US politicians use double standard to assess China's growing influence

For most of this year, many US politicians were busy with their witch-hunt against Russia. However, of late they have found a new target as they are afraid of the growing Chinese influence in the United States and the rest of the world.

By singling out Moscow and Beijing as the prime threats to Washington, the US National Security Strategy that was released on Monday will trigger more such witch-hunts, which some China experts in the US worry would fan anti-Chinese sentiments or Sinophobia.

US politicians have pointed fingers at the Confucius Institutes that teach Americans Chinese language, culture and history; Hong Kong-based China-United States Exchange Foundation that sponsors think tank events in the US; Chinese investment overseas meant for building infrastructure in Asia, Africa and Latin America; and even the 300,000-plus Chinese students in US colleges and universities, who not only help the US economy, but also offer valuable perspective about China to US students, especially those who don't get the chance to study abroad.