The US State Department said on Saturday it was terminating fiveChinese-funded exchange programmes with the United States, calling thempropaganda tools for Beijing.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that these programmes,conducted under a US law called the MECEA that permits American governmentemployees to travel using foreign government funds, were “disguised as’cultural exchanges'”.

“While other programmes funded under the auspices of the MECEA are mutuallybeneficial, the five programmes in question are fully funded and operatedby the PRC government as soft power propaganda tools,” Pompeo said,referring to the People’s Republic of China.

“They provide carefully curated access to Chinese Communist Partyofficials, not to the Chinese people, who do not enjoy freedoms of speechand assembly.”

The termination is the latest reflection of President Donald Trump’ssharply antagonistic relationship with China.

Under Trump, the US launched a trade war with Beijing, has challengedBeijing’s territorial ambitions in disputed Asian waters, criticized itscrackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong and blamed China’s handling of theinitial coronavirus outbreak for the pandemic now engulfing the globe.APP/AFP