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US President Donald Trump will step down from office on Wednesday. But he uses the few days until then to reinforce his course against China again. The People’s Republic has been an avowed enemy of Trump for the past four years, instigating a trade war between the two countries.
Now, following Trump’s instructions, government agencies must seek ways to minimize the purchase of Chinese goods and services, national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in Washington on Friday night. This should reduce the risk of espionage. In another decree, Trump also imposed sanctions against China, Cuba and Iran.
“Protection of American interests”
Trump had directed government agencies to carry out inspections “to minimize the federal government’s acquisition of goods and services from the People’s Republic of China,” said security adviser O’Brien. He accused the People’s Republic of targeting United States government information systems, such as personnel records and military plans. “That is why the United States must take appropriate measures to protect American interests,” the security adviser said.
It was not clear what specific measures they should be. But a senior government official said the main goal is to crack down on Chinese attempts to infiltrate US IT networks: “For example, if there is hardware breaking into our networks, that’s the kind of thing they have It could be a weak point. “
Sanctions against China, Iran, Cuba
In a further step, Trump imposed sanctions on six representatives of the Chinese leadership and the police in Hong Kong. The sanctions are in response to the arrest of 55 democracy activists in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Jan.6, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Friday. The central government in Beijing is destroying “freedoms and democratic processes” in Hong Kong, criticized Pompeo.
The US measures are likely a reaction to Hong Kong’s controversial security law, which has been in place since the summer. It is directed against activities that Beijing considers subversive, separatist, terrorist or conspiratorial. International observers criticize that it allows Chinese leaders to make arbitrary arrests in Hong Kong.
In addition to the new sanctions against China, Foreign Minister Pompeo also implemented punitive measures against a Chinese steel factory and a manufacturer of building materials in the United Arab Emirates. The reason is cooperation with the Iranian state shipping company, which is already subject to US sanctions. The US Treasury Department claims that it also imposed sanctions on Cuba’s Interior Minister, Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas. Previously, Pompeo had put Cuba back on the list of terrorist states.
Trump’s term ends on January 20. Then Democrat Joe Biden takes over as president.
