Trump administration to label China greatest threat to national security: report

President Trump’s director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, is set to publicly warn that China poses the greatest national security threat to the United States, Axios reported.

Ratcliffe is set to make the announcement on Thursday, according to the news outlet, which added that he will make a series of statements and appearances doubling down on the criticism of the country.

Axios reported that the move is part of a broader Trump administration effort to elevate concerns about the relationship between Washington and Beijing. An unidentified administration official told the site that such warnings are not made publicly. 

Relations between the Trump administration and China have been strained, with the president regularly blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak and claiming that officials in the country could have acted sooner to contain the spread of the virus.

Tensions have also increased over control in the South China Sea, trade, tariffs and more.

The administration earlier this week reportedly prepared to have more Chinese businesses added to its blacklist of companies it says have ties to the Chinese military, including a top chipmaker and national offshore oil and gas producer.

President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that he supports a tough policy on the U.S.’s relationship with China, although he is expected to open a dialogue between the two countries on issues like fighting the coronavirus pandemic. 

In an interview with The New York Times published Wednesday, Biden said he would not immediately remove the tariffs that Trump has imposed on China.

The Hill has reached out to the office of the director of national intelligence for comment.