China blocks Yellen’s speech on US national security, bilateral economic relationship

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EXCLUSIVE: The Chinese government has blocked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent speech on the economic relationship between the U.S. and China from being viewed inside the country by disabling links to websites that show her address, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital.

Yellen spoke at Johns Hopkins University on the bilateral relationship on April 20.

"The United States proceeds with confidence in its long-term economic strength," Yellen said in her speech. "We remain the largest and most dynamic economy in the world. We also remain firm in our conviction to defend our values and national security."

"Within that context, we seek a constructive and fair economic relationship with China," she added.

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UNITED STATES - MARCH 16: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the The Presidents Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, in Dirksen Building on Thursday, March 16, 2023.  (Tom Williams)

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital on Friday that WeChat, the Chinese instant messaging and social media app, disabled the sharing option for posts made by the U.S. Embassy in China related to Yellen’s speech.

The official said the U.S. embassy in China had posted a version of Yellen’s speech on its website, translated from English to Chinese. WeChat blocked the opening of the embassy’s website and the Treasury Department’s websites within the app, according to the official.

Another Chinese social media app, Weibo, also disabled the links to the embassy’s website. The Treasury Department declined to comment.

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Yellen outlined the U.S. approach to China, maintaining the importance of securing "our national security interests and those of our allies and partners," while also protecting "human rights."

"We will clearly communicate to the PRC our concerns about its behavior, and we will not hesitate to defend our vital interests," Yellen said.

The American and Chinese flags wave. Feb. 2, 2022,  (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

"As in all of our foreign relations, national security is of paramount importance in our relationship with China,"  Yellen added, She said the Biden administration has "made clear that safeguarding certain technologies from the PRC’s military and security apparatus is of vital national interest."

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Yellen did say the U.S. seeks a "healthy economic relationship with China: one that fosters growth and innovation in both countries." But she warned that the United States will "continue to partner with our allies to respond to China’s unfair economic practices" and will continue to "make critical investments at home" to advance the United States’ vision for "an open, fair, and rules-based global economic order."

Yellen added that the U.S. seeks "cooperation" with China on global challenges, such as climate and "debt distress."

Chinese officials have slammed Yellen’s remarks by saying the U.S. is "generalizing the concept of national security" so that "no one dares to oppose it." Officials also accused the U.S. of wanting to "suppress China" and "decouple with China."

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Yellen and other top Biden administration officials, including CIA Director Bill Burns and FBI Director Christopher Wray, have warned that China poses the greatest threat to U.S. national security.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is the latest administration official to sound the alarm on the China threat.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, July 19, 2022. Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS)

Sullivan spoke at The Brookings Institute Thursday, and echoed Yellen’s remarks.

"As Secretary Yellen said last week in her speech on this topic, we can defend our national security interests, have a healthy economic competition, and work together where possible, but China has to be willing to play its part," Sullivan said Thursday.

Sullivan, pointing to Yellen’s remarks, said "economic engagement remains a critical part of the administration’s approach to managing the U.S.-China relationship."

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"With her help, the president is leading investment in U.S. innovation and industries that position us to proceed with confidence as we compete," Sullivan said.

Following President Biden's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in December, administration officials said that diplomatic channels between Washington and Beijing could "potentially expand." However, communication channels between the United States and Chinese militaries have been closed since former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last summer.