A language shift signals a departure in tone between the Trump and Biden administrations towards China.

By Nike Ching | Voice of America

Summary

The United States is distinguishing between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese people, viewing the CCP as an adversary in strategic competition while avoiding negative connotations towards the general public. This approach aligns with public messaging from the later years of President Donald Trump’s first administration.

In recent guidance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed U.S. embassies and consular posts to use specific descriptors, advising the avoidance of “Chinese” as an adjective when it could imply negativity towards the Chinese people, culture, or language. The State Department now refers to the country as “China” instead of the “People’s Republic of China” and uses “CCP” when discussing government actions, recognizing the party’s authority over political, economic, and military decisions.

The guidance advises against using language that reflects the ideology of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, recommending the term “General Secretary” over “President” to emphasize the party’s supremacy. It also reaffirms U.S. policy principles of “reciprocity and fairness” and the avoidance of characterizations used by the Biden administration, such as “invest-align-compete” and “responsibly managing the relationship” between the U.S. and China.

Chinese officials have strongly opposed these changes, accusing the U.S. of peddling a “China-U.S. strategic competition” narrative steeped in the Cold War mentality. Analysts in Washington note that such updates to official websites are common during transitions between administrations.

The original report is available at the publisher’s website here.