BeijingChina’s foreign minister on Tuesday reiterated Beijing’s call for talks to end the conflict in Ukraine, saying the US must change its recent erroneous policies towards China or follow “struggle and confrontation”. Foreign Minister Qin Gang told a news conference in Beijing on the sidelines of the annual parliament meeting that the US is engaged in suppression and control of China rather than fair or rules-based competition.
Qin said, “The United States’ perception and view of China are seriously distorted.” “It treats China as its primary rival and most consequential geopolitical challenger. It’s like getting the first button on the shirt wrong.”
America’s perception and China’s views are seriously distorted. It regards China as its primary rival and biggest geopolitical challenge. And the result is that America’s China policy has deviated from a completely rational and sound path. pic.twitter.com/gMMMXLlVXt— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) March 7, 2023
Relations between the two superpowers have been tense for years over a range of issues including trade and the war in Taiwan, Ukraine, but they worsened after a dispute involving a balloon the US said was a Chinese spy device and shot down last month.
Qin said the US says it is setting up a protective shield for relations with China and is not seeking conflict, but in practice it means that China is being slandered or attacked by words or actions. Should not answer.
“It is impossible,” he said. “If the United States doesn’t hit the brakes, and continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can stop the derailment, which will become conflict and confrontation, and who will suffer the disastrous consequences?”
Elsewhere during Tuesday’s news conference, Qin said an “invisible hand” was pushing to escalate the war in Ukraine, without specifying who he was referring to.
Qin reiterated China’s call for talks, saying the “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to fulfill some geopolitical agenda”.
China has fiercely defended its position on Ukraine amid Western criticism of its decision not to name Russia an aggressor in the conflict.
Since Russia invaded its southwestern neighbor last February, Xi has held talks with Putin several times but has yet to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart, a fact that bolsters China’s claims of neutrality. weakens it, Kiev’s top diplomat in Beijing said last month on the anniversary of the start of the war.
Beijing has also strongly denied Washington’s allegations that it is considering providing Russia with lethal weapons.
But China should pursue its ties with Russia as the world becomes more turbulent, Qin said.
Qin said that the close communication between President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin provided support to China-Russia relations.
Live: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang briefs the media on foreign policy and external relations #2023 season two https://t.co/aPUM89LDXR— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) March 7, 2023
Asked whether Xi would visit Russia after China’s parliament session, which will run for another week, he did not give a definite answer.
Asked whether it was possible for China and Russia to abandon the US dollar and euro for bilateral trade, Qin said the countries should use efficient, safe and reliable currencies.
“Currencies should not be a trump card for unilateral sanctions, much less a disguise for intimidation or coercion,” he added.
China has often criticized the United States for bullying other countries with unilateral sanctions.