“Why does the US demand that China not supply weapons to Russia if they sell them to Taiwan?”: Beijing’s defiant response to Washington over the war in Ukraine

Relations between China and the United States have “seriously deviated,” China’s foreign minister said, warning of a potential conflict.

“Containment and oppression (of China) will not make America great,” Qin Gang said, adding that this strategy by Washington “will not stop China’s rejuvenation.”

Qin, Beijing’s ambassador to Washington, made the remarks at his first press conference as foreign minister on Tuesday.

spy balloon saga Tensions between the superpowers have risen despite recent efforts to improve relations.

“[Estados Unidos] it sees China as its main rival and as the main geopolitical challenge. This is like the top button of his shirt is buttoned wrong,” Qin said.

growing differences

The minister thus responded to the question of whether a healthy relationship between China and the United States is still possible the differences between the two countries are increasing.

He said the United States is calling for “guard rails,” but what it really wants is for China not to hit back with words or actions when provoked.

He was referring to US President Joe Biden’s remarks last month that his country would “fully compete with China but not seek conflict.”

Qin stated: “If the US does not put the brakes on it and continue to roar in the wrong direction, no guardrail can stop the derailment and overturning, and it will inevitably lead to conflict and confrontation. Who bears the disastrous consequences?

He also indicated that the diplomatic crisis caused by the balloon incident could have been avoided, but the United States acted with “the presumption of guilt”.

Washington previously described the alleged spy balloon affair as a “clear violation of US sovereignty”.

Beijing admitted the object was theirs, but said it was a civilian plane that had gone off course.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated during the reign of former US President Donald Trump, which launched a trade war against China in 2018.

The two superpowers continue to clash over various issues, including Taiwan, China’s militarization of the South China Sea and the origins of the covid virus.

Qin’s remarks follow Chinese President Xi Jinping’s unusually direct rebuke of the United States on Monday.

Xi said that “the US-led Western countries had taken comprehensive containment, encirclement and suppression measures” against China and that this posed “serious challenges” for the country.

An “invisible hand”

During his press conference, Qin said urged the US “not to interfere in China’s internal affairs” and questioned Washington’s differing responses to the Ukraine and Taiwan issues.

“Why is the United States talking about respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Ukraine issue, but not China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Taiwan issue?” Qin asked.

“Why does the United States demand that China refrain from supplying arms to Russia if it sells arms to Taiwan?” he added.

Qin reiterated that China has not supplied weapons to either side of the war in Ukraine.

Said an “invisible hand” propelled the Ukrainian crisis, but did not name any country or person.

And he called for the resumption of peace talks.

The crisis in Ukraine has reached a “critical moment”, the official said.

“Either a ceasefire will stop the war, restore peace and push for a political settlement, or the fire will fan, the crisis will spread and drag itself into the abyss of loss of control,” he added.

Qin, 56, was appointed China’s foreign minister in December 2022 and is one of the youngest officers to hold the position in the country’s history.

He replaced Wang Yi, who was promoted to the politburo of the ruling Communist Party in October of that year.

A trusted adviser to President Xi Jinping, Qin is known as a tough diplomat.