China warns conflict is inevitable unless US changes course
Qin also criticized Washington’s decision early last month to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, repeating Beijing’s insistence that it appeared in US territory by accident.
“The U.S. side violated the spirit of international law and international practice by making presumptions of guilt, overreacting, abusing force, and using the issue to create a diplomatic crisis that could have been avoided. “, did he declare.
On Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory, Qin said it was the first red line in China’s relationship with the United States, which is Taiwan’s biggest international backer. .
“The United States bears an unwavering responsibility for creating the Taiwan problem,” he said.
Qin said the United States had disrespected China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by providing defensive weapons to the island, which Beijing said it could take by force if necessary, even as the United States warns China not to supply weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
China and Russia declared a ‘limitless’ partnership weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, and China has tried to appear neutral in the conflict, refraining from condemning the Russian aggression or even to call it an invasion. Qin said on Tuesday that Sino-Russian relations “must progress steadily” as the world becomes increasingly turbulent.
But Beijing strongly denies US allegations that it plans to supply Moscow with ammunition and artillery to help in its fight against kyiv.
“China is neither the creator of the crisis nor a party to it, and has not supplied arms to any party to the conflict, so why should China be blamed, sanctioned, put under pressure or even threatened?” Qin said.
He repeated earlier calls for a negotiated solution to the Ukraine conflict, although a 12-point peace proposal Beijing released last month was quickly dismissed by Western officials as too pro-Russia.
“It is regrettable that efforts to persuade and promote the talks have been undermined,” Qin said, “as if an invisible hand is pushing the conflict to escalate, taking advantage of the Ukraine crisis to realize some geopolitical intentions.”
Eric Baculinao reported from Beijing and Jennifer Jett from Hong Kong.