SUMMARY: The Trump administration has ordered China to close its Houston consulate -- the latest action in an escalating fight between the two countries. The State Department cited concerns about espionage and intellectual property theft as justification for the move. Nick Schifrin reports and talks to Yale Law School’s Susan Thornton, former acting Assistant Secretary of State, and author Gordon Chang.
For decades, theorists in the United States and China imagined two futures. In one, the future belonged to both countries. This scenario envisioned a world in which Beijing and Washington together managed climate change, economic issues, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and even pandemics. China would be a “responsible stakeholder,” while the U.S. government would make room for it at the top. This was the world of engagement, the “Group of Two” and “Chimerica,” of win-win and strategic partnerships.
The second prognosis conjured a future in which one power overcame the other and then helped set the trajectory for the rest of humanity. In this scenario, competition between Washington and Beijing beat out cooperation. This was the world of Cold War thinking, decoupling, zero sum and, to use the Chinese phrase, “you die, and I live.”
To be fair, a few scholars questioned this binary perspective. But, generally speaking, no one really wrestled with the ramifications of a world with neither country on top.
The woeful response of both nations to the coronavirus and the petulant game of gotcha being played in Washington and Beijing provides an opportunity to reconsider these theories and ask the question: Is it possible that neither the United States nor China is capable of world leadership? And if so, which nation can step into the breach?
Despite an onslaught of mind-bending “fake news” from Beijing, China’s slow response to the coronavirus clearly created the conditions for the global pandemic. China’s failure to share information with the World Health Organization and the WHO’s apparent pandering to China’s interests made the crisis worse.
China’s unwillingness to provide accurate statistics continues to be an issue. For one, it has been clear that China has been lowballing its death count. The Post and others reported that people dying in their homes and outside hospitals awaiting medical attention were not counted in the official tally. It’s also quite possible that China underreported its total number of COVID-19 cases due to political pressure from the Chinese Communist Party to declare the epidemic under control.
These faulty statistics matter because what happened in Wuhan is now unfolding tragically in other places, such as northern Italy and New York City. China’s refusal to be transparent about fatalities and infections has made it even more difficult for the rest of the world to prepare for the onslaught.
In reacting to the crisis, China’s government, led by Communist Party boss Xi Jinping, has punished whistleblowers, muzzled citizen journalists and arrested dissidents. It has tried to play a blame game with the United States, deputizing its spokesmen to spread confusion about the source of the virus. China also sought to leverage the aid it is giving other countries and to frame every misstep by the United States as something that will benefit Beijing. In WeChat postings, prominent Chinese have reacted with glee to the news that the disease is spreading rapidly in the United States. “It’s your turn!” exalted a leading anchor on Chinese state-run television.
China’s economy, which was already slowing, faces even greater headwinds with COVID-19. Huge problems loom on the horizon involving massive government debt, demographics and a widening drought in northern China. The virus could only bring these issues forward, forcing an even more abrupt reckoning for Beijing.
Of course, the United States has not acquitted itself with glory either. The U.S. response has been led by a feckless President who did not recognize the seriousness of the problem. His underlings have also been less than stellar. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s botched manufacturing of test kits set the country back weeks, if not months, in its response to and understanding of the outbreak.
And members of President Trump’s national security team have often seemed more intent on scoring points against China than in confronting what is now a global menace. Just consider Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s performance during a meeting of his counterparts at the Group of Seven in late March, during which Pompeo wasted valuable minutes failing to persuade his colleagues in Europe to name the disease “the Wuhan virus” to ensure that China got its fair share of the blame. The United States is even getting into a bidding war with its Western allies over the purchase of medical supplies.
The United States, too, has punished whistleblowers. Witness the execrable treatment of Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from the command of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier after his appeal to evacuate his crew of 4,000 following a COVID-19 shipboard outbreak was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.
To be sure, there are differences between the failures in China and the United States. The United States remains a free country, and the debate over how to deal with the disease is being held publicly and without the censorship that colors China’s regime. But neither country can argue that its approach to the virus is worthy of imitation.
Other countries have done a far better job. In Asia, South Korea and Taiwan stand out as models. And in the West, Germany, and Canada are faring better, in how they are protecting both their people’s health and their economies.
