US vs China

Growing disputes

The US-China relationship -- seen by many as the defining global power dynamic of the 21st century -- is no stranger to confrontation and discord, but rarely has their rivalry played out on so many critical fronts as it is now. Here are some of the main areas of current dispute between the two powers:

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Coronavirus: US President Trump has accused Beijing of a lack of transparency over the coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, before it exploded into a global pandemic that has hit the United States harder than any other nation. China has furiously denied the allegations, warning that they were pushing tensions to the "brink of a new Cold War".

Trade: Trump has long been angered by what he has described as China's unfair trade advantage over the United States, also accusing Beijing of not curbing intellectual property theft. He launched his trade war in early 2018 in a bid to end what he saw as "rip-off" deals with China, and escalating tit-for-tat tariffs ended up engulfing two-way trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Huawei: Chinese tech titan Huawei has been the target of an escalating US campaign to isolate it internationally, with Washington accusing it of stealing American trade secrets and warning Beijing could use its equipment to spy on global telecommunications. Huawei has strenuously rejected the charges.

Hong Kong: The US State Department on Wednesday revoked the special trade status enjoyed by international financial hub Hong Kong, saying the city was no longer sufficiently autonomous from China. The move was sparked by the Chinese plan -- approved yesterday-- to impose a national security law on the city.

Uighurs: The Trump administration has been outspoken in its criticism of the detention of more than one million Uighur Muslims and other minorities in China's Xinjiang region. Uighur activists and witnesses have said China is trying to forcibly assimilate them by punishing basic Islamic practices and wiping out their culture.

Taiwan: China sees self-governing, democratic Taiwan as a part of its territory to be assimilated one day, by force if necessary. But Washington is the island's main ally and arms supplier -- without diplomatic recognition -- and Beijing has bristled at any weapons sales or high-level contacts between the US and Taiwan.

South China Sea: The US and China have also clashed over the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway that is also the source of intense dispute in the region. China claims most of the sea and has built artificial islands to strengthen its power in the region.