The new Chinese Foreign Minister: "A crisis like the one in Ukraine must not be repeated in Asia"

The message has been clear.

On the global scene, at this point in the 21st century, Beijing no longer accepts lessons: Taiwan is an internal matter that the United States should keep its hands off if it wants to avoid conflict;

Russia, a strategic partner with which to build a more stable, multipolar and democratic world;

Europe, a great market that has to learn from the lessons of Ukraine.

And China, increasingly at the center of the geopolitical theater, an example of modernization for developing countries, and with an alternative governance model to the West that promises a future of peace and prosperity for all humanity.

Broadly speaking, this has been the worldview that Qin Gang, the new Chinese Foreign Minister, conveyed this Tuesday in an appearance before the press in Beijing.

With a continuous, hard tone and critical of the West, this 56-year-old former ambassador to the United States has reviewed the various global fires, with special attention to the war in Ukraine and the growing tension around Taiwan, the self-governing island China considers an inalienable part of its territory and to which the United States supplies weapons.

Any link between the two awakens all alerts in Beijing.

"A crisis like the one in Ukraine must not be repeated in Asia," stressed Qin, who has called for the region to become a space "for cooperation" and not "a chessboard for geopolitical contention."

The rivalry between the two superpowers has become the center of gravity of the conference: from Russia to the New Silk Road, the infrastructure program with which China has deployed its networks around the world, everything can be measured in terms of the relationship with Washington and its Western allies.

Beijing has warned of the possibility of "conflict and confrontation" if "the United States does not step on the brakes" in its trajectory of containing China.

During the previous day, the country's president, Xi Jinping, not very inclined to point the finger directly, criticized what he considers a strategy aimed at stopping the Asian giant.

“Western countries, led by the United States, are implementing a complete containment and suppression of China, which implies unprecedented challenges for our development,” he said during a meeting with members of the Consultative Conference, an advisory body, according to the agency. Xinhua official.

The US blockade of the semiconductor sector, to prevent China from developing state-of-the-art weapons, the deepening of Washington's alliances in the Indo-Pacific region and the growing military support for Taiwan have in recent times deepened the gap between the superpowers. .

The recent balloon crisis — an “avoidable” episode, in which Washington “overreacted” and acted “assumingly guilty” toward China, according to the foreign minister — shows the tattered state of diplomacy, despite the brief thaw sealed in November by presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping during their meeting at the G-20 summit in Bali (Indonesia).

The aerostatic incident – ​​President Biden ordered the downing of the Chinese aircraft after crossing US territory without permission – led to a visit to Beijing by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, through which both countries sought to put the situation back on track.

For Beijing, the responsibility falls on the White House, which he accuses of practicing a "new hysterical McCarthyism" and of making it "maliciously" "stumble" in the race towards the free development of his country.

Qin, who took office at the end of December, has reiterated in his speech the neutral role of Beijing in the war in Ukraine and has assured that it has not supplied weapons "to any part of the conflict", after insinuations from Western capitals that China may be considering sending lethal equipment to Vladimir Putin's camp.

After recalling the 12-point plan for the "political solution of the Ukraine crisis" recently presented by his government - and coldly received by Brussels and Washington - he has called for "peace talks" to begin as soon as possible.

The conflict, in his opinion, is now at a crossroads: either there is a ceasefire or it could get out of control.

He has mentioned an "invisible hand" that seems interested in escalating the situation.

Qin has elaborated on the good state of relations with Russia, an "example", according to the minister, of what deals between great powers should be.

"With China and Russia working together, the world would have the driving force of multipolarity and democracy in international relations."

In such a world, he added, the global strategic balance and stability would be better guaranteed.

Regarding the harmony between Xi and Putin, forged with a "limitless" friendship three weeks before the invasion orchestrated by the Kremlin, Europe, the United States and NATO argue that Beijing's neutrality is actually tilted towards Moscow.

China has never condemned the invasion and is reluctant to talk about "war", which it usually calls with euphemisms.

It does not seem that these points are going to change with the new minister.

"The more unstable the world becomes, the more imperative it will be for China and Russia to constantly advance in their relations," he claimed during this event that could be described as pseudo-journalistic: the questions from the press are filtered in advance and hardly any remains. a loophole for improvisation.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Qin Gang, during an appearance this Tuesday.MARK R. CRISTINO (EFE)

The event is one of the traditional appointments of the National People's Congress (the Chinese legislature), whose annual session began on Sunday and has among its main tasks the renewal of the leadership of the Government and the confirmation of Xi Jinping as president for a third term. .

In one of the rare moments in which the minister has seemed to go off script, he has taken a constitution of the People's Republic in his hands and has read a fragment on the great existential question that keeps Beijing awake at night: "Taiwan is part of the territory sacred of the People's Republic of China", he quoted.

"It is the inviolable duty of all the Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan, to fulfill the great task of reunifying the motherland."

It is the Law, he has come to say.

And China reserves the right to take "all measures" against independence whims on the island.

Taiwan, he has emphasized, is the "main red line" not to be crossed in China-US relations;

It has reiterated the request to Washington not to interfere in what it considers an "internal matter" and has demanded that it respect the "one China" policy, through which Washington recognizes Beijing as the legitimate government of the country and does not maintain relations official diplomatic relations with Taiwan (like the vast majority of countries).

Qing has shown China's willingness to work with the European Union.

She has assured that her country and Europe are "two great civilizations and two great markets."

And she has added: "We hope that Europe, with the painful crisis in Ukraine in mind, really achieves strategic autonomy", suggesting a veiled dart to the harmony between Brussels and Washington promoted after the war.

"China is moving closer to the center of the world stage," was one of the minister's conclusions in a speech in which he offered his development model as an alternative to the Western vision.

“Chinese modernization [...] destroys the myth that modernization is westernization;

creates a new form of human advancement;

and provides an important source of inspiration for the world, especially for developing countries”

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