When it comes to foreign policy, China likes to be willing to cooperate and open to exchanges from which both sides benefit. However, one issue remains a red line in China’s diplomacy.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed clear criticism of the West and praised the People’s Republic’s good relationship with Russia. The chief diplomat had particularly harsh words for any interference in the so-called Taiwan question.
“Whoever supports Taiwan’s independence will be burned and swallow the bitter pill for their actions,” Wang said. China will never allow Taiwan to secede from the mainland. Wang spoke during his office’s traditional press conference at the People’s Congress meeting in Beijing.
Wang described the recent parliamentary and presidential elections in the East Asian island republic of Taiwan in mid-January as “local elections in a part of China.” Beijing counts Taiwan as part of China’s territory, even though a democratically elected government has been in power there for decades and the Communist Party in Beijing has never ruled the island. Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party won the election. The Chinese government under state and party leader Xi Jinping sees this as separatist. China wants to reunite the island with the mainland – if necessary using military means.
China accuses USA of oppression
In front of hundreds of journalists in the packed press room, Wang also accused the USA of oppressing China and not keeping its promises. Washington has expanded its sanctions against the world’s second-largest economy, said the 70-year-old. The US government wants to cut China off from important chip technology, for example. Beijing usually reacts with countermeasures, such as export restrictions on important raw materials. If the US always gets nervous whenever it hears the word China, where is the self-confidence of a great power, asked Wang. Washington must work with Beijing for a stable development of relations, he said.
Wang accused the EU of having misperceived China. The fact that Brussels described the world’s second largest economy as a partner for cooperation, an economic competitor and a systemic rival “does not correspond to the facts and is not practical,” said the 70-year-old. This unnecessarily disrupted the development of the EU-China relationship.
China: Continuation of the Gaza war cannot be justified
China’s position in the Gaza war has so far been considered difficult. Wang called for an end to violence against civilians. “There can no longer be any justification for the continuation of the conflict and no excuse for the killing of civilians,” he said. According to Wang, only through the full implementation of a two-state solution and justice for the Palestinian people can the vicious circle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be broken and the breeding ground for extremist ideas destroyed. The pursuit of an independent state of Palestine could no longer be avoided, he said. Wang did not mention the bloody October 7 Hamas massacre on Israeli soil that led to the start of the war in Gaza.
The two-state solution means that Israel and an independent Palestinian state live peacefully side by side. Over the past two decades, several attempts at negotiations to implement the principle of a two-state solution have failed. Israel and the Palestinians have so far been unable to agree on a solution to particularly contentious issues such as border demarcation, the status of Jerusalem or the fate of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons.
Once again, China’s good relationship with Russia, which has a very close ally in Beijing, became clear. “Russian gas has reached thousands of Chinese households and Chinese cars are driving on Russian roads,” Wang said. This shows the resilience of cooperation that is beneficial for both sides. In Moscow’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, China did not change its externally neutral stance. Wang said the government supports an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine. “All conflicts must end at the negotiating table,” he said.
China calls for North Korea’s concerns to be heard
However, China is worried about the situation surrounding North Korea. Wang cited the remnants of the Cold War and the never-established peace mechanism as the reason for the tensions on the Korean peninsula. “The situation on the peninsula is becoming more and more tense, which China does not want to see,” he said. It is important to stop the armament and break the spiral of escalation. Negotiations could only be resumed by addressing the security concerns of all sides, “particularly” North Korea.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
