U.S. State Department revises China webpage to focus on trade, business curbs

20/2/2025 16:36

The U.S. State Department has changed references to China on its website, emphasising the trade deficit in an expanded section on economic ties, while dropping talk of working with allies and assistance to China on cultural and environmental issues.



The February 13 changes underscore the new administration's focus on trade and other priorities after removing a phrase last week from the department's Taiwan fact sheet about not supporting the island's independence, which angered Beijing.



China's economy is "one of the most restrictive investment climates in the world", read the expanded section on economic ties that highlighted the U.S-China trade deficit and U.S. businesses' concerns on the challenges of operating in China.



"China also engages in unfair trade practices, including using forced labor and massive state subsidies, putting American businesses at a disadvantage, and making them complicit in China's human rights abuses," the webpage read.



The U.S. embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Responding to a query on the changes, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry described them as "distorting facts and slandering China's foreign policy, and hyping up so-called China-U.S. strategic competition".