Relations between Washington and Beijing are at their lowest point in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China’s increasingly assertive stance on its territorial claims involving self-ruled Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Jason Lee | Reuters
On Monday, China sentenced a 78-year-old American citizen to life in prison on espionage charges, in a case that reflects the deterioration in relations between Beijing and Washington in recent years.
Details of the charges against Leung, who holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, have not been made public.
Liang was detained by the local branch of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou on April 15, 2021, according to a press release posted by the Suzhou Municipal Intermediate Court on its social media site. His detention came as China closed its borders and imposed strict domestic travel restrictions and social controls to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Such investigations and trials have been conducted behind closed doors, revealing little beyond vague allegations of infiltration, theft and threats to national security.
Washington’s relationship with Beijing The trade war is at its lowest level in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China’s increasingly assertive stance on its territorial claims involving self-ruled Taiwan and the South China Sea. High-level government visits have been put on hold and U.S. companies have delayed major investments amid mixed messages from Beijing.
The sentencing is as follows US President Joe Biden is traveling A trip to Hiroshima, Japan for the G7 summit followed by a visit to the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, where China has been seeking to increase its economic, military and diplomatic influence. Following Beijing’s gains in the region, the United States and its Asia-Pacific partners have stepped up their presence in the region, offering investment and financial support comparable to China’s.
China, now the world’s second-largest economy, is expanding its footprint in ports, railways and other infrastructure, from Europe to Southeast Asia and beyond.
While the Suzhou court offered no indication that it was relevant to the overall relationship between China and the United States, the espionage allegations were highly selective and the evidence supporting them was not released. This is standard practice in most countries who want to protect their personal connections, networks and access to information.
However, China’s authoritarian political system and the ruling Communist Party’s absolute control over legal affairs, civil society, and freedom of information have hindered requests for further information and appeals to the courts.
The U.S. embassy had no immediate comment on Liang’s detention. The government of Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese control in 1997, was also in the dark.
When it was handed over to Chinese control, Hong Kong was promised to retain its financial, social and political freedoms, but since the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and Implement comprehensive national security laws 2020.
Chinese national security agencies also Offices of foreign business consultancies raided In Beijing and other cities, as part of an ongoing crackdown on foreign companies that provide sensitive economic data.
Foreign companies operating in China are under increasing pressure as Xi Jinping’s government tightens its grip on the economy. This is in stark contrast to efforts to attract foreign investors after the lifting of draconian COVID-19 pandemic restrictions at the beginning of the year.