China has a brand new foreign minister who was quick to issue a warning to Washington. Antony Blinken won’t have Wang Yi to Wang Chung with anymore. On Tuesday, Qin Gang announced “the U.S. must change its ‘distorted‘ attitude towards the country or face ‘conflict and confrontation.‘” The notice is seen by pundits as clear “escalation.” Relations, New York Post notes, “between Washington and Beijing are at their lowest point in decades.” If we don’t back off of Taiwan now, China plans decisive action. Blinky just stares at impending nuclear conflict, paralyzed with fright because our official policy is to pry Taiwan away to “democracy.”
Warning to back off
The Chinese are warning American diplomats that there’s a new sheriff in town. China’s brand new Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, talked to press at the big meeting of China’s parliament, which named him as Wang Yi’s replacement. He told them “Washington’s China policy” derailed like a train full of toxic chemicals and “entirely deviated from the rational and sound track.”
Wang had been trying to beat some sense into Antony Blinken and only got blank looks back. Nobody in Joe Biden’s circle of handlers can get the idea that Taiwan belongs to China and it’s going to stay that way.
The mighty Qin is “a trusted adviser to President Xi Jinping.” He relates that Biden and Blinky have “been engaging in suppression and containment of China rather than engaging in fair competition.” Our “perception and views of China are seriously distorted,” he’s warning.
Fiery press conference from China's new foreign minister Qin Gang. Said conflict is inevitable if the US doesn't change course on approach to China, warning of "catastrophic consequences."
Defended China's partnership with Russia; said China has not supplied them weapons @CNN pic.twitter.com/BGS4mpcelW— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) March 7, 2023
“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.” If we go looking for war, we will probably find it.
Things have been tense between China and U.S. for a couple years now. The big thing that has Xi Jinping raging is Taiwan. The Chinese Communist Party has been letting their territory run themselves as a democracy but that’s not good enough for Americans. We can’t seem to mind our own business, geopolitically.
Add to that trade issues and conflict over aid to the combatants in Ukraine. When the big spy balloon came floating over, shooting it down really broke the simmer out to a boil. This latest warning is only one of many.
‘if the us does not hit the brake, but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there surely will be conflict and confrontation’
– chinese foreign minister qin gang pic.twitter.com/KpsDoCGAQb
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) March 7, 2023
Learn to play nice
Shooting down their spy balloon was way over the top, Qin Gang points out. He’s still sticking with their official story that it was a harmless weather balloon and we overreacted. Shelving that for a minute though, we need to back off of Taiwan or things really will get worse, Qin diplomatically “suggests” to disguise the warning tone.
“If the United States does not hit the brakes, and continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailment, which will become conflict and confrontation, and who will bear the catastrophic consequences?” He saw our news about what happened in Ohio. Would we like to see that in a glow in the dark nuclear variety? he hints.
In case you weren’t sure, he clarifies. “Such competition is a reckless gamble, with the stakes being the fundamental interests of the two peoples and even the future of humanity.” Future of humanity sounds like high stakes.
7 March
China's Qin Gang: "Why does US talk at length about respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty & territorial integrity while ignoring China’s sovereignty & territorial integrity regarding Taiwan? Why does US ask China not to provide weapons to Russia while it sells arms to Taiwan?" pic.twitter.com/GKkWDfh30D— the Lemniscat (@theLemniscat) March 7, 2023
He spent a full two hours answering questions. He’s considered to be an expert on Washington, which makes his warning even more ominous. When he was ambassador to the U.S., he was credited at home for his “wolf warrior diplomacy.”
“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,” he chuckles.
Shooting down their balloon considering the number of Hunter Biden original paintings hanging around palace walls was bad enough. The real warning is prompted by the “invisible hand” pushing “for the continuation and escalation of the conflict” to “serve certain geopolitical agendas.” He did not say whom he was referring to.