Commentary: Washington's speculative charges against China expose hegemonic anxieties

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- When it comes to smearing others based on fabrication, the United States is an absolute master.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI and other agencies believe China "could use" AI to gather data on Americans at a scale that was never before.

It's a matter of repeated occurrence that U.S. officials, especially intelligence officers with a sense of mystery, made accusations with similar speculative words "probably" and "appear to be."

Has anyone in Washington presented any proof? Not yet. And don't expect there will be any.

Such irresponsible remarks show how the sole superpower of the world arbitrarily attacks other countries at its will as it is scrambling to keep its global supremacy. And those U.S. agencies have for long been grappling with notorious credibility problem.

Just in November, a bipartisan group of 11 U.S. House lawmakers asked the Biden administration to probe and potentially sanction Chinese drone maker Autel Robotics, based on their unfounded and speculative concerns of national security and the claim that the company appears to be "potentially supporting Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine."

Of course, China is not the only victim of U.S. speculative accusations. The United States launched a war against Iraq in 2003, claiming that the Mideast country possessed weapons of mass destruction; no such weapons have ever turned up.

Behind U.S. recurrent malicious speculations are its tendency to judge others through a self-referential lens and its sense of insecurity regarding its hegemony.

In the realm of data theft, the United States reigns supreme. Washington has been working with its "Five Eyes" allies and others to conduct secret data-stealing operations worldwide. Multiple media outlets revealed that the U.S. National Security Agency tapped directly into the servers of internet firms in a surveillance program known as Prism, involving internet giants such as Microsoft, Google and Apple. The leaked Pentagon documents in April also revealed how Washington spies on other countries, both allies and foes alike.

The United States is simply playing the trick of a thief crying "stop thief."

Furthermore, the United States regards its technological edge as the cornerstone for maintaining its hegemonic status. China has repeatedly stated that it never seeks hegemony. However, the superpower remains apprehensive about China's rapid technological progress, worrying being outdone.

Nevertheless, instead of focusing on advancing its own technology, the United States opts to sabotage China's progress, even by employing underhanded tactics. It did so with Japan's semiconductor industry; now, it wants to halt China's further tech breakthroughs.

It fabricated tons of excuses to clamp down on China's high-tech enterprises, putting more than 1,000 Chinese companies on sanction lists or export controls. From Huawei taking the brunt to the 36 Chinese companies recently added to the trade blacklist in December, groundless accusations, repeatedly cited national security risks, made-up tales and unjust sanctions have dominated Washington's bullying of China. The paranoid superpower is unwilling to sit by and let China's high-tech development flourish.

A clean hand requires no washing. The United States is welcome to present proof of its accusations. Otherwise, it should learn to become a more responsible global power and quit spreading lies.