Trump plan criticizes China’s efforts to spread authoritarianism and state-led economic model
Beijing has rejected criticisms outlined in President Donald Trump’s national security strategy report, a document that lists China as a strategic competitor and challenge to American values.
The outline of the Trump administration’s national security concerns and plans, is critical of the ambitions of China’s Communist Party leaders, accusing them of seeking to spread the features of the country’s authoritarian system, stealing intellectual property and expanding the reach of its state-led economic model.
The report lists three sets of challengers to peace and American values. In addition to Iran, North Korea, and terrorist groups, China and Russia are listed as “revisionist powers” that want to shape the world with different values and interests.
“These are fundamentally political contests between those who favor repressive systems and those who favor free societies,” the report said.
The report also accuses China of challenging international norms, and expresses concern that decades of effort by the United States to allow China time to integrate in the international order and liberalize have failed.
“Contrary to our hopes, China expanded its power at the expense of the sovereignty of others. China gathers and exploits data on an unrivaled scale and spreads features of its authoritarian system, including corruption and the use of surveillance,” the report said.
Speaking at a regular press briefing Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called the report’s characterization of China a “futile effort to distort reality”.
“The people of China have full confidence in the development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that they have chosen,” Hua said, noting that the country accounts for more than 30 percent of the world’s economic growth.
She also said the United States and China, as the world’s two biggest economies have a responsibility to work together.
“Cooperation is the only correct choice for the U.
