News analysis

US-China relations: From ping pong diplomacy to new era of hardball

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July 2020 will almost certainly be remembered as the month the US-China relationship went into a steep nosedive.

Under President Donald Trump, the United States' pushback against China, long telegraphed by Mr Trump from the early days of his 2016 campaign, has only gathered momentum.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on July 26, 2020, with the headline US-China relations: From ping pong diplomacy to new era of hardball. Subscribe