The Trump administration has stepped up the pressure on China in last few days, and it is said to be driven by concerns that Beijing has not kept its promises made during trade talks earlier this month, reported CNN citing three administration officials.
The actions taken by Trump include revoking visas for some Chinese students and restricting the sale of key technologies to Chinese firms. As per the officials, CNN reports, the US is disappointed by China’s lack of follow-through, especially as both sides had agreed to ease tariffs after recent talks in Switzerland.
After the recent trade talks in Geneva, US officials had expected China to relax its export limits on rare earth minerals. These minerals are crucial for making products like smartphones, electric cars, and advanced military equipment such as F-35 fighter jets and missile systems, the CNN report said. However, China has not eased those restrictions, which has upset the Trump administration. In response, the US has taken several new actions against China, the report said.
Recent steps by Washington, such as blocking the sale of important technologies to China and limiting the number of Chinese students in the US, show that the trade war is now a key part of the country’s broader strategy toward China. One senior official described it as a well-coordinated effort across the entire administration.
Will US’ strong moves impact China?
These new measures are expected to have a strong effect on Chinese tech companies and students. According to the Financial Times, the US government recently stopped some American companies from selling software used to design computer chips to China. A Siemens spokesperson also confirmed that the US had informed the industry about new rules restricting the export of chip design software to China and its military-linked users worldwide.
Soon after, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US would start canceling visas for certain Chinese students, especially those linked to the Chinese Communist Party or studying sensitive subjects.
The White House explained that these moves are part of a larger effort to strengthen security and prevent spying or other threats from foreign visitors, following an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day in office.