The latest sign of the worsening of ties between China and the United States has come in the form of a canceled October trip to Beijing planned by Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who was to meet with senior Chinese officials to discuss security issues.
The Pentagon has not yet confirmed the last-minute cancellation which comes amid growing tensions between the two countries mainly over trade, but also over the latest U.S. sanctions against the Chinese military and accusations by President Donald Trump that China is trying to interfere with the upcoming November midterms.
During a press conference last week, President Trump pointed out that his friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which he had often touted in the past, has ended. “He may not be a friend of mine anymore. But I think he probably respects me,” Trump said Wednesday.
The Trump administration levied a new batch of tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods last Monday, which was immediately followed by China which imposed 5-10% tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods and called off planned trade talks with Washington, complicating matters even further.
The Chinese government further canceled a port visit to Hong Kong by U.S. Navy assault ship USS Wasp last week, CNN informs. The move came after the United States decided to sanction the Chinese military’s Equipment Development Department and its director for buying combat aircraft and missile systems from Russia.
Later that week, the U.S. Navy released photos showing the USS Wasp taking part in a live-fire exercise in the South China Sea, a move likely to strain U.S.-Chinese relations even further. On Sunday, another U.S. Navy warship sailed in the disputed South China Sea, where the Chinese government claims a large swathe of territory.
The diplomatic falling out between Washington and Beijing was additionally worsened by accusations of election interference by President Trump, who said during a speech at the United Nations Security Council that China didn’t want him to win because he was the first president to challenge them on trade.
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