The highest US intelligence official says China is the “biggest risk to democracy and freedom” since World Conflict Two.

Writing within the Wall St Journal, John Ratcliffe stated China was rising its energy by stealing US secrets and techniques after which changing US companies out there.

The Trump administration has taken a tough line on China, imposing tariffs on Chinese language items and accusing Beijing of mental property theft.

China has not but responded.

Nonetheless, it has responded forcefully to US strikes such because the imposition of tariffs and efforts to maintain the telecoms big Huawei out of the American market.

Beijing was getting ready for confrontation with the US and meant to dominate the world “economically, militarily and technologically”, Mr Ratcliffe warned.

A few of Mr Ratcliffe’s feedback echo earlier interventions by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and FBI chief Christopher Wray.

Nonetheless, additionally they come at a time when China has stepped up strain on US ally Australia, publishing a listing of how it needs Canberra to vary its behaviour, slapping tariffs on imports of Australian wine and frightening the Australian authorities over its rights report in Afghanistan.

Chinese language overseas ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying had earlier on Wednesday accused the US of “launching numerous political oppressive campaigns in opposition to China”, including that this got here “out of sturdy ideological bias and a technique to include China”.

“There’s a Chinese language saying… ‘the attention sees what the thoughts believes’,” she stated in her day by day press convention. “We hope the US will… cease relating to everybody as spies.”

What did Ratcliffe say?

The Director of Nationwide Intelligence stated China had changed Russia and counter-terrorism as the primary focus focus of US intelligence actions.

China was engaged in a type of financial espionage that he described as “rob, replicate and substitute” – giving the instance of a Chinese language wind turbine agency that was discovered responsible within the US of stealing from a US competitor earlier than happening to promote worldwide whereas the US agency misplaced shareholder worth and fired workers.

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US mental property value $500bn (£370bn) was being stolen yearly, he stated. FBI arrests of Chinese language nationals for stealing analysis had change into frequent and China had additionally been paying the top of Harvard College’s chemistry division $50,000 a month till his arrest earlier this yr.

Mr Ratcliffe additionally accused Chinese language intelligence providers of introducing vulnerabilities into expertise provided by high Chinese language tech companies similar to Huawei and stated allies utilizing Chinese language expertise wouldn’t have US intelligence shared with them.

He stated US intelligence confirmed that China had carried out “human testing” on troops with the intention of growing troopers with “biologically enhanced capabilities”.

And he stated China had engaged in a “huge affect marketing campaign” concentrating on US members of Congress and their workers by encouraging unions at massive companies to inform native politicians to take a softer line on China or face shedding union members’ votes.

Beijing was concentrating on members of Congress with “six instances the frequency of Russia and 12 instances the frequency of Iran”, Mr Ratcliffe stated.

Different nations confronted the identical problem from China because the US, he stated. “China believes {that a} world order with out it on the high is a historic aberration,” he stated. “It goals to vary that and reverse the unfold of liberty all over the world.”

How has the Trump White Home dealt with China?

Beneath President Trump, the US has ramped up confrontation with China in various areas.

The 2 nations have imposed tariffs on a whole lot of billions of {dollars} value of each other’s items and imposed export controls on merchandise in delicate areas.

On Thursday the White Home stated it had added 4 extra Chinese language companies – chipmaker SMIC, nationwide oil agency CNOOC, China Building Know-how Co and China Worldwide Engineering Consulting Corp – to a blacklist of companies deemed to be linked to the Chinese language army.

Earlier this yr the US ordered a Chinese language consulate in Houston to shut over financial espionage issues – Beijing responded by ordering the US to shut its consulate within the metropolis of Chengdu. The 2 nations have additionally expelled every others’ journalists.

Relations between the 2 superpowers have additionally soured over the coronavirus pandemic – which Mr Trump has repeatedly known as the “Chinese language virus” – and China’s strikes in Hong Kong.

Mr Trump signed an order ending preferential US therapy for Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a controversial new safety legislation there, which the US stated ended Hong Kong’s autonomy.

The US has additionally accused China of “horrific and systematic” human rights abuses in its therapy of its Muslim Uighur minority within the Xinjiang area and has sanctioned some Chinese language politicians.

China is accused of mass detentions, spiritual persecution and compelled sterilisation of Uighurs and others, however Beijing denies any mistreatment.

Will Biden take a special strategy?

President-elect Joe Biden, who takes workplace in January, is predicted to proceed President Trump’s coverage of countering China, however collectively with allies, versus Mr Trump’s choice for unilateral commerce offers.

There may be uncommon cross-party settlement on getting robust with China over commerce and different points, the BBC’s White Home correspondent Tara McKelvey says.

The Trump administration has been profitable in successful world assist for a boycott of Chinese language communications expertise.

Nonetheless, Mr Biden is prone to be extra lively in in search of areas of co-operation with a rising China, notably in areas similar to local weather change.