Chronologies
US - China
Chronology from Sep 2019 to Dec 2019
: Trump and Xi hold a phone call. They discuss the trade deal, North Korea, and Hong Kong.
: Trump tweets: “Had a very good talk with President Xi of China concerning our giant Trade Deal. China has already started large scale purchaes of agricultural product & more. Formal signing being arranged. Also talked about North Korea, where we are working with China, & Hong Kong (progress!).”
: US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Beigun visits Beijing to discuss “the need to maintain international unity on North Korea” after China and Russia proposed lifting some UN sanctions.
: China’s Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council releases a list of US products that will be exempted, including special synthetic resin, white oil, a food-grade petroleum wax, and types of polyethylene and polypropylene, the second exemption list since Sept. 17, 2019.
: Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Christopher Ford formally invites China to begin a strategic security dialogue on nuclear risk reduction and arms control.
: The State Department re-designates China, along with Burma, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom.”
: In an interview with FOX Business, Lighthizer comments on the phase one trade agreement: “Is this agreement going to solve all the problems between the United States and China? No, for sure not, but it has real, real structural change.”
: China’s National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Fu Linghui says China and the United States should continue bilateral trade talks and work toward removing all existing tariffs.
: China and Russia propose a draft UN resolution seeking partial sanctions relief, including the lifting of sanctions on North Korean exports of statues, seafood and textiles. The US rejects the resolution.
: Suspected of espionage, two Chinese embassy officials are expelled from the US after driving onto a sensitive military base in Virginia in September.
: At the Doha Forum conference in Qatar, Mnuchin comments on the phase one deal: “We expect it will be fully executed in January. And then we get to phase two. The most important issue is – let’s make sure we implement phase one with an enforceable agreement, which it is. And then we start negotiating phase two.”
: Esper delivers speech at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York in which he states: “We have entered a new era of great-power competition. China first and Russia second are now the department’s top priorities.”
: Wang delivers speech at the annual symposium on China’s diplomacy and the international situation in Beijing.
: Trump tweets: “We have agreed to a very large Phase One Deal with China. They have agreed to many structural changes and massive purchases of Agricultural Product, Energy, and Manufactured Goods, plus much more. The 25% Tariffs will remain as is, with 7 1/2% put on much of the remainder ….”
: Trump tweets: “…The Penalty Tariffs set for December 15th will not be charged because of the fact that we made the deal. We will begin negotiations on the Phase Two Deal immediately, rather than waiting until after the 2020 Election. This is an amazing deal for all. Thank you!”
: The USTR announces a phase one trade agreement with China and publishes a fact sheet explaining the commitments made in the agreement.
: Trump tweets “Getting VERY close to a BIG DEAL with China. They want it, and so do we!”
: Stilwell gives speech on “US-China Bilateral Relations: The Lessons of History” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies:
: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs holds a hearing on “Authoritarianism with Chinese Characteristics: Political and Religious Human Rights Challenges in China.”
: Trump says the US is doing well with China in pursuing a trade deal.
: China’s Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin says Beijing hopes to reach a trade agreement with the US: “…we wish that both sides can, on the foundation of equality and mutual respect, push forward negotiations, and in consideration of each others’ core interests, reach an agreement that satisfies all sides as soon as possible.”
: Trump releases tweet storm, including “Why is the World Bank loaning money to China? Can this be possible? China has plenty of money, and if they don’t, they create it. STOP!”
: Trump suggests to reporters in a meeting with the NATO secretary general in London that he could wait until after the 2020 presidential election for a trade deal with China: “I have no deadline. In some ways I like the idea of waiting until after the election for the China deal.”
: Chief Executive Officer of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Adam Boehler shares plans to use some of the new agency’s $60 billion budget to ensure there is a viable alternative to Huawei and ZTE.
: Gen. Milley speaks by phone with the PLA’s Chief of the Joint Staff Department General Li Zuocheng.
: Retaliating against the US for the new Hong Kong law, China suspends US military vessels and aircraft visits to Hong Kong and announces sanctions against five US NGOs for supporting the protesters.
: Trump tweets “U.S. Markets are up as much as 21% since the announcement of Tariffs on 3/1/2018—and the U.S. is taking in massive amounts of money (and giving some to our farmers, who have been targeted by China)!”
