China’s foreign minister has warned of a clash with the US unless Washington stops its efforts to contain Beijing, highlighting the Chinese Communist Party’s concerns about rising tensions between the rival superpowers.
“If the US does not hit the brakes and continue to barrel down the wrong track, no amount of guardrails can prevent the carriage from derailing and crashing, and there will definitely be conflict and confrontation,” Qin Gang said Tuesday.
The foreign minister’s statement, made at a press conference during the annual session of China’s rubber-stamp legislature, followed an unusually direct criticism of the US by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“Western countries, led by the US, are imposing everything, encircling and suppressing us,” Xi told a delegation of China’s top political advisory body on Monday, according to state media. While Xi often uses nationalist rhetoric, he rarely mentions the US in direct criticism of Washington’s policies.
The statements from Xi and top diplomats came after the US last month shot down a Chinese high-altitude balloon that had entered its airspace, an episode that set off the latest bilateral effort to stabilize relations.
US and Chinese interests collide on a range of issues including Taiwan, Russia’s attack on Ukraine and global technology leadership.
Growing concern in Washington that Beijing could pose the biggest threat to US security has led efforts to counter its influence, including export controls and sanctions targeting Chinese technology companies, strengthening ties with allies in the Indo-Pacific region and stronger support for Taiwan.
In a sign of the dangers of Beijing’s and Washington’s conflicting positions on Taiwan, the country’s president Tsai Ing-wen has convinced US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to meet in the US instead of hosting it in Taipei for fear that the visit could have military implications. retaliation from Beijing.
Referring to Washington’s stated desire to avoid conflict, Qin said the most important “guardrails” are for Washington to recommit to the “core” of the previous joint communique on Taiwan – a body of partially ambiguous diplomatic language that both sides interpret with strange. way for decades.
“Why talk big about respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Ukraine question but then not respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Taiwan question?” said. “Why on the one hand ask China not to supply arms to Russia, but on the other hand sell arms to Taiwan in long-term violation. [joint communiqués]?”
Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory, although it has never ruled the country, which it has threatened to do by force if Taipei refuses to take control.
In a snub to Washington’s warning not to supply arms or ammunition to Moscow, Qin praised China’s close partnership with Russia for fostering trust between the great powers and creating a “model” for international relations.
“With China and Russia joining hands, the move to a multipolar world and a more democratic international system has gained momentum and global strategic balance and stability has gained guarantors,” Qin said. “Thanks to the world, more China-Russia relations should go forward.”
Asked to exchange with ordinary Americans during his tenure as China’s ambassador to the US, Qin said: “What should define China-US relations is the shared interests, shared responsibilities and friendship between our peoples and not US domestic politics and the new McCarthyism that hysterical.”
Additional reporting by Maiqi Ding in Beijing