U.S.-China troubled timeline

Jan 19, 2017: China’s ruling Communist Party enshrines President Xi Jinping’s (right) political thought into constitution, elevating him to level of founder of modern China, Mao Zedong

Jan 20: President Donald Trump (below) inaugurated. Populist leader vows to shatter established order and restore America’s lost greatness

Mar 2018: National People’s Congress votes almost unanimously to abolish two-consecutive-term limit on presidency, opening way for Xi to rule for life

Apr: Detention of up to three million Muslim Uighurs in so-called “re-education centres” in Xinjiang

Apr 2018: Trump unveils plans for 25% tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports. Cites alleged theft of U.S. technology and intellectual property (IP)

May-Jun: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) meets with Xi twice before and once after
summit with Trump in Singapore. Meetings boost Beijing’s role in shaping future of Korean Peninsula

Oct 2018: Vice President Mike Pence condemns Chinese military aggression in South China Sea

Dec: Meng Wanzhou (below), chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, is detained in Canada on U.S. extradition warrant. Meng and Huawei are charged with fraud and violating trade sanctions against Iran

Mar 2019: Huawei sues United States. Trump launches aggressive campaign warning other countries not to use Huawei equipment to build 5G networks

May: Trump administration intensifies trade war, hiking tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Administration bans U.S. companies from using Huawei equipment

June-onwards: Hong Kong sees start of anti-government and pro-democracy protests (left) – violent clashes over highly controversial plan to allow extradition to mainland China

Aug: U.S. designates China a currency manipulator – slaps 15% tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports

Oct: U.S. imposes visa ban on Chinese officials and communist party members over human rights abuses in Xinjiang

Nov: Trump signs Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in support of protesters

Jan 2020: U.S. and China sign Phase One trade deal – Beijing commits to buying $200bn worth of U.S. goods over two years. Trump accuses China of spreading coronavirus

May 2020: New U.S. export rules cut China off from international semiconductor supply chains

Jul 1: Beijing introduces new national security law for Hong Kong, opens intelligence bureau in territory 

Jul 5: Two U.S. carrier strike groups, USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan (above) enter South China Sea in rare show of force

Jul 14: Trump ends Hong Kong’s special status

Jul 22: U.S. orders China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, alleging it is hub of espionage and IP theft

Aug 6: Trump issues executive orders to stop U.S. firms doing business with Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat

Aug 7: U.S. sanctions Carrie Lam (left) – top Hong Kong official – and 10 other Hong Kong and Chinese officials

Aug 9-11: U.S. health secretary Alex Azar (right) makes three-day visit to Taiwan – self-ruled island claimed by Beijing – further exacerbating ties with China


2017
2018
2019
2020
 

Sources: Bloomberg, Council on Foreign Relations, PIIE, Reuters 
Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images 
© GRAPHIC NEWS