1949 was a significant year for us. China relations.
October of that year marked the founding of the
People's Republic of China ending civil war between the
Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party with
the latter retreating to Taiwan But just a few years
before the US and China's Nationalist Party had a
relationship even amid tension between the Nationalist
and Communist parties. In the early 19 forties, the US
sent aid to China as it battled Japanese forces in t
war of resistance. The United China Relief Organizatio
raised aid in the States by selling posters like the
ones on your screen right now for Chinese residents
during its conflict with Japan amid civil war. And it
was during this time, a four policemen post war council
was proposed by then President Franklin Roosevelt as
keeper of world peace. It included four major allies of
World War ii with the United Kingdom, the US, the
Soviet Union and China led by Chinese President Chong
Kai Shek. As many of us know none of that came to pass
and us relations with two of those four nations soured.
But over decades, Washington has managed to work with
the country. In 19 72 President Nixon traveled to Chi
after years of tense diplomatic relations. It marks
first time an American president visited since the
People's Republic of China was established in 1949. And
in 1978 the US and the People's Republic of China
announced they'd recognize one another and establish
official relations. The agreeme recognized China as a
sole government and withdrew diplomatic recognition
from Taiwan. But recent years have seen major tests for
the relationship. Former President Trump's relationship
with Chinese President Xi saw a visit to Mar a Lago
only to shift in 2020 as he placed blame on the nation
for, in his words, unleashing a plague in the fall of
2020 two, President Biden met with the Chinese
President in Indonesia discussi a range of topics
from climate change to North Korea. But a lot has
happened between that last meeting and now where the
relationship leads to next is anyone's guess. But
here's a closer look just as state leaders call for a
cooling of tensions between the US and China. It seems
the temperature only continues to climb. In mid June,
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited President Xi
Jinping to discuss relations and conflict diversion. He
made clear that while we will compete vigorously, the
United States will responsibly manage that competi
so that the relationship does not veer into conflict.
But soon after President biden made remarks at a
campaign reception saying that President Xi was said
about the spy balloon shot down in February as a quote,
great embarrassment for dictato when they didn't know
what happened. The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign
Ministry called the comment extremely absurd and
irresponsible. It's still uncle what the impact of
the comments will be. The war of words is not the only
recent flashpoint between the two superpowers since the
high profile spy balloon incident earlier this year. In
April, a federal court in New York brought charges
against two men allegedly connected to an illegal
overseas police station operating in lower Manhattan.
The Department of Justice says it was operated by a
provincial branch of the Ministry of Public Security of
the People's Republic of China. Now just imagine the
NYPD opening an undeclared secret police station in
Beijing. It would be unthinkabl There are over 100 so
called police stations around the globe supposedly to
intimidate dissidents living abroad cities in Canada,
Germany, the Netherlands and others have opened
investigations into alleged police outposts. The Spain
based human rights NGO safeguard defenders has
documented alleged stations across these countries.
China has denied these are police outposts and insists
they are stations to assist with services like drive
license renewals in June to add to security concerns.
The Wall Street Journal reported that China was
planning to build a new military training facility
Cuba. According to suggestions from us intelligenc
reports, the Pentagon denied initial reports that
reporting I can tell you based on the information that
we have. That that is not that we are not aware of
China and Cuba developing any type of spy station, but
it has yet to comment on the latest investiga
According to Gallup polling this year for the third
time in a row, Americans are most likely to name China
as the greatest adversary of the US over Russia, North
Korea and Iran, a PEW research center survey in March
showed that the greatest concerns for Americans were
specifically the partnership between China and Russia.
Tensions between China and Taiwan and the country's
record on human rights. As US, China relations continue
to be a major concern for many Americans. The Biden
administration faces an uphill battle to de escalate
tensions all while refusing to cede to arguably its
greatest economic competitor.