China: "The US is not qualified to build a coalition of ‘clean countries’ because itself is dirty all over" – DatacenterDynamics

"The new science and technology revolution, driven by information technology, is picking up speed," Yi continued.

"China will continue to work with all countries to maintain a fair, just, open and non-discriminatory business environment, promote international exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, and ensure that safe, reliable and quality information technology will boost global economic recovery and help improve people's lives around the world. We hope that the US will give up its obsession with its narrow self-interest, and return to the right track of openness and cooperation."

The comments came hours before US President Trump signed executive orders seeking to ban ByteDance's TikTok and Tencent's WeChat.

While Yi's assertions of US surveillance are well documented, his claim of a "fair, just, open and non-discriminatory business environment" in China is less well documented. US tech corporations face severe restrictions, and must work with a local partner - which is why Amazon Web Services made a deal with Beijing Sinnet Technology, while Microsoft and IBM have turned to 21Vianet Group. Apple uses state-owned Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry (GCBD), and previously had a contract with China Telecom.

Within the mainland, it operates a vast surveillance and censorship network focused on quelling dissent, and building citizen scores on each individual. In Xinjiang, where it is committing human rights abuses on the Xuighur population, it is beta testing more invasive forms of surveillance, with an eye to eventually being able to predict who will prove disloyal.

Outside of China, it is less clear how aggressive its surveillance efforts are - although its use of state-backed hackers to steal Western companies' intellectual property is well documented. In much of the developing world, its state bank offers low interest 'concessional loans,' where the money is used to build infrastructure using Chinese companies.

Among them is Huawei, which has benefited from billions in state loans. Sometimes the money is used to help fund data center developments, other times fiber infrastructure. Increasingly, it is used to try to replicate China's surveillance system overseas.

"China is always a firm defender of the international order and the international system," Yi said, saying it contrasted the US's interventionist approach. "In the past seven decades and more since the founding of the People's Republic, China never started a war, or occupied an inch of land of others." While it is true that the US has been far more active in promoting coups around the world, and engaged in numerous official and unofficial wars, China is currently occupying contested territory in India. The conflict led to TikTok and WeChat being banned in the country.

In the interview, Yi also mischaracterized China's involvement in the South China Sea as peaceful and said that "it should not be a wrestling ground for international politics." The nation claims most of the sea as its own, in contravention of international law, and has been building artificial islands to extend its claim.

Yi said disputes in the region should be solved by dialog and mutual consensus, and repeatedly pointed to the importance of the UN. But a 2016 UN arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines in a dispute over territory, which China has ignored.

Philippine President and mass murderer Rodrigo Duterte addressed the issue in a July national statement amid growing criticism over inaction following Beijings increasingly aggressive moves in adjacent waters. China is claiming it, we are claiming it. China has the arms. We do not have it. So, its as simple as that. They are in possession of the property so what can we do? he admitted.

To gain the territory back, we have to go to war. And I cannot afford it. Maybe some other president can but I cannot. Im useless when it comes to that. Really, Im useless to that. I cant do anything. I cannot, Duterte said. This week, Duterte banned joint exercises with the US in the sea.

"China's US policy is always consistent and stable," Yi continued.

"In the meantime, we are also prepared for possible bumps and storms ahead. The US move to turn China into an adversary is a fundamental, strategic miscalculation. It means that the US is funneling its strategic resources in the wrong area.

"We are always ready to develop a China-US relationship featuring no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation based on coordination, cooperation and stability. In the meantime, we will firmly defend our sovereignty, security and development interests, because this is a legitimate right inherent in China being an independent sovereign state."

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China: "The US is not qualified to build a coalition of 'clean countries' because itself is dirty all over" - DatacenterDynamics