China will be a global force for peace and stability, the country's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a major news conference, where he spoke out against US "oppression" and expressed support for the Palestinians.
"In the face of complex upheavals in the international environment, China will continue to be a force for peace, a force for stability, and a force for progress in the world," Wang told reporters. He met the press on the sidelines of China's biggest annual political meeting, which opened in Beijing earlier this week. The "two sessions" - parallel meetings of China's parliament and political advisory body - offer a rare glimpse into the Communist Party-led government's strategy for the coming year. This year's gathering is being watched closely as signals of confidence in Chinese leaders in the current geopolitical climate, as tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue and Russia's war in Ukraine enters its third year.
China's expanding political reach has caused friction on multiple fronts, and Wang's press conference came after Southeast Asian leaders and Australia warned this week against Chinese actions that "threaten peace" in the South China Sea. China has been showing more muscle in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international arbitration ruling that declared its position unfounded. Chinese coast guard vessels were accused on Tuesday of chasing a flotilla of Philippine vessels on a supply voyage. "We resolutely oppose all acts of hegemony and harassment and will firmly protect national sovereignty and security as well as development interests," Wan said on Thursday. He attacked what he called Washington's efforts to "suppress China," saying "the desire to pile on accusations under any pretext has reached an incredible level."
Wang reiterated China's support for the Palestinians when asked about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He said Beijing supports full UN membership for a Palestinian state. "The disaster in Gaza has once again reminded the world that the long-term occupation of the Palestinian territories can no longer be ignored," Wan pointed out. "The long-cherished desire of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state can no longer be avoided, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue for generations without being corrected," he added. Beijing has been calling for an immediate ceasefire since the current war between Israel and Hamas began in October last year.
Wang also defended Beijing's close relationship with Moscow, saying that "China and Russia have created a new paradigm for great power relations that is completely different from the old Cold War era." The veteran diplomat stressed that bilateral ties rest on "the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-alignment with third parties".
Western powers have criticized Beijing for refusing to condemn Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. China claims to be neutral in the Ukraine war, but its strategic partnership with Russia has grown closer since the war began.
China's foreign minister has warned that people in Taiwan seeking independence will be "wiped out of history". "Anyone on the island of Taiwan who tried to fight for Taiwan's independence will inevitably be wiped out from history," Wang Yi stressed, adding that the democratic island "will never be allowed to secede from the motherland."
The European Union's position on China is "not feasible", China's top diplomat added, amid mounting tensions between the economic giants over trade, technology, and other issues. Referring to the EU's presentation of Beijing as a "partner, competitor, and institutional rival", Wang Yi said: "This triple positioning is not feasible and has led to unnecessary interference and obstacles to the development of China-EU relations." /BGNES, AFP