These differences matter. How these nations emerge from this once-in-a-generation crisis is going to remake the world order. Americans and Chinese who believed they were going to remain at the top of the world, either decoupled or engaged, will be in for a rude shock when they discover that the future no longer belongs to them.
SUMMARY: China is struggling to contain an outbreak of novel coronavirus that has now spread in small numbers to at least 25 other countries or territories. Both the official death toll and the number of confirmed cases have doubled in recent days, and there are doubts about the accuracy of data the Chinese government is reporting. William Brangham is joined by Georgetown University’s Lawrence Gostin.
SUMMARY: China continues to struggle with novel coronavirus and is only now starting to allow scientists and public health officials from outside to assist in its efforts. While the majority of infections and fatalities are centered in Hubei province, the illness is increasingly being felt across China. William Brangham talks to The Economist’s David Rennie for an inside look at how the country is coping.
SUMMARY: As novel coronavirus continues to plague China, the country’s president, Xi Jinping, fired two high-level Communist Party officials in the region at the outbreak's center. The move comes as both death toll and number of cases are surging, partly as a result of changes in the way infections are defined. John Yang sits down with Jude Blanchette of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
SUMMARY: For decades, Taiwan's political status has been a contentious issue between the U.S. and China. The U.S. considers it a real democracy, while mainland China sees a rogue province that should be under Communist control. Taiwanese voters will elect their next president Saturday, in a decision with major implications for Taiwan and U.S.-China relations. Special correspondent Divya Gopalan reports.
SUMMARY: Sunday’s Hong Kong election proved grassroots protesters there have overwhelming support. Although the positions pro-democracy forces won have little power, Chief Executive Carrie Lam vowed to “seriously reflect” on the results. Meanwhile, leaked Communist Party documents shed new light on Chinese persecution of Uighur Muslims. Amna Nawaz talks to University of California San Diego’s Susan Shirk.
SUMMARY: Last month, hundreds of documents obtained by The New York Times gave an inside view of China’s growing indoctrination camps. In the country’s northwestern region, Uighurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained for ideological transformation, isolated from the outside world. Austin Ramzy, a reporter with the New York Times, spoke with Hari Sreenivasan about the findings.
SUMMARY: When it comes to military, global economy, and global influence, the two most important countries in the world are China and the U.S. And in recent years, both sides of that rivalry have become more combative. For our new series, “China: Power and Prosperity,” we travel around the globe to take stock of China’s position on the world stage. Nick Schifrin joins Judy Woodruff to offer a preview.
SUMMARY: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s philosophy has been written into the country’s constitution. He has sought to raise the standard of living at home, while boosting China’s power and influence across the globe. But critics accuse him of consolidating power and creating a campaign of oppression against the Chinese people -- especially those who disagree with him. Nick Schifrin reports from Beijing.
SUMMARY: For decades, the world's two largest economies — the U.S. and China — have been integrated. But the Trump administration is now trying to undo that, as an escalating trade war impacts consumers and businesses in both countries. NewsHour's Nick Schifrin and special correspondent Katrina Yu report on the third in a 10-part series, "China: Power and Prosperity," with support from the Pulitzer Center.
SUMMARY: Communist China's planned economy once prevented its citizens from becoming wealthy. But China now produces billionaires faster than any country in the world, even as President Xi Jinping has cracked down on ostentatious displays of wealth. Special correspondent Katrina Yu reports on the fourth in a 10-part series, "China: Power and Prosperity," with support from the Pulitzer Center.
SUMMARY: President Trump has spent much of his term confronting other countries over trade practices. In particular, he is engaged in a bitter tariff war with China. But how do these tensions affect the U.S. economy? William Brangham talks to Iowa farmer Denny Friest, and the National Retail Federation's David French, about what they see in agriculture and retail -- two sectors caught in the crossfire.
SUMMARY: Although Hong Kong's airport is back up and running, the city’s political unrest is far from settled. Local police and the Chinese government both condemned protesters Wednesday, saying they had “crossed the line” and would be prosecuted accordingly. Beijing also blamed the U.S. for the pro-democracy demonstrations, as President Trump tried to maintain neutral ground. Amna Nawaz reports.
SUMMARY: After two days of heightened violence, demonstrations in Hong Kong partially receded Wednesday, and the city's airport resumed operations. Now questions are surfacing about whether Hong Kong will prosecute protesters it arrested -- and whether China itself intervene. Amna Nawaz talks to former National Security Council staffer Ken Lieberthal, and Minxin Pei of Claremont McKenna College.
