China’s Foreign Ministry Statements Signal Heightened Concern About U.S. Actions in the 116th Congress

China’s Foreign Ministry Statements Signal Heightened Concern About U.S. Actions in the 116th Congress

August 18, 2020
China’s Foreign Ministry Statements Signal Heightened
Concern About U.S. Actions in the 116th Congress
Introduction
In an August 12, 2020, interview, Chinese Vice Foreign
With the relationship between the United States and the
Minister Le Yucheng denounced “U.S. repressive moves
People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) strained on
against China,” which he said had “no legal basis at all.” He
multiple fronts, the two governments have been publicly
criticized the United States for imposing increased tariffs on
trading accusations and engaging in sometimes tit-for-tat
U.S. imports from China, restricting sales of certain
moves against each other’s interests. Amid all the charges
components to Chinese telecommunications company
and counter-charges, what issues matter most to each side?
Huawei, banning transactions with the parent company of
In the case of China, the government has been using a
Chinese social media application TikTok, detaining
traditional tool for diplomatic signaling—rare statements in
Chinese citizens (for alleged visa fraud), selling arms to
the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—to call
Taiwan, sanctioning PRC and Hong Kong government
attention to a handful of U.S. actions that China appears to
officials, and, in July 2020, ordering the closure of China’s
view with particular concern.
Consulate-General in Houston. China responded to the
latter move by ordering the closure of the U.S. consulate in
In the quarter century since 1995, China has issued 27
the western Chinese city of Chengdu.
Foreign Ministry statements. Reflecting the high level of
current tension in the U.S.-China relationship, China has
China’s Recent Foreign Ministry
issued four of those statements since November 2019, all
Statements Related to the United States
related to the United States. Three statements condemned
With its four most recent Foreign Ministry statements,
laws passed by the 116th Congress related to China’s
China appears to be signaling particular concern over three
northwest region of Xinjiang and China’s Hong Kong
recently enacted U.S. laws and Secretary Pompeo’s May
Special Administrative Region, and one denounced a May
2020 statement. China appears to assess that these U.S.
19, 2020, public statement by Secretary of State Michael R.
actions challenge China’s sovereignty in Xinjiang and
Pompeo congratulating Taiwan’s president on the start of
Hong Kong and over Taiwan. The PRC has never
her second term. Since 1995, China has only once issued
controlled Taiwan, but claims sovereignty over the island
four Foreign Ministry statements in a shorter timeframe, in
democracy and has repeatedly vowed to unify with it, by
2016. Since 1995, it has never before issued more than two
force if necessary. The statements are listed below.
consecutive Foreign Ministry statements related to a single
country. Including a 2018 statement, China has now issued
 A November 28, 2019, Foreign Ministry statement
five Foreign Ministry statements in a row related to the
expresses “firm opposition” to enactment of the Hong
United States. The implications of the recent statements are
Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (HKHRDA,
unclear. Some earlier statements preceded sustained
P.L. 116-76), which authorizes sanctions on those
Chinese campaigns of military or economic coercion.
responsible for violating human rights in Hong Kong.
The Foreign Ministry statement “reminds” the United
Tensions in U.S.-China Relations
States that “Hong Kong is part of China and Hong
The Trump Administration signaled a new, more
Kong’s affairs are China’s internal affairs where no
confrontational approach to relations with China in its
foreign government or force shall interfere.” The
December 2017 National Security Strategy, which
statement threatens “countermeasures” and says the
characterized the United States as being in “great power
United States “must bear all consequences.”
competition” with both China and Russia. In recent months,
the Trump Administration has castigated China for failing
 A May 20, 2020, Foreign Ministry statement expresses
to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus from exploding into a
“strong indignation and condemnation” of Secretary
global pandemic; allegedly stealing U.S. intellectual
Pompeo’s congratulatory statement to Taiwan President
property; repressing Muslim citizens in its Xinjiang region;
Tsai Ing-wen on the start of her second term. Pompeo is
and imposing a sweeping national security law on Hong
the highest-level U.S. official to have ever issued such a
Kong. In May 2020, Secretary Pompeo criticized China’s
statement; an Obama Administration Assistant Secretary
“spiteful” moves to bar Taiwan from attending a virtual
of State for Public Affairs congratulated Tsai on her first
meeting of the World Health Assembly, the governing body
inauguration in 2016. The 2020 Foreign Ministry
of the World Health Organization, as an observer. In July
statement demands that the United States “stop official
2020, Secretary Pompeo alleged China was using
interactions and moves aimed at upgrading substantive
“intimidation to undermine the sovereign rights of
relations with Taiwan” and “stop meddling in China’s
Southeast Asian coastal states in the South China Sea.” The
internal affairs.” It warns, “China will take necessary
Administration has also raised security concerns related to
measures” in response, and, “The U.S. side must bear all
the operations of Chinese technology firms.
consequences.” (As a condition for establishment of
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China’s Foreign Ministry Statements Signal Heightened Concern About U.S. Actions in the 116th Congress
U.S.-China relations on January 1, 1979, the United
zone. A 1996 PRC government statement announced a
States committed to maintaining only unofficial
Chinese moratorium on nuclear testing.
relations with Taiwan. It also acknowledged, but did not
affirm, China’s position that Taiwan is part of China.)
 Another 1996 PRC government statement announced
baselines for China’s claimed territorial sea around parts
 A June 18, 2020, Foreign Ministry statement expresses
of China’s coast and around the disputed Paracel Islands
“strong indignation and firm opposition” to enactment
in the South China Sea. A 2012 statement declared
of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (P.L.
baselines around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the
116-145), which authorizes sanctions on those
East China Sea, known in China as the Diaoyu Dao.
responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The
ministry statement urges the United States to “stop using
 A 1999 PRC government statement expressed “utmost
this Xinjiang-related Act to harm China’s interests and
indignation and stern condemnation” over the U.S.
interfere in China’s internal affairs.” Otherwise, “China
bombing of China’s embassy in Belgrade during NATO
will respond resolutely, and the United States must bear
operations in the then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
all the consequences arising therefrom.”
 A 2013 PRC government statement announced China’s
 A July 15, 2020, Foreign Ministry statement “firmly
establishment of an East China Sea Air Defense
opposes and strongly condemns” enactment of the Hong
Identification Zone.
Kong Autonomy Act (P.L. 116-149), which authorizes
sanctions on foreign persons responsible for reducing
 A 2016 PRC government statement detailed China’s
Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and on foreign
“territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests
financial institutions that conduct transactions with such
in the South China Sea.”
persons. The statement urges the United States not to
enforce the act and to “stop interfering in Hong Kong
Chinese Actions Responding to U.S. Moves
and other internal affairs of China in any way.” It warns,
“In order to safeguard its legitimate interests, China will
Responding to implementation of the three U.S. laws that
make necessary response and sanction the relevant
are the subject of the recent Foreign Ministry statements,
individuals and entities of the United States.”
China has three times announced “sanctions” on U.S.
targets, on December 2, 2019, and on July 13 and August
Foreign Ministry Statements in Context
10, 2020. China has not explained what its own sanctions
Between 1995 and October 2019, China issued five other
entail. China has targeted for sanctions one Trump
Foreign Ministry statements related to the United States:
Administration official (the U.S. Ambassador at Large for
International Religious Freedom), five U.S. Senators, one
 on May 23, 1995, expressing “great indignation” over
U.S. Representative, the U.S. Congressional-Executive
the U.S. decision to allow Taiwan’s then-president, Lee
Commission on China, and five U.S. non-governmental
Teng-hui, to make a private visit to the United States;
entities and their heads. The entities are the National
Endowment for Democracy and two of its core grantees,
 on March 25, 1999, expressing “deep worry” over the
plus advocacy organizations Human Rights Watch and
“U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s”
Freedom House. After enactment of the HKHRDA, China
also said it would “suspend reviewing requests of U.S.
(NATO’s) aerial bombing of Kosovo;
military vessels and aircraft” to visit Hong Kong. China has

