Before you start a war you first withdraw your ambassadors
by Jeremy Goldkorn, September 14, 2020
Terry Branstad, the Trump-appointed U.S. Ambassador to China, who began his tenure in 2017, has abruptly resigned to work on the U.S. president’s reelection campaign.
…………….Branstad first met Xí Jìnpíng ??? in 1985, when the American was serving his first term as the governor of Iowa, and the man who is now China’s leader was an official from Hebei Province leading an official delegation to its “sister state.”
The long relationship led to speculation that Branstad would have special access to Xi, or be in a position to act as ballast in the bilateral relationship. Even the Communist Party’s house newspaper, the People’s Daily, called (in Chinese) Branstad “an old friend of the Chinese people.”
Whether this was true or not, the relationship is now on the rocks, and there are precious few bilateral channels of communication that are still open. The “old friend” is going home.
The last week has been tense.
Diplomatic tensions between China and the U.S. have been high for many months, and have ratcheted up in recent days:
Last week, the People’s Daily refused to publish an article by Branstad on “reciprocity,” saying that the piece was not up to the Party newspaper’s high standards. The U.S. Department of State responded with a note on “The hypocrisy of the PRC’s propaganda system.”
On Friday, China announced “reciprocal restrictions” against U.S. diplomats, after Washington announced new restrictions on staff working for Beijing’s foreign missions.
Today, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman claimed, without elaborating, “The U.S. diplomatic envoys have recently been meeting East Turkestan forces and blatantly supporting terrorist and separatist forces, which clearly exposes their double standard on counterterrorism.” He was answering a question about a U.S. State Department webpage on human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
There were many other sources of tensions over the summer — notably, in July, the U.S. demanded the shuttering of China’s consulate in Houston, alleging that it was a center of “illegal spying.” China shut the U.S. consulate in Chengdu in response…………..
https://supchina.com/2020/09/14/u-s-ambassador-to-china-steps-down-doesnt-notify-beijing/
Interesting site for sure worth a public look – Harry
Sir Dearlove Joins Anti-China Counter-Gang Operation
From the Strategic Culture Foundation
Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove’s new role as anti-China provocateur gives us the opportunity to look into the mind of empire and see how our society is being played to acquiesce to an agenda that will ultimately lead to WW III. By adding his voice to those Anglo-American fanatics blaming China for creating COVID-19 in a lab and intentionally spreading it around the world, Sir Dearlove has demonstrated a classic case of “gang/counter-gang operations” practiced by the British Empire for centuries.
The Origins of Gang/Counter-gang Operations………….
https://theduran.com/sir-dearlove-joins-anti-china-counter-gang-operation/
looks like all hells about to break loose hold on to your hats boys and girls this is going to be explosive.
China puts a spanner in the US dominance machine
…………..China is the only remaining official buyer of Iranian oil and has strongly opposed Washington’s sanctions. It defies the US also economically together with Russia and Iran, as the three have attempted to replace the US dollar in their dealings, an act that inspired Pakistan and may have other regional states follow. Why wouldn’t the Islamic Republic with its free-falling rial want China as a potential shield against US sanctions and even motions at the UN Security Council? What other options does Iran have? To negotiate a new JCPOA with Washington, one which the US would at any time once more renege on? Besides, it should be known to all by now that the nuclear issue is not really why Washington is sanctioning the Islamic Republic.
The PRC is viewed in the West as a threat both because of its rising economic power, and more recently because of its potential political power, poised to challenge Washington’s hegemony. Crude accusations of Chinese imperialism and false expressions of “worry” for poor Asian and African countries aside, the West is worried because China’s entry into the Middle East would enhance Beijing’s position not only in West Asia, but in Central Asia and the Caucasus as well. For China, Iran could very well be a gateway into the Middle East, as it has historically also been. Iran has connections in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon where China has up until recently been absent, and their partnership could flourish as Iraq and Syria will rebuild their countries after decades of US imposed wars. The Islamic Republic can introduce lucrative projects to the Chinese who may not know the region quite well.
All this gives Washington clear reason to be annoyed since it would make the US sanctions rather useless. But Washington also knows that the implications of this potential deal are far greater than just helping Iran……………
https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2020/08/13/iran-and-china-terrify-the-empire-but-why/