: Stilwell gives a speech at the Brookings Institution on pluralism and the US and Chinese visions of the world and the Indo-Pacific region.
: The day after Trump signs the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, China summons US Amb. Terry Branstad to demand the US stop interfering in its internal affairs.
: Pompeo addresses Chinese documents regarding Xinjiang that were leaked to The New York Times as confirmation of the CCP’s human rights violations and abuses in a press conference at State.
: Trump says the US is in the “final throes” in the attempt to reach a trade deal with China, but also wants “to see it go well in Hong Kong.”
: Top trade negotiators Liu, Lighthizer, and Mnuchin hold a phone call to discuss remaining issues on the phase one deal.
: On the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Japan, Wang says: “The United States is broadly engaged in unilateralism and protectionism, and is damaging multilateralism and the multilateral trading system. It has already become the world’s biggest destabilizing factor.”
: Trump comments on the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act: “We have to stand with Hong Kong, but I’m also standing with President Xi. He’s a friend of mine.”
: At the New Economy Forum in Beijing, Xi tells attendees: “We want to work for a ‘phase one’ agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality.”
: The US Navy destroyer Wayne E. Meyer sails through the Paracel Islands.
: In a letter to Trump, a bipartisan group of 15 senators urges the Department of Commerce to suspend issuing licenses to US firms that conduct business with Huawei, citing national security concerns.
: US Department of Justice indicts a Chinese national who worked for Monsanto before it was purchased by Bayer AG on economic espionage charges and theft of trade secrets.
: US House of Representatives passes the Hong Kong bill, sending the legislation to Trump.
: The US Navy littoral combat ship Gabrielle Giffords conducts a FONOP, sailing within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef. China’s military says it tracked the passage of the ship through contested waters in the South China Sea.
: Homeland Security and Government Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hold a hearing on “Securing the US Research Enterprise from China’s Talent Recruitment Plans,” covering the national security and economic threat from Chinese talent plans for research and innovation.
: Esper and Wei meet at the ASEAN Defense Minister’s Meeting-Plus in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss the US-China defense relationship.
: US Department of Commerce announces it will extend the temporary general license for US firms to do business with Huawei for 90 days.
: Trump tweets “Our great Farmers will receive another major round of ‘cash,’ compliments of China Tariffs, prior to Thanksgiving. The smaller farms and farmers will be big beneficiaries. In the meantime, and as you may have noticed, China is starting to buy big again. Japan deal DONE. Enjoy!”
: Liu, Lighthizer, and Mnuchin hold a phone call to discuss concerns on the phase one trade deal.
: Over 200 officers from Chinese and US militaries take part in a joint disaster relief training exercise in Hawaii.
: The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission releases an annual report to Congress on topics including trade tensions, US reliance on Chinese pharmaceuticals, global military ambitions, and competition in emerging technologies.
: USTR announces China’s lift of a ban on US poultry imports, estimating the US will now be able to export more than $1 billion worth of products each year to China.
: Speaking to reporters in Tokyo after his meetings with Japanese counterparts, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley calls China a strategic competitor and says that China and Russia are trying to alter the rules-based international order.
: The USS Chancellorville conducts a Taiwan Strait transit to demonstrate the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The US Navy tweets it “will continue to operate anywhere international law allows. #NavyReadiness.”
: Trump gives a speech at the Economic Club of New York, commenting on China in the WTO, confronting China’s trade abuses, China’s currency devaluation, and trade deficits with China.
: According to the US Department of Justice, a Chinese national pleads guilty to stealing trade secrets and intellectual property from his employer, Phillips 66.
: The US Department of Commerce announces an affirmative preliminary determination in antidumping case of imports of ceramic tile from China.
: Nine fentanyl traffickers are sentenced in a Chinese court, in a case involving Chinese and US law enforcement collaboration.
: China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng says tariffs on both countries will be cancelled in stages.
: Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri brings attention to TikTok in a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing on data security: “A company compromised by the Chinese Communist Party knows where your children are, knows what they look like, what their voices sound like, what they’re watching, and what they share with each other.”
: Esper gives a speech at the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence in DC: “The NDS [National Defense Strategy] prioritizes China first and Russia second as we transition into this era of great power competition. Beijing has made it abundantly clear that it intends to be the world leader in AI by 2030.”
