In the course of the ongoing People’s Congress in Beijing, China has pushed for greater independence for Europeans from the United States. At a press conference on the occasion of the annual meeting on Tuesday, new foreign minister Qin Gang hailed the European Union as a “comprehensive strategic partner”. “We hope that Europe will learn from the pain and suffering of the war in Ukraine and achieve true long-term strategic autonomy and stability,” said Qin Gang.
In doing so, he indirectly expressed the wish that Europeans distance themselves from the US – China accuses the US government in Washington of pursuing a policy of dominance. China therefore wants to work more closely with the European side “to maintain genuine multilateralism, mutual respect and cooperation for the benefit of both”. A strengthened partnership between China and the EU can bring more stability, security and positive energy to the world. However, Xi assessed the current situation as difficult.
Xi accuses the US and the West of “oppression”.
In unusually direct words, the Chinese head of state accused the United States and the West in general of wanting to slow down his country’s rise in the world. On the sidelines of the People’s Congress, the president said on Tuesday, according to state media, that the environment for China’s development had “changed dramatically” and that uncertainties had greatly increased.
“Western countries, led by the US in particular, are pursuing total containment, encirclement and suppression of China, posing unprecedented serious challenges to China’s development,” Xi said. At the same time, China faces several difficulties. As examples, the head of state cited repeated outbreaks of Covid 19 and increasing economic pressure on his country as the second largest economy in the world.
His open criticism contrasted sharply with previous statements in which China’s leaders usually vaguely referred to “certain countries” without directly mentioning the United States or the West. The comments came during discussions with delegates from the Consultative Conference, an advisory body that meets in parallel with the People’s Congress.
At the expected ten-day National People’s Congress, delegates will, as usual, unanimously approve the decisions of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CP). It is therefore considered certain that President Xi Jinping will be confirmed as head of state for a third term. This cemented his position as the most powerful president since the founder of the state, Mao Zedong.
China calls for peace talks
Foreign Minister Qin Gang also called for peace talks in the war in Ukraine at the People’s Congress. At the same time, however, he demanded that the “legitimate security interests of all parties must be respected” – a phrase China usually uses to indicate its support for the Russian position.
The conflict is essentially “a burst of trouble” in the European security architecture. “China did not cause the crisis. It is not a party in crisis and has not supplied weapons to either side,” Qin Gang said.
“Why on earth should China be blamed or even punished or threatened? That is completely unacceptable,” said the foreign minister, who also responded to warnings from the US and Europe to China to supply arms to Russia. In its position paper on the war in Ukraine presented in February, China called for respect for sovereignty, an end to the Cold War mentality, a ceasefire and the resumption of peace negotiations.
Foreign Minister: The war in Ukraine is at a crossroads
However, the position paper often caused international disappointment because, according to critics, it showed no serious initiative to end the war and, for example, did not provide for the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories in Ukraine.
It is a pity that peace talk efforts have been repeatedly undermined, Qin Gang said. “There seems to be an invisible hand pushing for dragging and escalating the conflict, using the crisis in Ukraine to advance a specific geopolitical agenda.”
He praised China-Russia relations as a “model for new international relations”. Some countries viewed the relationship through the lens of the Cold War. However, Qin Gang claimed that the relations are not an alliance and are not confrontational against third parties. “The more turbulent the world is, the more stable Russian-Chinese relations should be.” At the same time, Qin Gang also sharply criticized the United States.
Clear warning to the US
According to China’s foreign minister, if the United States “does not apply the brakes, but continues to follow the wrong path”, not even guardrails can stop a derailment. Dan certainly threatened “conflicts and confrontations,” the diplomat said, warning of “catastrophic consequences.”
Qin Gang compared the relationship with the US to an unfair Olympic race: “If an athlete is always trying to outsmart or even injure the other instead of focusing on trying his best, that is not fair competition, but a fair, malicious confrontation and foul play,” said China’s foreign minister, calling for relations to get back on track. This is not an option, but a necessity.
(tonline/dpa/afp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