SUMMARY: Chinese military exercises Thursday near the border with Hong Kong reiterated the country’s waning patience with months of pro-democracy demonstrations, some turning violent. Beijing officials have referred to the protests as “terrorism,” and even some Hong Kong residents have grown weary of them -- but more are planned for the upcoming weekend. Special correspondent Bruce Harrison reports.
SUMMARY: More than 1.7 million people in Hong Kong took to the streets on Sunday in the largest demonstration in the ongoing protests in the city, organizers said. The peaceful demonstration follows last week’s violent clashes with the police and chaos at the Hong Kong airport. Quartz reporter Mary Hui joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.
SUMMARY: A day after a strike disrupted public transportation and blocked major roads in Hong Kong, China’s central government strongly condemned the protesters, whom it called “criminals.” It did not address the grievances of the pro-democracy forces or propose solutions, but rather warned them not to “mistake our restraint for weakness.” Jonathan Miller of Independent Television News reports.
SUMMARY: For months, the Trump administration has accused Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei of being a threat to U.S. national security, warning that data could be channeled through the company’s equipment to China’s intelligence services. Huawei is effectively banned from U.S. networks. What does the company think of Trump’s stance? Nick Schifrin talks to Huawei Senior Vice President Vincent Pang.
SUMMARY: The leaders of the two biggest economies in the world met in Osaka, Japan at the G20 summit to discuss the on-going trade war between them. And while no resolution has been reached, the U.S. is holding off on further tariffs on China for now. NPR’s chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley joins to discuss the President’s meeting with Xi and his Twitter invitation to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
SUMMARY: In North Korea, hunger is pervasive, and medical supplies are inadequate, in part because of U.S. and U.N. sanctions. While China and South Korea are offering humanitarian assistance, U.S. officials fear aid would be usurped by the government rather than distributed among the people who need it. But as Nick Schifrin reports, conditions in the world’s most isolated country are only worsening.
SUMMARY: Huge demonstrations in Hong Kong protesting a proposed Chinese extradition law seem to have paid off, as the city’s chief executive has indefinitely suspended the controversial legislation. What does the backtracking mean for Hong Kong and Beijing? Nick Schifrin talks to Lee Cheuk Yan, a co-founder of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, and Doug Paal of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
SUMMARY: Protesters in Hong Kong are promising more mass demonstrations after some erupted into violence. Police battled crowds in a growing crisis over Hong Kong officials’ granting mainland China greater control over the city -- including the power to extradite people from Hong Kong for trial in China. Debi Edward of Independent Television News reports on the “dogged determination” of the law’s critics.
SUMMARY: Tuesday marked 30 years since China's military suppressed a pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square with deadly force. But today, Chinese authorities made sure everything was normal at the site of the massacre. Remember the NewsHour's coverage of the tragedy, as Nick Schifrin talks to Minxin Pei of Claremont McKenna College, and Orville Schell of the Asia Society, about Tiananmen’s legacy.
SUMMARY: In Hong Kong, crowds are taking to the streets to protest a new law that allows extradition of suspected criminals to China. The city has long valued its independence, and opponents of the policy fear it will enable China to target critics and create a chilling effect on speech. Nick Schifrin talks to Martin Lee, an attorney and the founding chairman of the first pro-democracy party in Hong Kong.
SUMMARY: The Department of Justice has indicted two Chinese hackers for infiltrating U.S. companies and government agencies and stealing vast amounts of sensitive data to help Chinese companies compete with their American counterparts. John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, explains to Judy Woodruff how the cyber intrusion occurred and why it violates a 2015 U.S.-China agreement.
SUMMARY: China set out to retaliate against new U.S. import taxes on Chinese goods on Tuesday by saying it would levy tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, ranging from agricultural products and machinery to chemicals. John Yang talks with David Wessel of the Brookings Institute about the affected industries and the outlook for a resolution.
SUMMARY: Not since the Soviet era has the Russian military showed off this much weaponry and tried to convince the world that the Russians are coming -- and they've already arrived. Russian forces have this week conducted its largest war games in a generation, and got some help from China. Nick Schifrin reports that the exercises are as much about projecting power as demonstrating it.
