US-China Relations Continue To Decline
Insights for America from PRC Press Conference with Foreign Minister Qin Gang
Last Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, PRC Foreign Minister Qin Gang answered questions from the press at the 14th National People’s Congress in China. Although I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the inconsistency of advocating for global governance while denouncing Western hegemony, some remarks were certainly worth noting.
On the topic of how Russia-China relations are likely to progress going forward, Gang followed the usual evasive rhetoric with the ominous remark that "the more unstable the world becomes, the more imperative it is for China and Russia to steadily advance their relations." Given the improbability of global tensions resolving, this gives an indication of what the West may be up against in the not-so-distant future. The situation in Ukraine was summarized by pointing out the obvious: without a diplomatic settlement, matters will inevitably spiral out of control.
As expected, the topic of interest then turned to Taiwan. Gang made it clear that, according to the Chinese government, "resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people, and no other country has the right to interfere in it." After half-hearted statements on the hope for peaceful reunification with Taiwan, Gang asserted that China reserves the option of "taking all necessary measures."
Gang pointed out the obvious hypocrisy of the US asking China not to arm Russia while arming Taiwan, and raised the question, "Why does the US talk at length about respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity on Ukraine while disrespecting China's sovereignty and territorial integrity on Taiwan?" US-China relations decidedly rest on this issue. However, other concerns relevant to the US were also raised.
The US Indo-Pacific Strategy, designed to grant the United States more geopolitical control in Asia, was denounced as a sort of "Asia-Pacific version of NATO" intended to "gang up" on China in order to fan the flames and provoke possible confrontation. Gang proposed that Asia should be seen as a place of cooperation rather than a "geopolitical chessboard." When asked how the deterioration of US-China relations might affect China's relationship with the European Union, Gang responded with empty political language that failed to provide any meaningful insight.
The takeaway for America is that China anticipates a serious escalation in conflict on the world stage, perhaps even to the point of a full-fledged war. Considering the increasing strength of the Russia-China alliance, this could lead to a catastrophic global conflict that would result in the loss of countless human lives; the Third World War.
- The Shultz Report by M. Shultz