: Esper and Wei have a video conference during which they discuss priorities regarding the US-China defense relationship, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea.
: Lighthizer and Mnuchin conduct a phone call with Liu He about an interim trade agreement and arrangements for the next round of talks.
: The World Trade Organization authorizes China to impose $3.6 billion per year on American goods after US anti-dumping practices on steel and other products.
: The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) opens a national security investigation into TikTok, owned by Beijing ByteDance Technology Co.
: Trump tweets “China and the USA are working on selecting a new site for signing of Phase One of Trade Agreement, about 60% of total deal, after APEC in Chile was canceled do to unrelated circumstances. The new location will be announced soon. President Xi and Trump will do signing!”
: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee examines US wireless security infrastructure and global competitiveness with China in a hearing.
: Pompeo gives a speech on China at the Hudson Institute in New York.
: State Department Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Consular Affairs Carl Risch and China’s Director of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cui Aimin, hold 13th round of consular consultations between the US and China in Washington.
: US Senate unanimously passes the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act which calls for stronger engagement with countries that strengthen ties with Taiwan and punitive actions against countries whose actions undermine Taiwan.
: Before departing on Air Force One from Joint Base Andrews, Trump says “We are looking probably to be ahead of schedule to sign a very big portion of the China deal. And we’ll call it ‘phase one,’ but it’s a very big portion. That would take of the farmers. It would take care of some of the other things. It’ll also take care of a lot of the banking needs.”
: Vice President Mike Pence gives a speech at the Wilson Center on the future of the US-China relationship.
: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responds to Pence’s speech at the Wilson Center saying “A handful of US politicians headed by Mr. Pence are distorting facts with wanton accusations and slanders to meddle in China’s internal affairs with an attempt to disrupt China’s stability and development.”
: Trump remarks “We’re doing very well with China. We’re moving along nicely. We’re dealing with them right now. And a lot of good things are happening with China. They want to make a deal very badly.”
: Lighthizer, Mnuchin, and Liu hold a phone call to finalize an interim agreement to ease trade tensions.
: At a meeting in Moscow, governments of the US, Russia, China, and Pakistan sign a Joint Statement on Peace in Afghanistan.
: In an interview with Fox Business Network, Navarro says “The good news about this phase one … is it adopted virtually the entire chapter in the deal last May that they reneged on for IP. … Practically it means, if they steal our IP we’ll be able to take retaliatory action without them retaliating.”
: US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer delivers a speech at Brookings Institution on naval modernization and challenges posed by great power rivals to US maritime forces, including China and Russia.
: At a press briefing in Bern, Switzerland, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the US has forced an unwanted trade war on China and Beijing must take necessary countermeasures to protect its interests.
: Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe have a phone call in which they “reached consensuses on maintaining stable and healthy bilateral military ties.”
: US Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy to discuss US policy in the Indo-Pacific region and implementation of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (ARIA).
: Ross speaks at the Federalist Society about the Trump administration’s trade policy and long term goals for the US.
: When asked about the round of tariffs scheduled for Dec. 15 in an interview with CNBC, Mnuchin says “I have every expectation if there’s not a deal those tariffs would go in place. But I expect we’ll have a deal.”
: Trump tweets “My deal with China is that they will IMMEDIATELY start buying very large quantities of our Agricultural Product, not wait until the deal is signed over the next 3 or 4 weeks. THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED! Likewise financial services and other deal aspects, start preparing …”
: Trump tweets: “…I agreed not to increase Tariffs from 25% to 30% on Oct. 15th. They will remain at 25%. The relationship with China is very good. We will finish out the large Phase One part of the deal, then head directly into Phase Two. The Phase One Deal can be finalized & signed soon!”
: Trump tweets “CHINA HAS ALREADY BEGUN AGRICULTURAL PURCHASES FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS & RANCHERS!”
: Trump tweets “The deal I just made with China is, by far, the greatest and biggest deal ever made for our Great Patriot Farmers in the history of our Country. In fact, there is a question as to whether or not this much product can be produced? Our farmers will figure it out. Thank you China!”
: Trump tweets “Good things are happening at China Trade Talk Meeting. Warmer feelings than in recent past, more like the Old Days. I will be meeting with the Vice Premier today. All would like to see something significant happen!”
