Raising concern on China’s hiked military spending, US President Donald Trump called China a threat to the world. This latest provocation from Trump comes amidst the backdrop of US-China trade wars and China’s growing attempts to consolidate their hold on South China Sea.
Crux of the Matter
China in recent times has increased its military spending by 7% and is trying to counter America’s influence in the disputed South China Sea area.
Trump also accused China of stealing American Intellectual Property and blamed his predecessors.
USA and China have been engaged in a trade war since March 2018 when Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese goods up to 25%. This has contributed majorly to a global economy slowdown.
US and Chinese officials are working to resolve the issue but haven’t reached an agreement as of yet.
Curiopedia
The South China Sea disputes involve both island and maritime claims among several sovereign states within the region, namely Brunei, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. An estimated US$3.37 trillion worth of global trade passes through the South China Sea annually, which accounts for a third of the global maritime trade. 80 percent of China’s energy imports and 39.5 percent of China’s total trade passes through the South China Sea. Since 2013, the People’s Republic of China has resorted to island building in the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands region. These actions have been met with a wide international condemnation, and since 2015 the United States and other states such as France and the United Kingdom have conducted freedom of navigation operations in the region. More Info
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