CAccording to state media, Hina’s President Xi Jinping has denounced US “oppression” of his country. Under US leadership, Western countries have “enclosed, encircled and repressed China all around, which has posed unprecedented challenges for our country’s development,” Xi said Monday in a speech to delegates at the Political Consultative Conference, according to a report by the state-run Xinhua News Agency of the Chinese people in Beijing.
In recent years, China has been confronted with a number of new hurdles that threatened to slow down its economic rise. Facing “profound and complex changes in both the domestic and international landscapes, China must have the courage to fight,” said the 69-year-old Xi, who is about to start his third term.
Qin warns against confrontation
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned that unless Washington changes its policy toward Beijing, a confrontation will ensue. If the United States “doesn’t step on the brakes, but continues to follow the wrong path,” even crash barriers could no longer stop a derailment, he told journalists on Tuesday at the current annual meeting of the People’s Congress. Then there would certainly be “conflicts and confrontations,” Qin said, warning of “catastrophic consequences.”
According to the Secretary of State, the US sees China as its main adversary and as the most serious geopolitical challenge. The consequence of this assumption is that the American policy on China has completely deviated from the “rational path”. Although Washington speaks of competition, in reality it wants to suppress China in all areas.
The EU always regards China as a “comprehensive strategic partner,” Qi said. “We hope that Europe, which has endured the suffering of the war in Ukraine, will learn from its pain and achieve true strategic autonomy and long-term stability,” the foreign minister said. In doing so, he indirectly expressed his desire for the Europeans to distance themselves from the Americans, who accuse China of dominance.
China wants to work with the European side “to adhere to true multilateralism, mutual respect and cooperation for the benefit of both”. By strengthening the China-EU partnership, the world can be injected with more stability, certainty and positive energy.
At the same time, Qin said that China must expand its relations with Russia in view of the increasing turbulence in the world. The close cooperation between China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin is the anchor for relations between the two countries, Qin said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing.
He did not comment on speculation that Xi could travel to Russia after the Chinese parliamentary session, which lasted about a week. Asked whether it is possible for China and Russia to abandon the dollar and euro for bilateral trade, Qin says countries should use any currency that is efficient, safe and credible. “Currencies should not be used as a trump card for unilateral sanctions, much less as a cover for harassment or coercion,” he said.
China-US relations have deteriorated
China and the USA are in fierce economic competition. The issues of dispute between Washington and Beijing are trade and human rights. In addition, a Chinese balloon was shot down over the American east coast, which the White House said was used for espionage purposes. China denies this.
Relations between China and the USA had recently deteriorated significantly, also due to the Taiwan question. US officials have repeatedly warned of a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. China sees Taiwan, which has been seceded since 1949, as a breakaway territory.
Sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference are usually held at the same time as the expected ten-day National People’s Congress, which is currently being held in Beijing. As usual, the MPs should 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 further cemented his position as the most powerful president since the founder of the state, Mao Zedong.