: On the South Lawn, Trump remarks “So, we just made what, I guess, is one of the biggest deals that’s been made in a long time, with China. The Vice Premier has just left my office. We have a great deal. We’re papering it now. Over the next three or four or five weeks, hopefully it’ll get finished. A tremendous benefit to our farmers, technology, and many other things—the banking industry, financial services.”
: At American Association of Christian Counselors event in Nashville, Tenn., Pompeo says “The Chinese Communist Party is detaining and abusing more than 1 million Uighur Muslims in internment camps in the Xinjiang region of China. The pages of George Orwell’s 1984 are coming to life there. I wish the NBA would acknowledge that.”
: The Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson responds to the US Department of Commerce sanctioning of 28 Chinese entities by saying the US “took the opportunity to smear China’s policies in governing Xinjiang….We strongly urge the US to stop pointing fingers on Xinjiang-related affairs, halt the wrong practice of interfering China’s internal affairs, and remove the Chinese entities from the list as soon as possible.”
: Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross speaks at American Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, Australia: “We do not love tariffs, in fact we would prefer not to use them, but after years of discussions and no action, tariffs are finally forcing China to pay attention to our concerns.”
: Pompeo tells PBS NewsHour “It may seem that it makes profits in the short run, but the reputational costs … will prove to be higher and higher as Beijing’s long arm reaches out to them and destroys their capacity for them, their employees – in the NBA’s case, team members and general managers – to speak freely about their political opinion.”
: The US Department of State announces visa restrictions on Chinese officials “who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, the detention or abuse of Uighurs, Kazakhs, or other members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, China.”
: US Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security adds 28 Chinese governmental and commercial organizations to the Entity List for entities implicated in human rights violations in China’s campaign targeting Uighurs in Xinjiang.
: At the signing of the US-Japan Trade Agreement and the US-Japan Digital Trade Agreement, Trump says “As to whether or not we make a deal, I don’t know. But there’s certainly a good possibility. … We think there’s a chance we could do something very substantial. I would much prefer a big deal and I think that’s what we’re shooting for.”
: Trump unleashes a tweet storm about the Biden family, saying Hunter Biden “separately got 1.5 Billion Dollars from China despite no experience and for no apparent reason. There is NO WAY these can be legitimate transactions?”
: Trump tweets “@60Minutes ‘forgot’ to report that we are helping the great farmers of the USA to the tune of 28 Billion Dollars, for the last two years, paid for out of Tariffs paid to the United States by China for targeting the farmer. They devalued their currency, therefore paying the cost!”
: Houston Rockets general manager tweets about freedom for Hong Kong, igniting controversy with the NBA and China over freedom of speech.
: Trump tweets “We are winning, and we will win. They should not have broken the deal we had with them. Happy Birthday China!”
: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro calls the Trump threat to delist Chinese companies from US stock exchanges “fake news.”
: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb concludes a trip to China where he met Chinese government and business leaders in Shanghai. He also traveled to Japan, South Korea, and India.
: Wang Shouwen, vice-commerce minister and key member of China’s trade negotiation team, holds a press briefing after talks in Washington DC and announces the next trade talks will take place Oct. 10-11: “We hope, in the 13th round of trade negotiations, both countries can meet each other halfway based on equality and mutual respect, and can take care of each other’s concerns, to resolve conflict through discussion in a calm and rational manner.”
: Wang addresses the US-China trade war at the UN General Assembly: “Regarding economic and trade frictions and differences, China is committed to resolve them in a calm, rational and cooperative manner, and is willing to demonstrate utmost patience and goodwill. Should the other side act in bad faith or show no respect for equal status or rules in negotiations, we will have to make necessary responses to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests, and to uphold international justice.”
: Trump reportedly considers delisting Chinese companies from the US stock exchange.
: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang says the Hong Kong bill “confuses black and white in disregard of facts…grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, which fully reveals the ill intentions of some people in the United States to mess up Hong Kong and contain China’s development.”
: China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng, says “We wish the US and China can meet halfway, and on a foundation of equality and mutual respect, find a win-win solution via negotiations. This will benefit China, the US, and the whole world.”
: On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, Wang says “we are willing to buy more products that are needed by the Chinese market.”
