China's view of the US has changed too. Beijing has come to see the US as a declining power, and sees China as a rising power. The US's mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic has only bolstered this view. Chinese leaders believe their role on the world stage right now is to pick up America's slack as it wanes, and to push back on any country that seems to question its new status.

You can see how this is a problem

'Bandit logic'

In the last few months the US has put economic sanctions on high level members of the Chinese government for human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims and members of the Falun Gong religious minority.

It also put sanctions on politicians involved with China's political takeover of Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. 

The US has also sanctioned Chinese companies for human rights abuses and doing business with the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Recently, the Trump administration has also banned US investment in Chinese companies with ties to the Chinese military.

Chinese state media outlet Xinhua has called these sanctions, "Blatant political bullying and bandit logic." But there are no signs that these crackdowns on China will slow down as the administration comes to a close.

The US just announced that it will sell $280 million worth of weapons to China's enemy, Taiwan. Congress seems ready to pass a bill forcing Chinese companies on US exchanges to adhere to US accounting standards or face expulsion. In a recent speech, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referred to Chinese authorities as "jackbooted thugs."

China has said that it will retaliate against the US with its own sanctions against US officials in Hong Kong, adding more aggression to a plate that is already more than full. Over the last year China's been practicing a new form of statecraft called "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy. It's just as petulant as it sounds.

For example, China is currently in a fight with Canada because it has been holding two Canadian citizens without due process for two years. 

China had also recently picked a fight with another US ally, Australia. The fight blew up over nothing and everything.