China-US relations at an ‘impasse’ after Pence’s wholesale criticism of Beijing’s policies
US vice-president railed against China’s human rights abuses, censorship and foreign policy, but analysts say accusations of “meddling” are overblown
Any residual hope Beijing might have had that the United States was not out to contain its rise was quashed by Vice-President Mike Pence’s blistering attack on Thursday, according to analysts, who warned the speech marked a new low point in deteriorating bilateral relations.
In his address on Thursday Pence attacked almost every aspect of China’s activities in trade, the economy, military, religion and people-to-people exchanges. He accused Beijing of “meddling in America’s democracy” and called on China’s leadership to change course.
In his speech, Pence cited unnamed sources in the US intelligence community claiming that Beijing planned to target state and local governments in the US and exploit “wedge issues” to advance China’s interests.
He referred to a four-page advertisement bought by Chinese state media in a newspaper in Iowa, a key state in US electoral politics, as an example of Beijing’s plans to influence voters in the 2018 congressional and 2020 presidential elections.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called Pence’s accusations of meddling “absurd” on Friday morning, and said China had no interest in interfering in US internal affairs.