‘China Task Force’ established by US politicians ‘a circus troupe’

The newly established “China Task Force” in the US is nothing but a “circus troupe,” which has no real power but serves to amplify the “China threat theory,” Chinese observers said, after a US congressman outlined five areas for the task force, noting that this task force emerged partly to satisfy President Donald Trump’s needs to “throw more mud at China’s shoes.”

But analysts warned the task force may further fray bilateral relations, and if the US continues its aggressive China policy, it will surely meet with China’s array of countermeasures, until it realizes such hawkish measures will lead to a heavy price and cause “real pain” for Washington, Chinese analysts warned.

Following the announcement of the task force, US Congressman Michael T. McCaul announced five pillars of the task force: National Security, Technology, Economics and Energy, Competitiveness, and Ideological Competition.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced on May 7 the establishment of a Republican-led task force aimed at conducting probes and making recommendations to combat threats from China.

“They will be looking at a wide range of China-related issues, including influence operations targeting the US like our universities, think tanks and media outlets, economic threats to our government and our allies, efforts to gain a technological advantage, and our role in the origin and spread of COVID-19,” the California Republican said.

The five pillars already covered major confrontation areas between China and the US, which means their next move is to further strengthen and expand hostile policies toward China, said Zhang Tengjun, assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

The task force also satisfies Trump’s need to blacken China at this moment as the blame game has become a new normal in the White House. And the task force pushes forward the Trump administration’s tough stance toward China, said Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University.