: Trump addresses UN General Assembly. In his speech, he spends four and a half minutes on China, focusing on “America’s new approach on trade” and the situation in Hong Kong.
: Pompeo announces new sanctions against Chinese companies that transported Iranian oil.
: At bilateral meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in Osaka, Trump says “China is going to buy more pork than they’ve ever bought by far.”
: Trump tells reporters a US-China trade deal agreement “could happen sooner than you think.”
: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang criticizes new US sanctions over China’s Iran oil deals: “We always oppose the so-called long arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions. We also oppose the bullying practice of the US”
: House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees unanimously approve the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019.
: Wang delivers speech at event hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations in New York.
: US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan hosts event at the UN on the human rights crisis in Xinjiang.
: China buys 10 cargoes of US soybeans after trade talks.
: China’s State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi says in a speech at the UN Climate Action Summit that “China has no intention to play the ‘game of thrones’ on the world stage.”
: On the margins of meetings at the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemns China’s repression of Uighurs and calls on all countries to resist China’s demands to repatriate them to China.
: Jim Carroll, director of National Drug Control Policy, accompanied by Acting Commissioner for US Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan and Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale travels to Beijing with a delegation “to underscore the importance of keeping fentanyl and other synthetic opioids from coming into the United States.”
: Trump discusses relations with China in a press conference with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, saying “Obviously, China is a threat to the world in a sense, because they’re building a military faster than anybody. … right now I’m thinking about trade. But, you know, trade equals military. Because if we allow China to take $500 billion out of the hide of the United States, that money goes into military and other things.”
: Chinese trade delegation in the US cancels visit to farms in Nebraska and Montana, changing their travel schedule, reportedly on advice from the US side to avoid becoming embroiled in US politics.
: On the day Taiwan announced diplomatic relations with the Pacific island nation of Kiribati were ending, a US Navy guided missile cruiser sails through the Taiwan Strait.
: Delegation of 30 Chinese officials, led by Liao, meet US counterparts at US Trade Representative’s office for trade discussions in preparation for 13th round of trade talks in October.
: Chinese Vice Minister for Finance Liao Min heads to the US for trade negotiations on Sept. 18th to set the agenda for the 13th round of trade talks in October.
: Trump tweets: “Producer prices in China shrank most in 3 years due to China’s big devaluation of their currency, coupled with monetary stimulus. Federal Reserve not watching? Will Fed ever get into the game? Dollar strongest EVER! Really bad for exports. No Inflation…Highest Interest Rates…”
: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer conducts a FONOP, sailing near Chinese-held islands in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
: Trump tweets: “It is expected that China will be buying large amounts of our agricultural products!”
: Trump says he would consider an interim trade deal with China.
: Trump announces delay of increased tariffs in a tweet: “At the request of the Vice Premier of China, Liu He, and due to the fact that the People’s Republic of China will be celebrating their 70th Anniversary on Oct. 1st, we have agreed, as a gesture of good will, to move the increased Tariffs on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods (25% to 30%), from Oct. 1st to Oct. 15th.”
: Trump tweets “‘China is eating the Tariffs.’ Billions pouring into USA. Targeted Patriot Farmers getting massive Dollars from the incoming Tariffs! Good Jobs Numbers, No Inflation(Fed). China having worst year in decades. Talks happening, good for all!”
: China and the US agree to hold the 13th round of trade talks in early October during phone consultations in mid-September between China’s Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
: Trump unleashes a tweet storm about climate change: “Which country has the largest carbon emission reduction? AMERICA! Who has dumped the most carbon into the air? CHINA!”
: President Donald Trump tweets: “We are doing very well in our negotiations with China. While I am sure they would love to be dealing with a new administration so they could continue their practice of “ripoff USA”($600 B/year),16 months PLUS is a long time to be hemorrhaging jobs and companies on a long-shot….
: Trump tweets: “…And then, think what happens to China when I win. Deal would get MUCH TOUGHER! In the meantime, China’s Supply Chain will crumble and businesses, jobs and money will be gone!”
: China files a WTO complaint against the US for imposing 15% tariffs on Chinese goods, marking the third lawsuit China has brought to the WTO regarding Trump’s China-specific tariffs.
: China’s top legislator Li Zhanshu meets a US congressional delegation in Beijing led by US Senators Steve Daines and David Perdue.