not announced moves explicitly tied to Secretary Pompeo’s
on March 20, 2003, expressing “serious concern” over
the U.S. invasion of Iraq;
statement. In response to the July 9, 2020, U.S. notification
of a planned upgrade to Taiwan’s Patriot surface-to-air
 on July 8, 2016, expressing “strong dissatisfaction and
missiles, however, China announced unspecified sanctions
firm opposition” to deployment of U.S. Terminal High
against U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin.
Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile
defense systems in South Korea; and
It is not clear whether China plans additional steps. The
2016 Foreign Ministry statement opposing THAAD
 on June 12, 2018, unusually expressing “a high level of
deployment in South Korea preceded an 18-month-long
appreciation” for a summit meeting between the U.S.
PRC campaign of coercion against select South Korean
and North Korean leaders.
economic interests, most prominently the China operations
of South Korea’s Lotte Group and South Korea’s cultural
In Chinese foreign policy, the only diplomatic statement
exports to China. In 1995, the Foreign Ministry statement
more authoritative than a Foreign Ministry statement is a
about then-Taiwan President Lee’s planned visit to the
statement issued in the name of the PRC government. Since
United States preceded a 10-month PRC campaign of
1995, China has issued seven such statements (excluding
military coercion against Taiwan, during which China
joint statements with other countries). Four relate to
conducted military exercises and missile tests in the waters
China’s territorial claims and one to a U.S. action.
near Taiwan, eventually prompting the United States to
dispatch two aircraft carriers to the region.
 A 1995 PRC government statement pledged not to use
or threaten to use nuclear weapons against Kazakhstan
Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs
or any other non-nuclear weapons state or nuclear-free
IF11624
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China’s Foreign Ministry Statements Signal Heightened Concern About U.S. Actions in the 116th Congress

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