BEIJING, March 07 (Reuters) – China’s foreign minister said on Tuesday there would be “conflict and conflict” unless the United States changes its “extreme” course, defending its position on the war in Ukraine and its close ties to the war in Ukraine. Attitude towards China.. with Russia.
Instead of engaging in fair, rules-based competition, the US is engaged in suppressing and containing China, Foreign Minister Qin Gang told a press conference at the annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing.
“America’s perception and perception of China has been seriously distorted,” Jin said.
“It sees China as its main rival and its most important geopolitical challenge. It’s like the first button on your shirt has gone wrong.”
Relations between the two superpowers have been strained for years over issues including Taiwan, trade and the recent war in Ukraine, but worsened last month after the US shot down a balloon it said was China over the US East Coast. Spy craft.
Latest update
2 more stories
The US says it is setting up safeguards for relations and does not seek confrontation, but what this really means is that when China is slandered or attacked, it should not respond with words or actions, Jin said.
“That’s impossible,” Jin said at his first press conference since becoming foreign minister in December.
“If the United States does not put on the brakes and continues to accelerate in the wrong direction, no guard will be able to prevent the derailment, and it will lead to conflict and conflict, and who will bear the catastrophic consequences?”
Qin compared the Sino-American rivalry to a race between two Olympians.
“It’s not a fair competition for one side to try to qualify for the Paralympics by beating the other without doing their best,” he said.
‘The Fox and the Wolf’
In a nearly two-hour press conference in which he answered pre-submitted questions, Qin strongly advocated “wolf warrior diplomacy,” which has seen Chinese diplomats adopt a dogged and tough stance since 2020.
“When jackals and wolves block the road and hungry wolves attack us, Chinese ambassadors must dance with wolves to protect and defend our motherland,” he said.
Jin also said the “invisible hand” is pushing to escalate the war in Ukraine to serve a specific geopolitical agenda.
He repeated China’s call for talks to end the war.
China struck an “unrestricted” alliance with Russia last year just weeks before it invaded Ukraine, echoing Russia’s displeasure at NATO’s expansion accusations that it had fueled a war.
Despite Western criticism for failing to identify Russia as the aggressor, China has refused to condemn the invasion and has staunchly defended its stance on Ukraine.
China has also vehemently denied allegations that the US is considering supplying arms to Russia.
Development of relations with Moscow
As the world becomes more volatile, China needs to develop ties with Russia, and the close ties between President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin anchor ties between the neighbors, Qin said.
He did not give a clear answer when asked if President Xi Jinping would visit Russia after the Chinese parliament session in a week.
After Russia invaded its southwestern neighbor a year ago, Xi held several meetings with Putin, but not with the Ukrainian president. This undermines China’s claim to be neutral in the conflict, said a senior diplomat in Beijing.
Asked whether China and Russia are likely to abandon the US dollar and euro for bilateral trade, Jin said countries should use efficient, safe and reliable currencies.
China wants to internationalize the yuan, which gained popularity in Russia last year after Western sanctions shut Russian banks and many businesses out of dollar and euro payment systems.
“Currency should not be a trump card for unilateral sanctions, or a disguise for bullying or coercion,” Qin said.
Yu Lun Tian, Larry Chen, Ryan Wu and Beijing Newsroom reporters; By Martin Quinn Pollard; Edited by Lincoln Feast.
Our Standard: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.