Chronologies
US - China
Chronology from May 2020 to Aug 2020
: China’s Ministry of Commerce updates export control rules to cover technologies deemed sensitive.
: US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin conducts a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea.
: Esper delivers a speech at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies on countering China’s “malign strategy.”
: Department of State imposes visa restrictions on PRC individuals accused of “large-scale reclamation, construction, or militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea.”
: Department of Commerce adds 24 Chinese companies to the Entity List for helping build military islands in the South China Sea.
: Pompeo issues a press statement entitled “On China’s Continued Coercion of the United Kingdom.”
: Chinese Ministry of Defense Spokesperson Wu Qian condemns the “trespassing of a US reconnaissance aircraft into a no-fly zone.”
: Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin hold a call with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on implementation of the Phase One trade deal between the US and China.
: TikTok sues the US government over Trump’s executive order banning the app in the US if not sold by its Chinese parent company in 45 days.
: Esper publishes an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal entitled “The Pentagon Is Prepared for China.”
: Department of State announces the suspension or termination of three bilateral agreements with Hong Kong.
: Department of Commerce announces that it will expand existing restrictions by preventing Huawei from acquiring chips made outside the US but developed or produced with US software or technology. It adds another 38 Huawei affiliates in 21 countries to its Entity List.
: US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin transits the Taiwan Strait following an exercise with Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces.
: At a campaign rally in Yuma, Arizona, Trump says, “I canceled talks with China…I don’t want to talk to China right now.”
: Department of State designates the Confucius Institute US Center as a foreign mission of the PRC.
: Department of Justice announces charges against a former CIA officer for conspiracy to communicate national defense information to aid the PRC.
: In a speech in the Czech Republic, Pompeo argues that the Chinese Communist Party poses a greater threat than Russia.
: Trump says in a Fox Sports Radio interview: “I had a great relationship with President Xi. I like him, but I don’t feel the same way now.”
: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announces sanctions on 11 US citizens, including five sitting senators, in response to US sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials.
: Department of the Treasury sanctions 11 Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
: Pompeo announces the expansion of the Clean Network program aimed at removing Chinese technology companies from US telecommunications networks and app stores.
: Department of the Treasury imposes sanctions against one Chinese government entity and two government officials in connection with rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation holds a subcommittee hearing on “The China Challenge: Realignment of US Economic Policies to Build Resiliency and Competitiveness.”
: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that the US consulate in Chengdu will be required to close in retaliation for the closing of China’s consulate in Houston.
: Washington State Department of Agriculture posts an alert about unsolicited seeds in the mail from China and issues a warning against planting the seeds.
: Pompeo delivers a speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum entitled “Communist China and the Free Worlds’ Future.”
: Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds full committee hearing on “Advancing Effective US Competition With China: Objectives, Priorities, and Next Steps,” with witness Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun.
: Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy holds a hearing on “US-China: Winning the Economic Competition.”
: Department of State orders China’s consulate in Houston to close.
: Department of Commerce adds 11 Chinese companies to the Entity List for involvement in human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
: Department of State imposes visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese technology companies that provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights abuses globally.
: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announces that China will impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin in response to its sale of Patriot missiles to Taiwan.
: Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific David Stilwell delivers a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies entitled “The South China Sea, Southeast Asia’s Patrimony, and Everybody’s Own Backyard.”
: US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) conducts a freedom of operation navigation in the South China Sea.
: Trump signs into law the “Hong Kong Autonomy Act.”
: Trump signs executive order on “Hong Kong Normalization,” eliminating Hong Kong’s special status.
: China’s Foreign Ministry announces retaliatory sanctions against US officials, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), over US Xinjiang sanctions.
: Pompeo releases a statement on the “US Position on Maritime Claims in the South China Sea.” The statement declares most of China’s claims in the South China Sea “completely unlawful.”
: A US Air Force E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System plane conducts a flyover 68 miles off the coast of Guangdong Province.
: Trump tells reporters that the US relationship with China has been “severely damaged” and discounts the chances of a new China trade deal.
: Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus releases a statement calling for face-to-face meetings between US and Chinese negotiators on arms control.
: Department of the Treasury formally adds China’s Xinjiang Public Security Bureau and four Chinese officials to the Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons List under Global Magnitsky designations.
