Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister, warned the United States of an impending confrontation in his first press conference. He also justified China’s decision to bolster relations with Russia amid the current crisis between Moscow and Kyiv.
In place of fair or rule-based competition, the US has been suppressing and containing China, said Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during a news conference in Beijing on the eve of the annual session of the legislature.
“The United States’ perception and views of China are seriously distorted,” Qin added. “It regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button in the shirt being put wrong.”
Years of tension over a variety of problems, including Taiwan, trade, and more lately the conflict in Ukraine, have damaged relations between the two countries. Last month, the US fired down a balloon near the US east coast that it claimed was a Chinese spying vessel.
But, Qin claimed that in reality, what that meant in practice was that China was not expected to retaliate with words or deeds when slandered or assaulted. The US claims it is constructing guardrails for ties and is not seeking war.
“It is just impossible,” said Qin at his first news conference since taking on the position of foreign minister in December.
In another statement made during the news conference on Tuesday, Qin claimed that an “invisible hand” was driving the expansion of the conflict in Ukraine. He did not identify the source of his statement.
Qin reiterated China’s appeal for discussion while asserting that the “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to serve certain geopolitical agendas”.
Qin also defended “wolf warrior diplomacy,” a strong and frequently abrasive approach adopted by China’s diplomats since 2020, vehemently during a nearly two-hour press conference during which he answered questions that had been prepared beforehand.
He emphasized ”When jackals and wolves are blocking the way, and hungry wolves are attacking us, Chinese diplomats must then dance with the wolves and protect and defend our home and country.”
