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The “Cold War” between the US and China has really heated up over the past several weeks. In fact, in the past few days, heightened tensions are thought to be responsible for the Chinese military ramping up military drills around East Asia as the two nations have verbally sparred in the aftermath of the US sending multiple aircraft carrier strike groups to perform dual-carrier exercises in the South China Sea twice last month.

Additionally, the past few weeks also saw both countries offering dual orders for the closure of consulates and the FBI going as far as to advise Americans living in or visiting Communist China of the potential for a “heightened risk of arbitrary detention,” related to “state security.”

But, is this latest turn of events is really just the equivalent of a “lover’s quarrel” for the two countries, that are still heavily intertwined as each other’s “biggest investor and trade partner,” according to comments made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum last year?

The string of recent microaggressions the two superpowers have committed against each other does at least beg the question, “at what point will the weight of this international serve and volley of hostility be enough to break the proverbial ‘camel’s back?’”

Earlier this year, at the height of COVID-19 inspired fear and hysteria in America, the Communist Chinese government, which is arguably responsible for every coronavirus related death that occurred outside of its borders, withheld shipments of personal protective equipment headed to the United States and other countries. 

It was also learned that while China was fervently denying the possibility of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19, their government was simultaneously hoarding PPE imports, as according to Steven Bannon, former White House chief strategist early in the Trump administration, “The same people that understood this virus had human-to-human transmission and was going to be a pandemic were at the same time vacuuming up every piece of PPE from the US, Brazil and Europe.” 

This occurred just before the time that the Communist Chinese propaganda machine would attempt to claim victory over the virus, as the debate regarding how and when to execute reopening protocols and their associated timeframes was just taking shape in most of the rest of the world.

In the weeks and months since, President Trump, as well as many in the world and media and politics have not been shy regarding the assigning of blame to China for the deaths and pronounced spiral into worldwide recession as a result of the mishandling of the initial coronavirus outbreak.

The debate has even begun in some circles regarding what specific financial liability China has in the matter of COVID-19, as a result of their irresponsible and arguably criminal handling of sensitive and valuable data that could have been used to minimize the loss of human life since the pandemic has taken hold of the planet. 

At this time, with a monumentally important election around 80 days away, it is important to consider the positions of both major candidates (President Trump and Presumptive Democratic Nominee Joe Biden) as they relate to China.

President Trump has always held very sober and lucid views towards the “Red Dragon.” Early on in his presidency, while on an official state visit in Beijing, he told reporters, “This relationship is something which we are working very hard to make a fair and reciprocal one. Trade between China and the United States has not been — over the last many many years — a very fair one for us.”

In addition to pointing out the massive trade deficit he addressed the issue of the shady practice of intellectual property theft in saying, “We must immediately address the unfair trade practices that drive this deficit along with barriers to market success: We really have to look at access, forced technology transfer and the theft of intellectual property — which just by itself is costing the United States and its companies at least $300 billion a year.”

Trump’s concerns and warnings regarding China have been justified time after time as despite the supposed protections afforded to American businesses operating in China via the Phase One Trade Deal signed in early 2020 by American and China, the FBI last month sent out a warning of related to GoldenSpy malware. 

This infection, which gives the government a backdoor into the data of private companies, is being forced on American businesses via a tax software that is being mandated by the Communist Chinese. Companies are being forced to utilize the tax software under the guise of handling the value-added tax (VAT) payments to the Chinese tax authority.

Conversely, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has already sent out a message that America would fall back into the previous tradition of appeasing China by stating his intention of ending the tariffs put into place early on in the Trump administration, which were used a leveraging tool as a new trade agreement was forged with the manufacturing superpower. 

This certainly would sound like music to the ears of the Chinese, who have enjoyed a generally less tumultuous relationship with not only Joe, but Hunter Biden over the years, as the latter has been a board member at BHR Equity Investment Fund Management Company, a Chinese government backed private equity firm, since late 2013. In fact, 2017 saw Biden purchase 10% of the company for about $420,000, according to The New York Times.

According to the Peter Schweizer book Secret Empires, BHR was able to secure a $1.5 billion investment deal that was funded by the Chinese government after Hunter Biden flew to China on Air Force Two during the Obama administration.

The differences between the candidates before voters this November could not be clearer. America is struggling through a COVID-19 pandemic that was arguably both initiated and exacerbated by China and actively working to assert its independence from a country that currently provides it with upwards of 80 percent of its pharmaceuticals. A change in philosophy as a result of this November’s election will put us back in a position of subservience to a hostile actor, looking to continue to take advantage of the United States.

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Julio Rivera

Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, the Editorial Director for Reactionary Times and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, has been published by websites including The Hill, Real Clear Politics, Townhall and American Thinker.

Latest posts by Julio Rivera (see all)

• Joe Biden’s cyber-disaster a microcosm of hispresidency thus far - March 16, 2024
• Cybersecurity in 2024: Can the Biden administration handle emerging trends? - January 13, 2024
• Navigating the cyber threat landscape: Staying safe in the holiday shopping season - November 17, 2023

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