BEIJING – China’s new international minister, Qin Gang, mentioned relations with the U.S. have left a “rational path” and warned of battle if Washington would not “hit the brake.”
Qin, who was till just lately China’s ambassador to the U.S., mentioned China would “pursue a sound and steady relationship with the U.S.”
Nevertheless, he mentioned the Biden administration’s name for “establishing guardrails and never looking for battle merely signifies that China mustn’t reply in phrase or in motion when attacked.”
“That is not potential,” Qin mentioned.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated over the past a number of years, with tariffs and sanctions. Duties imposed below the Trump administration adopted international companies’ long-standing complaints of unequal entry to China’s market. Extra just lately, the Biden administration has mentioned the U.S. is in competitors with China and restricted American companies from working with Chinese language companions on high-end semiconductors. Excessive-level U.S. politicians’ visits to Taiwan within the final 12 months have additionally drawn Beijing’s ire.
“If the U.S. doesn’t hit the brake however proceed to hurry down the improper path, no quantity of guardrails can forestall derailing and there’ll absolutely be battle and confrontation,” Qin mentioned.
Qin Gang, now China’s international minister, is pictured right here talking in Washington, D.C., in Dec. 2022 whereas he was China’s ambassador to america.
China Information Service | China Information Service | Getty Pictures
He was talking Tuesday at his first information convention since turning into international minister.
On Taiwan, he reiterated the problem is an inside affair of China. Beijing considers the democratically self-ruled island a part of its territory.
Qin mentioned the query of Taiwan is the primary crimson line of U.S.-China relations that should not be crossed.
Relating to the balloon incident final month, Qin reiterated China’s place that the automobile was unmanned and topic to forces past Beijing’s management.
“The U.S. acted with the presumption of guilt,” he mentioned.
“The result’s the U.S. and China coverage has completely deviated from the rational and sound observe,” Qin mentioned.
The U.S. in February shot down what it alleged to be a Chinese language surveillance balloon flying over the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indefinitely postponed his journey to Beijing as a result of incident.
The month additionally marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has refused to name the assault an invasion, whereas calling for negotiations to finish the battle.
It is unclear to what extent Beijing has made an effort to facilitate negotiations.
Qin on Tuesday introduced Beijing’s ties with Moscow for example for relations with different international locations.
He mentioned “main international locations” want to contemplate whether or not they’re pursuing “unique political blocs” or “fostering friendship.” Qin mentioned China-Russia relations will not be a menace to any nation, nor are they topic to interference by any third nation.
“The extra unstable the world turns into the extra crucial it’s for China and Russia to steadily advance relations,” Qin mentioned by way of an official English translation.
Throughout a shuffle of the ruling Chinese language Communist Occasion in October, Qin was additionally named to the social gathering’s central committee.
Qin’s feedback come after Blinken final week warned China towards supporting the Russian battle effort.
“China cannot have it each methods on the subject of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. It will possibly’t be placing ahead peace proposals on the one hand whereas really feeding the flames of the fireplace that Russia has began with the opposite hand,” Blinken mentioned at a information convention in Kazakhstan.
— CNBC’s Audrey Wan contributed to this report.
