S.Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) for the past few months. Starting <br/>with trade deals which fell apart, then human rights violations in Hong <br/>Kong, tensions in the South China Sea and, finally, the most recent <br/>blaming of China for the CV pandemic which points to being started in <br/>Wuhan as an accidental bioweapons lab leak.</p>
<p>Another key conflicting issue with Hong Kong is that some of the <br/>weapons being used by Hong Kong police including tear gas, pepper spray,<br/> and batons, are coming from U.S. companies which produce the chemicals <br/>and ammunition. Last year lawmakers in early August called for a ban on <br/>weapons of war that are being used for crowd control, <em>The Epoch Times</em> <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/lawmakers-call-on-us-to-halt-sales-of-tear-gas-to-hong-kong_3024163.html">reported.</a></p>
<p>Amnesty International identified several U.S.-based companies that are supplying the crowd control equipment to police, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.hk/en/immediate-suspension-of-supplies-of-less-lethal-crowd-control-equipment-to-hong-kong/">according</a> to a statement by the humans rights organization.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump promised Chinese President Xi Jinping in a<br/> June phone call that he would stay quiet on the protests in Hong Kong <br/>in exchange for progress in the trade war, <em>Business Insider</em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-china-promise-hong-kong-silence-trade-progress-cnn-2019-10">reported.</a></p>
<p>Although in September, during a meeting at the UN after the trade <br/>deal seemed to fizzle out, Trump criticized China by stating that it <br/>must respect the city’s democracy and abide by the decades-old agreement<br/> giving it semi-autonomy, CBS <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/24/20881776/trump-unga-speech-hong-kong-china">reported.</a></p>
<p>In November, Trump signed into law legislation backing pro-democracy <br/>protesters in Hong Kong, which further threatened sanctions on Chinese <br/>and Hong Kong officials deemed responsible for human rights abuses. The <br/>Senate passed the bill almost unanimously except for one lawmmaker <br/>holding out,<em> The Guardian</em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/27/trump-hong-kong-bills-signed-china-protest">reported.</a></p>
<p>Then in December, one month later, China banned U.S. military ships <br/>and aircraft from visiting Hong Kong and slapped sanctions on several <br/>U.S. non-governmental organizations for allegedly encouraging <br/>anti-government protests according to Beijing, <em>Reuters </em><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-china-usa/china-suspends-u-s-military-visits-to-hong-kong-sanctions-u-s-based-ngos-idUSKBN1Y60IQ">reported.</a></p>
<p>The U.S. sailed <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-security-usa/us-warship-sails-through-taiwan-strait-second-time-in-a-month-idUSKCN22600S">twice</a> through the Taiwan Strait in April, after <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3076768/us-navy-launches-live-fire-missiles-warning-china">firing</a><br/> several live missiles off the coast of the Philippine Sea as a warning <br/>to China in March. While, just one month prior in February the U.S. sent<br/> a total of three aircraft — two B-52 bombers and an MC-130J Commando II<br/> tanker — near the Taiwan Strait after Chinese naval and air forces flew<br/> over the island twice, military publication <em>Stars And Stripes</em> <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/us-sends-three-aircraft-near-taiwan-strait-after-back-to-back-chinese-drills-near-taiwan-1.618432">reported.</a></p>
<p><br/><br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>China responded to the incident in April by scrambling ships and <br/>aircraft to “track, monitor, verify, identify and expel” the U.S. USS <em>Barry</em> (DDG-52) from the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea after it conducted its “freedom of navigation” mission, <em>South China Morning Post</em><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3081970/chinese-military-lashes-out-american-warships-intrusion-south"> reported.</a></p>
<blockquote><p>“These provocative acts by the U.S. side … have seriously<br/> violated China’s sovereignty and security interests, deliberately <br/>increased regional security risks and could easily trigger an unexpected<br/> incident,” reads a statement from PLA Southern Theatre Command <br/>spokesman Li Huamin, said.</p></blockquote>
<p>Vietnam also has long taken issue with China’s activity in the area <br/>and launched an official protest in April after a fishing boat was <br/>allegedly rammed by a Chinese surveillance vessel, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-china-southchinasea/vietnam-protests-beijings-sinking-of-south-china-sea-boat-idUSKBN21M072"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</p>
