PEJOURNAL – The conflict between China and the United States has a long history, but during Trump’s presidency, the conflict has become more apparent, and Trump is trying to change the structure of relations between the two countries.
The United States and China were informal allies during the Cold War against the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States changed its view of China tillthe 1990s, so much so that China was identified as one of the most serious threats to the United States in the 21st century, according to a future congressional report.
The first issue of tension between the United States and China was economic issues, and Washington’s concern over the growing trend of China’s economy, which has led to political stabilization and Chinese power, prompted the United States to launch a trade, psychological and economic war against China under the pretext of compensating. The crisis is now entering a more complex phase with the Corona issue, as well as the Hong Kong affair.
In the wake of the US-led conflict with the Corona virus, Trump blamed Beijing for the spread of Covid-19, citing the use of tariffs, sanctions and even compensation. He has also threatened in recent days that he may end US relations with China.
In the midst of these crises, the emergence of two new incidents has increased the level of verbal conflict between the two countries and the use of propaganda of these incidents between them.
First, was the death of a black American, George Floyd, by police officer in the United States, which provoked a direct reaction from Beijing. Floyd’s death, which sparked widespread protests in the United States and sparked international outcry, prompted China to condemn racism as a social disease in the United States, and to identify the problem of racial discrimination and police brutality, which provoked a reaction from the US Secretary of State.
In response to remarks by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Pompeo called the use of George Floyd’s death a dirty move by the Communist Party. These remarks at the level of officials of the two countries caused the propaganda war between the two sides to enter a new phase.
On the other hand, the issue of the adoption of new laws by China for Hong Kong, which under the auspices of China, has led to a new verbal war between the two countries.
On the Hong Kong issue, Beijing has accused the United States of meddling in China’s internal affairs and called for efforts to dismantle China. Although the Chinese defense minister has threatened the United States with a serious confrontation if it interferes in the country’s internal affairs, it has announced that the doors of dialogue between the two countries are open.
Referring to the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed, the Chinese State Department spokesman stated that “Why does the United States support the so-called Hong Kong independence claimants as heroes and activists, but describes those who protest against racism as rioters?” These talks show the serious propaganda confrontation between the two countries, using every political event in each of these countries.
Trump is expected to step up his confrontation with China as the number one enemy of the United States, given that Trump is in his last year in office and needs to gain public opinion in order to win the vote due to the recent crises in the United States.