The gloves are coming off - China

From the Communist Chinese government house organ Global Times:

China targets GOP hawks, US firms, states over lawsuits
China is extremely dissatisfied with the abuse of litigation by the US against China over the COVID-19 epidemic, and is considering punitive countermeasures against US individuals, entities and state officials, such as Missouri's attorney general Eric Schmitt, who filed a lawsuit against China, seeking compensation for the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter told the Global Times exclusively. At least four US Congress members, including Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton, and two entities will be put on China's sanctions list, analysts said.

China won't just strike back symbolically, but will impose countermeasures that will make them feel the pain, analysts said.

From The Washington Free Beacon:

Chinese State Media Warn Country Will Interfere in U.S. Election
China is threatening to meddle in the upcoming U.S. presidential election as retribution for a flurry of American lawsuits seeking to hold Beijing accountable for the spread of the coronavirus.

The Communist Party "won't just strike back symbolically, but will impose countermeasures that will make them feel pain," according to the Global Times, an outlet controlled by the regime.

The threats come as outrage grows over China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the country and the subsequent global spread of the virus.

This will be interesting to watch - China needs us a hell of a lot more than we need them. Sure, the cheap gimcracks and toys are fun to play with but we do not need them to function. Other devices can just as easilly be made elsewhere - maybe at a higher cost but probably with a higher engineering and build quality. They may cost 30% more but they will last more than twice as long.

I know with machinery, if I am looking for something with quality and decent precision, I buy from a Taiwan or Indian source and not Chinese. If I need something quick, temporary and dirty then yes, Harbor Freight is my port of call but otherwise, no.