#Team Trump’s pushback against China is long overdue

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President Trump is playing hardball with President Xi of China over Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong activists.
AFP via Getty Images

The diplomatic war with China continues to heat up, but Beijing is leaving the world no choice but to respond to its belligerence.

Just this week, the Chinese slapped sanctions on several US lawmakers, charging them with “behaving badly” on Hong Kong issues. The move came after Washington imposed its own sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and 10 other officials the week before.

Yet unlike China, the United States had good reason: It was pushing back on China’s crackdown on dissent and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, which under a treaty that went into effect in 1997 was supposed to operate under its own “system” until 2047.

China’s mischief didn’t end there. It also arrested pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and 10 others under its new, draconian national-security law. All were initially held without bail but released after 30 hours in police custody.

Lai was accused of colluding with foreign governments after he met with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and members of Congress. The arrests are proof that China had “eviscerated” Hong Kong’s freedom and democracy, said Pompeo.

Meanwhile, there are fresh concerns that Beijing will meddle in November’s elections. National Counterintelligence and Security Center boss William Evanina warned that China, along with Iran and Russia, will “use covert and overt” influence to try to “sway US voters’ preferences and perspectives, shift US policies, increase discord in the United States and undermine the American people’s confidence in our democratic process.”

China is said to oppose President Trump’s reelection, no doubt because he’s holding Beijing’s feet to the fire: He (correctly) blames it for the spread of the coronavirus, insists on trade deals less favorable to Beijing and has imposed US sanctions on China for its “bad behavior.”

Trump also accused TikTok of collaborating with Beijing to collect data on Americans via its app and banned US individuals or companies from doing business with its parent firm ByteDance as of Sept. 20.

When Washington stands up to China, it’s no surprise to see Beijing retaliate. But the US is in a far stronger position to play this game. Besides, if the Chinese don’t meet any resistance, they’ll only be emboldened. Pushback is long overdue.