China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang told reporters on Tuesday at the current annual session of the People’s Congress that if the United States “doesn’t step on the brakes, but continues to follow the wrong path,” even guardrails would no longer be able to stop a derailment. Then there would certainly be “conflicts and confrontations,” said the diplomat, and warned of “catastrophic consequences.”
According to Qin Gang, the US sees China as its main adversary and as the most serious geopolitical challenge. The consequence of this assumption is that the Americans’ China policy has strayed completely from the “rational path”. Although Washington speaks of competition, in reality it wants to suppress China in all areas.
Qin Gang likened the relationships to an unfair Olympic race: “When an athlete, instead of focusing on doing their best, is always trying to outsmart or even hurt the other, then that’s not a fair competition, it’s a malicious confrontation and a foul game,” said the Chinese Foreign Minister. He called for getting relations back on track. This is not an option, but a necessity.
Against the background of the dispute over Taiwan, Qin Gang called on the US to stop interfering “in China’s internal affairs”. He condemned US arms sales to the democratic island republic. “We will continue to work towards peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and effort,” the minister said. However, China reserves the right to “take all necessary measures,” he repeated the well-known Chinese position.
China views Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and ultimately threatens conquest if “reunification” cannot be achieved otherwise. However, Taiwan was never part of the communist People’s Republic founded in 1949 and has long considered itself independent.
