Chinese lidar manufacturer Hesai Technology Co officially filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense on Monday over being added to a list of companies for allegedly working with the Chinese military, the Global Times learned on Tuesday.
In the complaint filed with the Washington Federal Court, Hesai stated that its inclusion on the so-called 1260H list had led to "damaged reputation, substantial stock price decline, and missed business opportunities." Hesai, which is listed on the Nasdaq, urged the court to order the US Department of Defense to remove it from the list or declare the list unconstitutional.
Hesai is known for its leading radar products, which are primarily used in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for both passenger and commercial vehicles. It was included on the list by the US Department of Defense in January, along with over a dozen other Chinese companies including Yangtze Memory Technologies Co.
"Hesai lidars are designed for civilian use only. We have no affiliation with the Chinese military and remain committed to correcting the record and protecting our reputation," a spokesperson for Hesai told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The spokesperson added that the US government has yet to offer any meaningful response to requests from the Chinese company or made any attempts to resolve the issue outside of court.
While the list itself doesn't impose specific sanctions at present, according to the US media, the associated legislation will prevent the US Department of Defense from engaging in contracts with any of the listed companies for the foreseeable future. Observers said this also poses substantial reputational risks for Chinese companies and could potentially compel the US Treasury Department to levy sanctions against the firms.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin voiced strong opposition to the US Department of Defense's update of the "Chinese Military Company List" in February.
"China firmly opposes the US overstretching the concept of national security, setting up all kinds of discriminatory lists, going after Chinese companies and disrupting normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the US," he said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on May 10 that China would take all the necessary measures to defend the legtimate rights of Chinese companies in response to US abuse of export control measures.
China urged the US to immediately cease the relevant incorrect practice, which is disrupting the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Recently, upon entering the production workshop of Roselot in Ningjin County, Dezhou City, Shandong Province, people would find 200 robotic arms and 180 intelligent machining centers independently processing. In the flickering flames, fitness equipment is gradually being assembled. The increasingly stable power supply has given us the confidence and determination to introduce high-tech and promote 'Robots instead of Labor'. Currently, the workshop has been able to achieve 24-hour on-site unmanned automated production, saving nearly 500 workers, reducing operating costs by 30 percent, reducing product defect rates by 23 percent, and increasing production capacity by nearly 5 times compared to ordinary production workshops.
Since the beginning of this year, Ningjin County has pursued the path of "Digital Economic" development, centering on the traditionally strong local industries of "Hardware and Furniture," focusing on enterprise "Intelligent and Digital Transformation," adhering to innovation driven growth, accelerating the promotion of industrial enterprises "Going cloud-ward to empower intelligence with data."
That is to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industries with "intelligence" and "digitization", and help the overtaking of county's digital economy through government attracting platforms which to empower enterprises. The upgrading of industries cannot be separated from the support of a stable power grid.
In order to fully ensure the electricity supply for production in the park, State Grid Dezhou Power Supply Company strengthens its visits to enterprises in the park, to understand their electricity needs, assist them in identifying safety hazards, and develop electricity plans based on the current production situation of the enterprise to ensure the safety and reliability of electricity supply for production.
"In order to meet the development needs of the industrial park, we have also planned ahead and increased the construction of the power grid," said Li Haimeng, a representative of State Grid Dezhou Power Supply Company. "A new 110 kV substation and 13 kilometers of 10 kV transmission lines have been built for the industrial park, fully ensuring the development and electricity demand of the industrial park." Overlooking the industrial park, new photovoltaic panels are scattered on top of each factory building, shining brightly in the sunlight and illuminating the path of Ningjin's fitness industry to prosperity. "After the introduction of photovoltaic power generation, the roof area of the factory has been effectively utilized, the monthly electricity expenses have been greatly reduced, and the net profit of the enterprise has also been further improved." The person, in charge of Maibaohe Fitness Equipment Co., Ltd. in Ningjin County, Dezhou City, Shandong Province, said happily.
