"Another round of tensions" if US doesn't show restraint - diplomat

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Aug 2022 08:54

A press briefing on Tuesday by the Chinese Ambassador to the US divulges China's positioning on US' intervention in Chinese affairs.

China's Ambassador to the US, Qin Gang.

China's ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, warned that China will view further US arms sales, officials traveling to Taiwan, or naval activity near the island as provocations that will destabilize relations and block progress on multiple issues.

Speaking to a group of reporters for 80 minutes, Qin Gang said if the US does not "show restraint", there will be "another round of tensions" in addition to cessation of dialogue on issues like climate change and nuclear security.

After Pelosi's trip earlier this month, China launched some of the largest military drills in the Taiwan Strait. After a US delegation visit led by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey on Sunday, China launched another set of drills.

Qin argued that the One China Principle, which maintains that there is only one Chinese state and that Taiwan is a part of China inseparable from its sovereignty, must mark the basis of the relations between the US and China. Without that foundation, US President Joe Biden's talks on nuclear security will not go through.

The ambassador, interestingly, admitted that there is work to do in improving Beijing's image in Taiwan and the US, as there is a prevalent sense of "fear of China."

The statements coincide with US plans to send naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks to approve arms sales to Taiwan, to which Qin warned that China will deem them as an escalation of tensions, to which it will be "forced to react."

The ambassador, furthermore, stressed the reunification of Taiwan with mainland China, also refuting reports of a "potential invasion" as "baseless."

Qin argued that unification will occur peacefully if possible - and, by force, if necessary. Beijing will consider force to deter separatism in Taiwan or foreign intervention.

Taiwan, under the "One Country, Two Systems" ruling, can remain a democracy, asserted Qin, pointing to Hong Kong as an example. "If there’s no One Country, there can be no Two Systems," he said.

He, furthermore, was also asked about a remark made by China's ambassador to France, that China will pursue "reeducation" in Taiwan after reunification, to which Qin replied that China will have to "reinforce our [shared] national identity."