: State Department authorizes the repair and recertification of Patriot missiles (PAC-3) to Taiwan for an estimated cost of $620 million.
: Director General of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Fu Cong says in a press conference that China would enter trilateral nuclear talks with the US and Russia only if the US decreased its arsenal to match China’s.
: US FBI Director Christopher Wray delivers a speech at the Hudson Institute entitled “The Threat Posed by the Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist Party to the Economic and National Security of the United States.”
: Trump tweets: “China has caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the World!”
: USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz carrier strike groups conduct dual exercises in the South China Sea, while the PLA Navy conducts exercises in contested waters off the Paracel Islands.
: Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s National People’s Congress condemns and opposes the passage of the “Hong Kong Autonomy Act” by the US Congress.
: Department of Defense releases a statement expressing concern about the People’s Republic of China (PRC) decision to conduct military exercises around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on July 1-5.
: US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence convenes virtual hearing on “US-China Relations and its Impact on National Security and Intelligence in a Post-COVID World.”
: Department of State, along with the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security, issue advisory to caution businesses about risks of supply chain links to entities that engage in human rights abuses, including forced labor in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China.
: House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a full committee hearing on “The End of One Country, Two Systems?: Implications of Beijing’s National Security Law in Hong Kong.”
: US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation holds a hearing on “China’s Maritime Ambitions.”
: Trump tweets: “As I watch the Pandemic spread its ugly face all across the world, including the tremendous damage it has done to the USA, I become more and more angry at China. People can see it, and I can feel it!”
: US ends exports of US-origin defense equipment to Hong Kong and announces it will take steps toward imposing the same restrictions on US defense and dual-use technologies to Hong Kong as it does for China.
: Pompeo releases a statement entitled “On China’s Coercive Family Planning and Forced Sterilization Program in Xinjiang.”
: Department of State imposes visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting human rights.
: National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien delivers a speech on China in Phoenix, Arizona entitled “The Chinese Communist Party’s Ideology and Global Ambitions.”
: US-China Economic and Security Review Commission holds a hearing on “The Chinese View of Strategic Competition with the United States.”
: Department of State designates Chinese media entities, including China Central Television, China News Service, People’s Daily, and Global Times, as foreign missions.
: Trump tweets: “The China Trade Deal is fully intact. Hopefully they will continue to live up to the terms of the Agreement!”
: Pompeo delivers speech at the Virtual Copenhagen Democracy Summit entitled “Europe and the China Challenge.”
: A group of PLA J-10 and J-11 fighter jets enter Taiwan airspace soon after a US Air Force KC-135 refueling plane flew over southeast Taiwan.
: Pompeo meets CCP Politburo member and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to discuss US-China relations.
: Trump signs the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 into law. The legislation seeks to hold accountable those responsible for the repression of China’s Uyghurs, including measures such as sanctions on CCP Politburo member Chen Quanguo.
: FBI arrests Chinese military officer Xin Wang and charges him with visa fraud as he attempts to leave the US.
: A group of PLA Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets cross the median line in the Taiwan Strait, just hours after a US C-40A transport plane conducted a mission over the island.
: White House publishes a presidential memorandum on “Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies.”
: US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG-59) transits the Taiwan Strait on the anniversary of Tiananmen Square.
: Department of State releases its annual statement commemorating the 31st anniversary of Tiananmen Square.
: Trump announces at a press conference that his administration “will take action to revoke Hong Kong’s preferential treatment as a separate customs and travel territory from the rest of China.” He also said the US will “take necessary steps to sanction PRC and Hong Kong officials directly or indirectly involved in eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy.”
: Trump issues proclamation suspending visas for students whose research activities are likely to support a PRC entity that implements and supports the Chinese Communist Party’s “military-civil fusion” strategy.
: US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG-89) conducts a freedom of navigation operation past the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
: Pompeo certifies to Congress that Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under US law in the same manner as US laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997.
: During a panel on the sidelines of China’s National People’s Congress, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe says, “The United States has intensified the suppression and containment of our side since the [coronavirus] outbreak, and the Sino-US strategic confrontation has entered a period of high risk. We must strengthen our fighting spirit, be daring to fight and be good at fighting, and use fighting to promote stability.”