"By implementing TOU price and cooperating with enterprises to reasonably introduce photovoltaic new energy, the average monthly electricity cost for business can be reduced by tens of thousands of yuan, helping enterprises to lower costs and increase income." said Wang Haitao, a marketing representative from State Grid Dezhou Power Supply Company. In recent years, State Grid Dezhou Power Supply Company has implemented "fixed person, regular, and customized" services to deeply understand customer power needs. It provides one-on-one energy-saving consulting, comprehensive energy efficiency analysis and other electricity services to solve customer electricity problems, help enterprises optimize energy consumption methods, reduce energy costs, and inject sufficient electricity into efficient production. In 2022 alone, the total output value of the local fitness equipment industry was about 8.76 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.2 percent.
The Biden administration seems to see cracking down on the Chinese shipbuilding industry as a panacea for struggling shipyards in the US. However, isn't the idea of forcing China to take the medicine for what ails the US merely further evidence of the bleak future of the American shipbuilding sector?
A Sunday report by the Financial Times, citing industry insiders, said that the US investigation into the Chinese maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, which could lead to duties for Chinese-built ships calling at US ports, may help shipyards in South Korea and Japan, but will probably do little to boost US shipyards.
Professionals in the shipbuilding and maritime industries could easily see the absurdity of the US fantasy to revive its dormant shipyards by attempting to suppress China. Even if the US were to cause Chinese shipyards to lose orders through port charges, it would not benefit the struggling US shipbuilding industry. Instead, it would only lead to higher maritime trade costs for the US.
The fact that even American shipowners are reluctant to place orders at home is sufficient evidence to indicate the lack of competitiveness of the industry. For nearly 100 years, a federal law known as the Jones Act has restricted water transportation of cargo between US ports to ships that are built by American shipyards.
According to Clarksons Research, American shipowners own about 3,000 Jones Act vessels, with an average age of 23.7 years, compared with the global fleet average of 12.7 years.
Due to high costs, American shipowners have been slow to update their fleets, with more than half of the vessels being more than 25 years old, and 700 vessels even being more than 50 years old.
Against this backdrop, instead of trying to improve its industrial competitiveness, the US is trying to contain China's manufacturing, a typical display of its hegemonic mindset.
But the decline of the American shipbuilding industry cannot be reversed through protectionism or repression of others. The rise of China's shipbuilding industry is an indisputable fact, which has been verified by the market. In 2023, China's shipbuilding output climbed 11.8 percent year-on-year, accounting for 50.2 percent of the world's total, while new orders surged 56.4 percent, taking up 66.6 percent of the world's total, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
By comparison, US commercial shipbuilding capacity is only 0.13 percent of the global total, according to the US Naval Institute.
It is regrettable that the success of China's shipbuilding industry may have pricked some sensitive nerves in the US, leading to the accusation about China's "unfair, non-market policies and practices."
While there is nothing we can do about reviving the US shipbuilding industry, the fact that the decline has lasted for several decades may help relax the nerves of some people. How much worse could it be?
Let's clarify a few more facts. The decline of America's shipbuilding industry began in the 1980s, when American shipyards became dependent on government orders as the Reagan administration ended the commercial shipbuilding subsidy program in 1981. The 1980s saw the US shipbuilding industry shed 40,000 jobs, with the collapse of the commercial sector, according to Marine Link.
After that, Japan and South Korea dominated the global shipbuilding market for many years. It was not until 2010 that China's shipbuilding sector became a rising star in the global market.
Is blaming China a tactic the shipbuilding industry uses to get government support? Don't industry players know how obsessed politicians in Washington are with the new topic of suppressing Chinese manufacturing and how evasive these people are about solving real industry problems?
This distorted attitude, which persists from the government to the industry, is perhaps the root cause of the downfall of the American shipbuilding sector. No one is willing to confront the real problems and find solutions, leading to an inevitable and self-inflicted decline in the industry.
