Published 11:50 IST, September 5th 2020
US Security Adviser: ‘Biggest failure of our foreign policy is how we've dealt with China’
US NSA Robert O'Brien said that the manner in which successive administrations have health with China is the biggest foreign policy failure of the country.
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The United State’s National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien reportedly said that the manner in which successive administrations have health with China is the biggest foreign policy failure of the country. While asserting that US President Donald Trump has taken steps and stoop up to Beijing to reverse the course, O’Brien pointed out how China became richer and how it bullied its neighbouring countries and its own people. The US officials accused Beijing of ‘malign’ activities and even noted the theft by the Chinese of intellectual property.
While speaking at a White House news conference, O’Brien said, “There was this mantra that somehow as China became richer, as we turned a blind eye to Chinese malign activity with they stealing our IP or engaging in unfair trade practices or bullying its neighbours, bullying its own people at Tiananmen Square, if we would turn the other cheek, turn a blind eye that China would become richer. As it became richer and the middle class in China grew, they'd become more like us”.
O’Brien said that China’s human rights violation have gotten worse over the years. He noted that whether its the leader or religious minorities or the neighbours, the people who enjoy democracy in Hong Kong until just recently, the bullying of Taiwan, the world has seen ‘very malign Chinese activity’. He went on to point out that the director of the FBI also recently called the ‘greatest death transfer’ in human history was theft by the Chinese of US’ intellectual property.
The security adviser said, “People who've built companies, who've done everything they can to create an idea and turn an idea into reality. And then what happens? That idea gets stolen by China. It's not just that they've lost the economic value of their innovation or of their method of doing business, the Chinese have taken it sometimes using slave labour but using cheaper labour, often manufactured of products that compete at a lower price and then put the original person who invented the technology out of business and then kills the industry from the United States and whole industries go to China. Whole manufacturing plants go to China”.
Furthermore, he informed that FBI director Christopher Wray is opening a new espionage case against the Chinese every 10 hours. O’Brien further went on to say to Trump stood up to the Chinese and for the first time in 40 years, he put tariffs on Beijing. He said that the US had a phase one trade deal that partially addressed some of the unfair trade practices and was a huge step in the right direction.
US’ strong actions against China
The United States is investing in defence and taking strong action on the diplomatic front against the Chinese. O’Brien said that the country has a peace through strength foreign policy that had been missing for so many years. The security adviser said that the country is taking strong action on the trade front and protecting the intellectual property. He also noted that the US is also taking strong action and have massive sections on the Chinese for the first time because of the treatment of the Uighurs or their treatment of democrats in Hong Kong.
O’Brien concluded by saying, “I think at the end of the day, our allies are going to follow us, what you've seen happening with 5G and Huawei and we're seeing many, many countries, including our closest allies turning away from the Chinese, turning away from Huawei and going with trusted providers on 5G”.
He added, “So I think at the end of the day, America is going to prevail. I think trump President Trump's vision of free markets and free women and freed men is an attractive message not just to our allies but even to people within China. It's a heck of a challenge, but I'm convinced that under President Trump's leadership, the American people are up to the challenge”.
(With PTI inputs)
(Image: @ChanelRion/Twitter)
11:51 IST, September 5th 2020