US to block some Chinese students, strip Hong Kong's special status

US President Donald Trump on May 29 issued a proclamation to block certain graduate level and above Chinese nationals to enter the United States who are allegedly associated with China’s military. Donald Trump has time and again accused China of stealing technology and intellectual property from the United States in order to strengthen its military capabilities that he says will threaten America's national security interests. "Protecting the innovations, creations, and inventions that power our country is vital to our economic prosperity and national security," Trump said in a release by White House. 

Read: Trump Announces Measures Against China Over COVID-19 Response And Hong Kong Security Law

"China’s theft of American technology, intellectual property, and research threatens the safety, security, and economy of the United States. Today’s actions will not affect students who come to the United States for legitimate reasons. Affected students are those who have been employed by or who studied or researched with Chinese entities that support China’s Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) strategy," a press release from the White House read. 

Read: Trump Blames China For Over 100,000 Deaths In US, Resounds National Interest Motto

Donald Trump also said that he is directing his administration to remove Hong Kong's special status in relation to trade because of the ongoing unrest in the former British colony. Hong Kong is currently witnessing widespread protests after Beijing unveiled the plan to introduce the new national security law, which critics say will further undermine the autonomy of the semi-autonomous region. The United States and the United Kingdom also raised the Hong Kong issue at the UN Security Council meeting, which China says is an internal matter. The move by the US and UK fell flat as there was no format discussion on the issue.

Read: US, Britain Corner China With Questions On Hong Kong At UN Security Council Meeting

US-China tensions

Tensions between the United States and China are currently at an all-time high with Donald Trump accusing the Communist state of not being transparent with its handling of COVID-19 outbreak. The United States claims the pandemic that is raging havoc across the world is not of naturally occurring and is man-made at Wuhan virology institute. Donald Trump has also said that the United States will terminate its relations with the World Health Organisation (WHO) accusing it of being pro-China. 

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