Let's see if the US strategy of blaming China can revitalize the industry. However, it is highly likely that this will negatively affect the US shipping industry. Ultimately, the key to treating an illness lies in finding the right remedy, not in paranoia and blaming others.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that China and Pakistan are deepening collaboration on the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with a focus on green energy and technology cooperation, among others.
Iqbal arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a visit, in the first high-level visit by a Pakistani official to China since Pakistan’s new government came to power. During the visit, Iqbal also held meetings with various Chinese officials.
“China is a historical friend of Pakistan, and has supported us in difficult times,” Iqbal said as he arrived in Beijing, according to a press release sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.
Iqbal said that in the first phase of the CPEC, Pakistan’s energy and infrastructure sectors were upgraded, and in the second phase, the agriculture, industry, green energy and technology sectors will be promoted.
In terms of green energy cooperation, Iqbal said in a meeting with China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad on Tuesday that Pakistan’s aim is to establish industrial zones for the manufacturing of electric cars in collaboration with China, leveraging Pakistan's competitive advantages to reduce overall production costs and create employment opportunities for Pakistani workers, according to a separate press release.
During meetings in Beijing, Iqbal also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the high-quality development of the CPEC, outlining future cooperation in such priority sectors as information technology, agriculture modernization, textiles, minerals and renewable energy.
Iqbal also revealed details about enhanced security measures taken by Pakistan to ensure the security of Chinese personnel, according to the press release.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding Ltd (Zeekr) on Friday saw its share price soar 34.57 percent at the close of its opening day on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
The surge came after a report on Friday stating that the Biden administration is planning to levy tariffs on Chinese EVs and other high-tech industries.
The US capital market response suggested that good quality and reasonably priced EVs remain in good demand, a rebuttal of the alleged "overcapacity" narrative targeting Chinese green energy products, observers noted.
Zeekr's stock price finished at $28.26 at Friday's close, $7.26 above its opening price of $21. It was reportedly the largest stock price increase among Chinese companies listing at the NYSE in three years.
Zeekr is a premium brand owned by Chinese automaker Geely which also owns Sweden's Volvo and the UK's Lotus. As of December 31, 2023, Zeekr has shipped a total of 196,633 vehicles, a majority of which are in the Chinese market, the company's file submitted to US Securities and Exchange Commission showed.
In terms of US' potential tariff increase to be imposed on Chinese EVs, Wu Shuocheng, a veteran automobile industry analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday that the export volume of Chinese EVs to US market is "negligible" at present, and the export restriction may cause little impact to Chinese EV industry in short period.
And, multiple Chinese automakers are ramping up their overseas expansions in Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Chinese EV giant BYD announced in February this year that it had signed a preliminary sales and purchase agreement with the municipality of Szeges in Hungary.
In the first four months of 2024, sales of new vehicles by Chinese EV brands in Brazil market hit 48,000, jumping by eight times from the same period in 2023, according to STAR Market Daily.
As China announced the extension of its visa-free policy for 12 countries until the end of 2025, analysts noted that the measures will significantly boost inbound tourism, which also demonstrate China's commitment to fostering people-to-people exchanges and determination to opening up.
At a joint meeting with the press with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China has decided to extend the short-stay visa exemption policy for citizens of 12 countries including France to the end of 2025.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press conference on Tuesday that by December 31, 2025, citizens from the 12 countries will be able to visit China for business, sight-seeing, transit and other purposes for up to 15 days without having to apply for a visa.
The 12 countries are France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg.
China's efforts to facilitate foreigners visiting the country has delivered positive initial results. According to the National Immigration Administration, trips by foreign nationals reached 13.1 million in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 305.2 percent. Among them, the number of visa-free foreigners entering China reached 1.98 million, up 266.1 percent compared to last year.
"The extension of the short-term visa-free policy until the end of 2025 will undoubtedly further boost confidence and enthusiasm for traveling to China, and will contribute to the growth of inbound tourism as well as aid in the prosperity of the industry," Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Academy, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The move also showcases China's unwavering commitment to openness and its strong belief in the potential of tourism development, Dai said, noting that the extension exemplifies the resilience and determination of China in embracing the world with open arms.
