Washington, Jul 16 (AP) The United States has become overly reliant on Chinese goods and services, including face masks, medical gowns and other protective equipment designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Attorney General William Barr said Thursday.

He also accused hackers linked to the Chinese government of targeting American universities and businesses to steal research related to vaccine development, leveling the allegation against Beijing hours after Western agencies made similar claims against Russia.

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Barr's address at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is part of a full-court press by the Trump administration to denounce China. President Donald Trump is trying to fend off criticism of his handling of the coronavirus and the U.S. economic downturn and to shift the blame back onto Beijing, and assert that he is tougher on China than Democratic rival Joe Biden.

“The People's Republic of China is now engaged in an economic blitzkrieg — an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government (indeed, whole-of-society) campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the world's preeminent superpower,” Barr said.

Also Read | Russia Attempted to Hack Coronavirus Vaccine Research, Allege UK, US And Canada.

Administration officials in recent weeks have stepped up their rhetoric about China's alleged economic espionage, with a New York Post opinion piece by national security adviser Robert O'Brien and a speech last week in which FBI Director Chris Wray detailed what he said were efforts by China to steal American research and innovation. He said the FBI was opening a counterintelligence investigation related to China about every 10 hours.

Barr's speech amounted to a wide-ranging condemnation of what he said were Beijing's tactics to gain an economic upper hand in the 21st century and to pressure American corporate leaders to promote policies favorable to the Communist government.

He warned that American business leaders could run afoul of federal foreign lobbying laws if they do not disclose relationships with Beijing, and that universities that welcome Chinese-funded initiatives could unwittingly lose control of academic research.

Hollywood, too, has fallen influence to Beijing, Barr said, accusing filmmakers of censoring themselves in line with Chinese propaganda.

“Globalization does not always point in the direction of greater freedom. A world marching to the beat of Communist China's drums will not be a hospitable one for institutions that depend on free markets, free trade, or the free exchange of ideas,” Barr said.

Trump's own relationship with China has been complicated. He has spoken at times of a productive rapport with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and former national security adviser John Bolton writes in a new book that Trump asked Xi for help with Trump's reelection bid. (AP) MRJ 07162256 NNNN capacity of more than 10,000 patients per day, the statement said.

It is one of the largest such track-based laboratory automation installations across Asia Pacific and has been commissioned in less than one year, it said. 

According to a statement issued by AIIMS, the RAK OPD at the south east of the Masjid Moth campus of the premier hospital has been designed and built with wide circulation spaces and well ventilated waiting areas, adequate to accommodate a footfall of 15,000 patients per day. 

The structure has a ground floor, eight other floors and three basements. Each floor of the building covers an area of approximately 6,300 sqm making it the largest known OPD in India. 

"It has been made to decongest the working space at AIIMS and to provide faster and seamless service to its patients. This will also make room for the expansion of some services like emergency and nuclear medicine in the main hospital," the statement said.

The RAK OPD houses 18 departments -- 16 of them clinical and two diagnostic with 270 consultation rooms, 13 minor OTs and 50 treatment and procedure rooms. 

A dialysis facility, day-care for rheumatology and haematology patients, pain clinic, an endoscopic suite, laser and cosmetic surgery OTs for dermatological day care procedures are some of the unique features of this OPD, the AIIMS said. 

It has a waiting area for 800-1,000 patients on each floor. Special provisions for elderly and differently-abled i.e. queue preference, toilets, anti-skid tiles have been put in place.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)