Pence’s answers on China censored by CCP during vice-presidential debate

The Vice President's comments on Chinese-American relations were replaced by the words "NO SIGNAL PLEASE STAND BY." The live screening of the debate resumed when Senator Kamala Harris began speaking on the matter, according to video from Twitter user Nathan Vander Klippe.

Tensions between the two powers have risen since the election of President Donald Trump, who ran on a platform which involved placing tariffs on Chinese imports and combatting Chinese currency manipulation. Trump has alleged that China has taken advantage of American trade policy in order to enrich themselves at the expense of American manufacturers.

Pence lauded the Trump administration's efforts to take on China, and boasted the return of manufacturing jobs to the US. He also discussed China's responsibility for the spread of COVID-19 and the willingness of the World Health Organization to help China cover up their role in spreading the virus.

Harris criticized the Trump administration's policies as ineffective, and effectively praised President Xi as a leader held in high esteem around the world compared to President Trump.

The President has routinely accused former Vice President Joe Biden of being weak on trade, particularly with China, and has repeatedly suggested that Biden is the preferred candidate of the Chinese government. In August of this year, the Trump campaign released a political advertisement titled "With Joe Biden, China Is In Charge."

Such accusations were repeated by Pence, who suggested that Biden spent his career "cheerleading for China." The Democratic candidate has stated in the past that "they're not bad folks" and that "they're not competition for [the United States]."

Chinese state censors frequently cut out elements from television broadcasts which challenge political narratives dictated by the Communist Party. Such tactics have been employed to suppress news reports discussing protests against the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong and China's active, ongoing genocide against their minority Uyghur population in the northwest of the country.