"We have witnessed a surge in travel bookings - about 40 percent - to China since the visa-free policy for French citizens was effective. With the extension of the visa-free policy, it is expected that more bookings will come," a manager surnamed Fang at a Paris-based travel agency, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Fang said that most bookings to China came from elderly people, but the extended visa policy would appeal to more young people to visit China.
"Meanwhile, as the Olympic Games approaches, bookings from Chinese tourists have also increased, especially travel products for small groups. We have launched products such as a two-day tour in Provence departing from Paris," said Fang.
In addition to extending the visa-free period, China is actively promoting the opening and resumption of international routes to facilitate the increased movement of people. According to media reports, direct flights between Shanghai and Marseille will officially open on July 2, providing the first direct air passage for the two sister cities.
Bahrain will also open direct flights to China starting from May 28, and direct flights between China and Mexico will resume on May 11.
Dai noted that the expansion of air routes and transportation capacity not only enhances convenience for travelers but also lowers travel costs, thereby fostering the growth of inbound tourism. "More travel agencies are expected to intensify their efforts in promoting overseas tourism," he said.
China's increase in direct flights sends a clear message that we are willing to take all effective measures to facilitate international exchanges and also demonstrates the country's determination to welcome visitors from across the world, Dai said.
By implementing more open policies in areas such as visas, air routes, and payment convenience, China's efforts in inbound tourism will not only boost consumption and drive economic growth, but also foster cultural exchanges and interactions among people, helping to establish China's image as a confident, open and inclusive major country, analysts said.
At the same time, with the increasing number of tourists visiting China, the foreign nationals will have the opportunity to develop a more thorough, comprehensive, and authentic understanding of the country, they said.
Looking ahead, with the upcoming China-US high-level dialogue on tourism, as well as the implementation of various activities under the Kazakhstan tourism year in China and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, it is anticipated that inbound and outbound tourism will rebound to the level of 2019 by the end of 2024 or early 2025, Dai noted.
China's Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship separated from the space station combination on Tuesday, and the astronauts aboard -- Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin -- are returning to Earth, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
China's disease control and prevention authority has recently warned of increasing risks of the spread of infectious diseases during the approaching May Day holidays and reminded localities to persist in implementing multi-channel monitoring of the COVID-19 epidemic and multi-pathogen monitoring of other respiratory infectious diseases.
According to a notice issued by China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration regarding the prevention and control of key infectious disease epidemics during the upcoming May Day holidays and the spring and summer seasons, while the overall situation of infectious diseases in China is generally stable, COVID-19 viruses are still mutating, and there are still certain fluctuations in the epidemic situation, and the prevention and control of some infectious diseases are facing new situations and characteristics.
According to the notice, the global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the JN.1 variant has peaked and declined to a lower level, and the COVID-19 situation in China continues to remain at a low level with a wave-like pattern of prevailing. However, the viruses are still mutating, resulting in certain fluctuations in the epidemic situation.
Meanwhile, prevention and control of some infectious diseases in China are encountering new situations and characteristics. In some areas, influenza epidemics have not yet returned to the same level as in previous years. The pertussis epidemic is showing a rapid growth trend, and reported cases of hand-foot-mouth disease are significantly increasing. The co-occurrence of multiple diseases has become normalcy.
In addition, dengue fever, measles, and other epidemics have rebounded in multiple countries and regions globally, increasing the risk of overseas epidemics being imported into China.
In May when spring transitions into summer, some mosquito-borne diseases and intestinal infectious diseases enter their peak seasons. The increased mobility of personnel during the May Day holidays and the rise in gathering activities may amplify the transmission risk of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Therefore, the disease control and prevention authority emphasized that during the May Day holidays, all regions should strengthen epidemic prevention and control at ports, closely monitor key infectious diseases worldwide, such as COVID-19, dengue fever, measles and malaria, implement measures such as temperature monitoring, medical inspections, epidemiological investigations, and medical screenings for inbound travelers, conduct spot checks of nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 among inbound travelers, and enhance health education for inbound and outbound travelers.
