The tensions between the United States and China have been noticeably simmering in the midst of a global pandemic, leading many to worry about the possibility of a World War 3 occurring. Along with China’s plans to reunify Hong Kong and Taiwan to the mainland and laying claim to the South China Sea, US Senator Ted Cruz has warned that the communist nation is going to be the biggest threat to the US and its allies.
The governments of Washington and Beijing have continued to go on a back and forth against the other, stoking fears of a possible World War 3 since last year in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has also made the tensions between the two countries escalate further, with Donald Trump repeatedly blaming the communist nation for its inability to contain the pandemic from within. Speaking to Fox News, the Texas Senator weighed in on the relations between China and the US.
“China is the greatest geopolitical threat facing the United States and our allies — now and for the next century. China’s objective is nothing short of world domination. Yet many on the world stage, including the United Nations, turn a blind eye on China’s barbaric behavior and aggression. That is not the case in the United States. We must and will respond,” said Cruz.
Cruz also ripped into the Chinese government’s treatment of the Uighur Muslim community as well as Hong Kong, with protests occurring in the autonomous region. Cruz described China’s treatment as part of a pattern of behavior he refers to as “despicable,” citing Beijing’s abuse of human rights, propaganda campaigns, censorship, and aggression.
The communist country’s aggression appears to continue as Beijing recently deployed another warship to take part in a live-fire drill in the South China Sea. The Hong Kong-based warship Huizhou was recorded firing cannons and torpedoes during the drill. The deployment from Beijing follows the announcement from the US Navy that a strike group from the USS Ronald Reagan was doing military maneuvers in the region.
According to Beijing military expert Zhou Chenming, the drill was done to send a message to the Taiwan officials who are pro-independence. Specifically, it was done to send a message to Taiwan’s separatist President Tsai Ing-Wen, who announced that the relations between Taiwan and the US were at a record high.