China’s foreign minister says Sino-US relations have “seriously deviated”, warning of potential conflict.
“Containment and suppression will not make America great. This will not stop China’s rejuvenation,” Qin Gang said.
Mr Qin, a former Chinese ambassador to the US, held his first press conference as foreign minister on Tuesday.
The spy balloon saga has heightened tensions between the superpowers, despite recent efforts to improve ties.
“She [США] sees China as its main rival and most significant geopolitical challenge. It’s like the first button on a shirt is not on properly,” said Mr. Qin.
The foreign minister was responding to questions about whether a healthy Sino-US relationship is possible as differences between the countries grow.
The United States has called for “fences” to be put in place, but in reality it wants China not to respond with words or actions when provoked, Mr. Qin added.
He was referring to US President Joe Biden’s comments last month that the US would “fully compete with China, but [не] not looking for conflict.”
Mr. Qin said: “If the US does not hit the brakes and continues to rumble down the wrong road, no fences can stop the derailment and overturning, and it will inevitably fall into conflict and confrontation. Who will bear the consequences of his disaster?”
He also said the diplomatic crisis caused by the hot-air balloon incident could have been prevented, but the US acted with a “presumption of guilt”.
Earlier, Washington called the alleged spy balloon “a clear violation of US sovereignty.” Beijing acknowledged that the object belonged to them, but said it was a civilian airship that had gone off course.
Mr Qin’s comments followed an unusually direct rebuke of the US by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.
Mr. Xi said that “Western countries, led by the United States, have implemented comprehensive containment, encirclement and suppression” against China, and that this has created “serious challenges” for the country.
On Tuesday, Mr. Qin said that the crisis in Ukraine was controlled by an “invisible hand,” but did not name any country or individual. He reiterated that China has not provided weapons to any of the parties to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and called for the resumption of peace talks.
However, he asked, “Why should the US demand that China refrain from supplying arms to Russia when it sells arms to Taiwan?”
According to him, the Ukrainian crisis has reached a “critical point”.
“Either a cease-fire will stop the war, restore peace and begin a political settlement, or fan the flames, widen the crisis and drag it into the abyss of loss of control.”
Mr. Qin, 56, was appointed China’s foreign minister in December 2022 and is one of the youngest appointees to the post in the country’s history. He replaced Wang Yi, who was promoted to the Politburo of the ruling Communist Party in October of the same year.
A trusted aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr. Qin is well known as a tough diplomat.
