As President Trump has heaped blame on China for a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 141,000 Americans, his aides are moving to expand on his rhetorical blasts and marshal a broader campaign to punish Beijing on a host of unrelated issues.
The strategy escalated dramatically this week when the administration ordered Chinese officials to shut down China’s consulate in Houston within 72 hours over charges that it was being used for aggressive intelligence-gathering operations.
That decision — which prompted a pledge from Beijing to retaliate — came after other punitive measures in recent weeks, including economic sanctions on Chinese officials over human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims; the stripping of Hong Kong’s special economic status after the Communist Party tightened control of the island; and plans to expel some Chinese journalists and restrict exchange students in the United States. Continue reading.