Given that this clamping down came about earlier than any discussion of this matter by the American leadership, I don't think that's a good explanation for this

Given that this clamping down came about earlier than any discussion of this matter by the American leadership, I don't think that's a good explanation for this. *Reading this comment again, perhaps I should have phrased it more carefully - I'm not saying that any clamping down that is happening now has come earlier, but that China started clamping down on this from the very beginning.