China: Assessing the Real Threat and Necessary Cooperation

US dollar and China Yuan banknote print screen on handshake with both flags countries.It is symbol of economic tariffs trade war and tax barrier between United States of America and China.

Posted: October 8th, 2020

By Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani served as the U.S. Representative to the Korea Energy Development Organization (KEDO), as well as former CIA director of East Asia Operations. He also served as Associate Director of National Intelligence and Mission Manager for North Korea, was the Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks with North Korea, and served as the Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center, ODNI. He currently serves on the Board of Managers at Sandia National Laboratories.

A CIPHER BRIEF THREAT CONFERENCE CONVERSATION — The Cipher Brief Threat Conference brings together thought leaders and experts from the public and private sectors to address the world’s most pressing security issues, and every year for the past four years, the U.S.’ relationship with China has been at the top of the list.

From IP theft to espionage to allegations that China is targeting U.S. research focused on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, there is a long list of threats posed by China. There are also ‘irritants’ to the relationship including aggressive actions in the South China Sea, the Hong Kong National Security Law, actions regarding Taiwan and the impact of China’s policies on U.S. allies. There are also enormous opportunities however, and therein lies the reason why the U.S. approach to China is so critical.

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