: Pompeo issues a statement condemning China’s proposal to impose National Security Legislation on Hong Kong, calling it a “death knell” for the city’s autonomy. He went on to say that the decision would “inevitably impact our assessment” of the city’s special status.
: Department of Commerce adds the PRC Ministry of Public Security’s Institute of Forensic Science and eight Chinese companies to the Entity List for complicity in human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang.
: China’s Ministry of Defense issues a statement condemning Pompeo’s congratulatory message to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on her inauguration.
: Trump tweets: “Some wacko in China just released a statement blaming everybody other than China for the Virus which has now killed hundreds of thousands of people. Please explain to this dope that it was the ‘incompetence of China’, and nothing else, that did this mass Worldwide killing!”
: Trump tweets: “Spokesman speaks stupidly on behalf of China, trying desperately to deflect the pain and carnage that their country spread throughout the world. Its disinformation and propaganda attack on the United States and Europe is a disgrace… It all comes from the top. They could have easily stopped the plague, but they didn’t!”
: US approves the sale to Taiwan of 18 MK-48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology heavyweight torpedoes, which feature advanced sonar targeting for submarines, along with support equipment and related logistics support.
: White House delivers a report entitled “US Strategic Approach to The People’s Republic of China” to members of Congress.
: US Pacific Air Force B-1 bombers conduct a mission in the South China Sea, several days after training with US Navy forces near Hawaii.
: Pompeo issues statement condemning the exclusion of Taiwan from the World Health Assembly.
: China’s Ministry of Commerce announces a series of countermeasures to US Huawei restrictions, including putting US companies on an “unreliable entity list,” as well as launching investigations and imposing restrictions on US companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco, and Boeing.
: Trump tweets: “Why is it that China, for decades, and with a population much bigger than ours, is paying a tiny fraction of $’s to The World Health Organization, The United Nations and, worst of all, The World Trade Organization, where they are considered a so-called “developing country” and are therefore given massive advantages over The United States, and everyone else? Prior to the Plague floating in from China, our Economy was blowing everybody away, the best of any country, EVER. We will be there again, and soon!”
: US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announces plans to protect US national security by restricting Huawei’s ability to use US technology and software to design and manufacture its semiconductors abroad.
: Trump says in an appearance on Fox Business that he has considered cutting off the US-China relationship, suggesting “you’d save $500 billion if you cut off the whole relationship.” When asked about his relationship with Xi Jinping, he said he has a “very good relationship” but “right now I just don’t want to speak to him.”
: Trump tweets: “As I have said for a long time, dealing with China is a very expensive thing to do. We just made a great Trade Deal, the ink was barely dry, and the World was hit by the Plague from China. 100 Trade Deals wouldn’t make up the difference – and all those innocent lives lost!”
: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issue Public Service Announcement warning organizations researching COVID-19 of likely targeting and network compromise by the PRC.
: China’s Ministry of Finance publishes a list of 79 additional products to be exempt from tariffs related to the trade war, effective starting May 19.
: Trump tweets: “Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World. Chinese Americans are the most angry of all. I don’t blame them!”
: US Department of Homeland Security places new restrictions on work visas for mainland Chinese journalists employed by foreign media entities, limiting them to a maximum stay of 90 days.
: US-China Economic and Security Review Commission holds a hearing on “China’s Strategic Aims in Africa.”
: US House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announces the formation of a Republican-led China Task Force, “to help reinforce Congressional efforts to counter current and emerging cross-jurisdictional threats from China.”
: US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin hold a call with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on the implementation of the Phase One trade deal between the US and China.
: US-China Economic and Security Review Commission holds a hearing on “China’s Evolving Healthcare Ecosystem: Challenges and Opportunities.”
: Abe extends the state of emergency until May 31.
: Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger delivers a speech at the University of Virginia entitled “Reflections on China’s May Fourth Movement: an American Perspective.”
: President Trump says in an interview that he is considering restoring tariffs on China, asserting “we’re not going to get rid of tariffs. You got to treat our country with respect. You’ve been ripping off our country for many years.”
: In interview with ABC News, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argues that “there is a significant amount of evidence that [COVID-19] came from that laboratory in Wuhan.”
: People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) conducts an escort mission drill through the disputed Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea. Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Taiyuan and Type 054A frigate Jingzhou participate in the exercise.