The notice also stressed that all regions should continue to implement multi-channel monitoring of COVID-19 and multi-pathogen monitoring of respiratory infectious diseases, strengthen monitoring and early warning based on the characteristics of infectious disease outbreaks in spring and summer, conduct comprehensive analysis and assessment of the epidemic situation, and promptly conduct investigations and handling of outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the notice emphasized the need for adequate preparations for medical treatment and strengthened training for medical personnel and medical service management to ensure smooth and orderly medical services.
Moreover, in line with the goal of achieving a vaccination coverage rate of no less than 90 percent in the national immunization program, all localities should strengthen monitoring and assessment of vaccination rates. Efforts should be made to ensure that eligible children receive timely and complete vaccinations. Additionally, there should be continued promotion of vaccination among key populations with COVID-19 vaccines containing components targeting the XBB variant.
The disease control and prevention authority has told local authorities to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures in key institutions such as childcare facilities and schools as well as elderly care institutions and social welfare institutions to reduce the risk of introducing and spreading of the epidemics.
The disease control and prevention authority also reminded the public to conduct self-health monitoring before traveling and after returning, and to take timely and effective preventive and treatment measures if any health issues are detected.
China strongly condemned unwarranted accusations and malicious slander against China, and urged British politicians to stop their belligerent rhetoric, and instead, focus more on domestic economic and social issues, a spokesperson from Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Wednesday, in response to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s latest anti-China remarks.
The British politician is looking for an excuse to ramp up British military spending. We firmly reject his Cold War rhetoric that incites antagonism and confrontation, the spokesperson said.
China is committed to promoting peace and justice, and has always sought peace talks and the peaceful settlement of international conflicts. China has contributed more than one-third of global economic growth consistently. China has always been committed to promoting international cooperation and maintaining world stability. These are undeniable truths, the spokesperson noted.
However, the current UK government seems to be set on stirring up troubles and heightening tension around the world. They are supplying offensive weapons to one side in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, exacerbating the situation.
The UK has repeatedly opposed resolutions calling for an immediate cease-fire at the United Nations Security Council on the Gaza issue. It shows no support for Palestine’s application for full UN membership and continues to supply weapons to Israel. The UK has forgone any sense of morality and has no concept of responsibility when it comes to matters of international peace and justice, the spokesperson noted.
We urged the UK to act in a way that is truly in the interest of world peace and justice, the spokesperson noted.
Harry Roque, a former Philippine congressman and former presidential spokesperson to president Rodrigo Duterte, recently expressed dissatisfaction at the series of legal maneuvers carried out by the current Philippine government regarding the South China Sea dispute in an interview with the Global Times in Manila.
He called on the Philippine government to seek diplomatic channels to resolve the dispute, as some of the legal measures taken do not, in fact, serve the interests of the Philippines. Stressing that the US will not get involved in the conflicts against China for the sake of Philippine interests, Harry Roque noted "It is a misplaced belief that the US, which our leaders consider as their big brother, will come to our assistance."
Roque is also a well-known international law professor, and is the former president of the Asian Society of International Law.
In March, the Philippine Senate passed the so-called Maritime Zones Act, attempting to solidify the illegal ruling of the 2016 arbitration case through domestic legislation, illegally including China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands and their related waters in its maritime zone.
Roque believes that this legal provision not only violates the Philippine Constitution, but also fundamentally goes against, and even betrays the interests of the Philippines, with its effect being more like "killing 1,000 enemy soldiers but losing 800 of your own."