<p>The U.S. also got involved in defending a Malaysian drillship that <br/>also felt threatened by China’s movements in the area during China’s <br/>April expeditions, as detailed by <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/04/malaysia-south-china-sea-us-navy-drillship-standoff/">Foreign Policy</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the U.S. also taunted Russia by <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Aerospace-Defense/US-destroyers-enter-Barents-Sea-for-first-time-in-over-3-decades">sailing</a> through the Barents Sea, for the first time in more than 30 years.</p>
<p>Additionally, the U.S. walked out of an open skies treaty with Russia<br/> recently as well, marking the third withdrawal from an international <br/>treaty, <em>The Guardian</em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/21/open-skies-us-russia-arms-treaty-trump-pulls-out">reported</a>. Ironically, Russia will now be able to fly over U.S. bases in Europe but the U.S. will no longer be allowed to observe Russia.</p>
<p>The OST is the third arms control agreement Trump has left. He took <br/>the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, and the <br/>Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty in 2019, as this writer <a href="https://www.activistpost.com/2019/02/us-southern-command-colombia-venezuela-military-moves-us-pulls-out-inf-treaty-russia-threatens-us-china-calls-calm.html">reported.</a></p>
<p>If that’s not enough, and it certainly should be, the U.S. has just <br/>discussed testing nuclear weapons last week, something that hasn’t <br/>happened since 1992 <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Trump-administration-discussed-conducting-first-15290244.php">according</a> to <em>San Francisco Gate</em>.<br/> This comes after accusations of an alleged secret low-level underground<br/> nuclear test that happened last year according to the U.S. State <br/>Department which didn’t provide evidence, <em>The Guardian</em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/16/china-may-have-conducted-low-level-nuclear-test-us-report-claims">reported.</a></p>
<p>If true, that would mean that China violated a nuclear arms treaty, <br/>the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which allows activities <br/>designed to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons, but not test <br/>explosions of such, <em>South China Morning Post</em> <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3080133/china-may-have-conducted-banned-nuclear-test-blasts">reported.</a></p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump is attempting to renew a nuclear weapons <br/>treaty with Russia which expired and to get China to sign a contract <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/05/23/donald-trump-wants-china-to-join-a-nuclear-weapons-pact">revealing</a><br/> the exact number of nuclear warheads it has in its arsenal. According <br/>to sources in the U.S. military, China fired more than 100 ballistic <br/>missiles during testing and exercises in 2019, <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/03/01/asia-pacific/china-missiles/">reported</a> <em>Japan Times</em>.</p>
<p>Early warning satellites for missile defense operated by the U.S. military detected the launches by China, the sources claimed.</p>
<p>Defense officials have warned that the US would lose a war with China<br/> fought in the Pacific, is unable to defend Taiwan from an invasion, and<br/> fears the Guam military base is at risk, MSN <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/us-would-lose-a-war-with-china-fought-in-the-pacific-is-unable-to-defend-taiwan-from-an-invasion-and-fears-the-guam-military-base-is-at-risk-now-pentagon-sources-warn/ar-BB14aJO2?li=AAgfYrC">reported.</a></p>
<p>If you don’t hear the sound of war drums by now you may need a <br/>hearing aid. For several years this author has been doing geopolitical <br/>updates and we seem closer than ever to a heated conflict breaking out. <br/>In the meantime we can expect a cyberspace battle and trade sanctions <br/>from both China and the U.S.</p>
<p>No one wins in war except the controllers elevated in power, and <br/>those with shares in various military industrial complex companies like <br/>Lockheed Martin to name an American example. Meanwhile, the poor are <br/>sent to die as soldiers are sold a propagandized lie that the enemy is <br/>different from them, when the people dying have more in common with each<br/> other than those giving the orders to go die.</p>
<p>**By [@An0nkn0wledge](<a href="https://hive.blog/@an0nkn0wledge">https://hive.blog/@an0nkn0wledge</a>)**</p>
<p><em>Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post.</em></p>
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