China says U.S. should change attitude or risk conflict

BEIJING, March 7 (Reuters) – America ought to change its “distorted” angle in direction of China or “battle and confrontation” will observe, China’s international minister stated on Tuesday, whereas defending its stance on the battle in Ukraine and defending its shut ties with Russia.

The U.S. had been partaking in suppression and containment of China relatively than partaking in truthful, rule-based competitors, Overseas Minister Qin Gang instructed a information convention on the sidelines of an annual parliament assembly in Beijing.

“America’ notion and views of China are severely distorted,” stated Qin, a trusted aide to President Xi Jinping and till not too long ago China’s ambassador in Washington.

“It regards China as its main rival and probably the most consequential geopolitical problem. That is like the primary button within the shirt being put mistaken.”

Relations between the 2 superpowers have been tense for years over plenty of points together with Taiwan, commerce and extra not too long ago the battle in Ukraine however they worsened final month after the USA shot down a balloon off the U.S. East Coast that it says was a Chinese language spying craft.

The U.S. says it’s establishing guardrails for relations and isn’t searching for battle however Qin stated what that meant in apply was that China was not supposed to reply with phrases or motion when slandered or attacked.

“That’s simply unimaginable,” Qin instructed his first information convention since changing into international minister in late December.

Qin’s feedback struck the identical the robust tone of his predecessor, Wang Yi, now China’s most senior diplomat after being made director of the Overseas Affairs Fee Workplace on the flip of the yr.

“If the USA doesn’t hit the brakes, and continues to hurry down the mistaken path, no quantity of guardrails can forestall derailment, which is able to develop into battle and confrontation, and who will bear the catastrophic penalties?”

U.S. officers typically communicate of creating guardrails within the bilateral relationship to forestall tensions from escalating into crises.

Qin likened Sino-U.S. competitors to a race between two Olympic athletes.

“If one facet, as a substitute of specializing in giving one’s finest, at all times tries to journey the opposite up, even to the extent that they have to enter the Paralympics, then this isn’t truthful competitors,” he stated.

‘JACKALS AND WOLVES’

Throughout a virtually two-hour information convention during which he answered questions submitted upfront, Qin made a strong defence of “wolf warrior diplomacy”, an assertive and sometimes abrasive stance adopted by China’s diplomats since 2020.

“When jackals and wolves are blocking the way in which, and hungry wolves are attacking us, Chinese language diplomats should then dance with the wolves and defend and defend our residence and nation,” he stated.

Qin additionally stated that an “invisible hand” was pushing for the escalation of the battle in Ukraine “to serve sure geopolitical agendas”, with out specifying who he was referring to.

He reiterated China’s name for dialogue to finish the battle.

China struck a “no limits” partnership with Russia final yr, weeks earlier than its invasion of Ukraine, and China has blamed NATO growth for triggering the battle, echoing Russia’s criticism.

China has declined to sentence the invasion and has fiercely defended its stance on Ukraine, regardless of Western criticism of its failure to single Russia out because the aggressor.

China has additionally vehemently denied U.S. accusations that it has been contemplating supplying Russia with weapons.

ADVANCING RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW

Qin stated China needed to advance its relations with Russia because the world turns into extra turbulent and shut interactions between President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, anchored the neighbours’ relations.

He didn’t give a particular reply when requested if Xi would go to Russia after China’s parliament session, which works on for another week.

Since Russia invaded its southwestern neighbour a yr in the past Xi has held talks a number of occasions with Putin, however not along with his Ukrainian counterpart. This undermines China’s declare of neutrality within the battle, Kyiv’s high diplomat in Beijing stated final month.

Requested whether or not it was potential that China and Russia would abandon the U.S. greenback and euro for bilateral commerce, Qin stated nations ought to use no matter foreign money was environment friendly, protected and credible.

China has been trying to internationalise its foreign money, the yuan, which gained reputation in Russia final yr after Western sanctions shut Russia’s banks and lots of of its corporations out of the greenback and euro cost programs.

“Currencies shouldn’t be the trump card for unilateral sanctions, nonetheless much less a disguise for bullying or coercion,” Qin stated.

Reporting by Yew Lun Tian, Laurie Chen, Ryan Woo and the Beijing Newsroom; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Enhancing by Lincoln Feast and Tom Hogue

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.