"When the Philippine Congress passed the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law, I filed a case in the Supreme Court questioning its constitutionality, because the Philippine Constitution says that the water is between the islands of the Philippines are all internal waters. What the Archipelagic Baselines Law did was they made it into archipelagic waters, which is not only subject to innocent passage, but also subject to overflight. When under our Constitution, the water is in between our islands, our internal waters, and therefore not subject to innocent passage. Now the Maritime Zones Act makes it worse because it now acknowledges that we have lost tremendous amounts of internal waters," Roque told the Global Times. As an example, Roque highlighted the case of Japan, and how it will never become an archipelagic state on their own clause because it will never consider waters between their islands as an archipelago, as archipelagic water is subject to innocent passage and overflight. Roque believes that both laws - the Archipelagic Baselines Law as well as the Maritime Zones Act - are both unconstitutional and run contrary to Article One of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
"All I'm saying is when we adopted the Archipelagic Baselines Law, we already gave up tremendous amounts of internal waters, which will also happen for the recently approved maritime zones bill. It's probably not a really good way for the politics. It's not in the wider national interest to lose so much of internal waters. It's not quite reasonable and wise, and it violates our very own Philippine Constitution," Roque underlined.
In addition to attempting to solidify the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration case through domestic legislation, the current Philippine government is also preparing to launch a second arbitration case against China, citing environmental issues in the South China Sea, which Roque firmly opposes to.
"I was the one that suggested the South China Sea Arbitration the first time around, because I thought we needed to clarify maritime issues involving, specifically the existence of historic claims to waters. But after the arbitral tribunal was resolved, the arbitral proceedings, the way it did, I believe the way forward now is through diplomacy. You cannot solve all diplomatic issues through litigation. I think the remaining issues to be resolved now with China, including territorial disputes over islands, which remain unresolved, should be resolved diplomatically," Roque said.
He stressed that the issues between the Philippines and China are better resolved through negotiation and diplomacy rather than litigation. Especially since China has shown that it will not honor any decision unless it consents to the proceedings.
"I believe that the current Marcos administration knows that the reason why the Chinese are reacting the way they are doing the resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre around Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea is because China has made it clear that they will only allow the delivery of food and water. China has been accusing the Philippines, but side and the Philippine side has not acknowledged the fact that that it has, in fact, been delivering construction and repair materials to the vessels," he told the Global Times.
"Now I think the current administration has to make up its mind about what is more important. The continuing presence of our men on board the Sierra Madre in a union provokes China into taking more aggressive action," said Roque.
Roque also offered a theory that there are elements within the Marcos administration that would want to provoke China further "because they want the US to be involved in the controversy through the Mutual Defense Treaty."
"I think they're dreaming because I don't think the US can be involved so in a third conflict, in addition to the ongoing Ukraine and Middle East conflicts now. And I don't think the US will risk its national interest involving China, its primary trading partner and main one debtor country, just to defend us over a shoal and rocks in the South China Sea," he said.
"So I think it is a misplaced belief that the US, which our leaders consider as their 'big brother,' will come to our assistance," he argued.
In a recent interview with the Philippine media ANC, Roque reiterated his view that it's unwise for the Philippines to deliver construction or repair materials to grounded vessel BRP Sierra Madre in a way that would provoke China.
"It is foolhardy for the Philippines to think that the US will in fact come to its rescue, because we lost Mischief Reef (Meiji Jiao), they didn't come to our rescue. We lost Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao), they did not come to our rescue. The Mutual Defense Treaty exists, whether or not of course the US will get involved militarily, will depend on their national interests. I don't think our dispute with China over this very derelict ship will warrant a military response from the United States," he said.
Roque also noted that the current Philippine government has taken a "'microphone diplomacy' that we want the whole world to hate China because they will be able to see what is happening to our soldiers, including those making the deliveries."
Roque argued that he didn't see the possible gains from that. "The whole world will be on our side? Fine. But will any one of them actually stand up to China when there is an actual armed conflict, a shooting war? I don't think so."
In response to the Global Times' question of whether China really poses a national security threat to the Philippines, Roque said, "Our history has shown that we fought a war with Spain; that we fought a war with the US; we fought a war with Japan, but we have never fought a war with China."
