Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Tuesday said the downing of an unmanned aircraft was an incident that had been dramatised by the United States, creating a diplomatic crisis which revealed Washington’s distorted perception of China.

In February, the US shot down an unmanned 200-foot aircraft, which Beijing had said was a weather balloon that was blown off course rather than being for surveillance, off the Carolina coast.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual “two sessions” parliament meeting in Beijing, Qin said this incident revealed US intentions.

“An accident can reveal something fundamental. In this case, the United States’ perception and views of China are seriously distorted.

“It regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button on a shirt being put [on] wrong, and the result is that the US-China policy has entirely deviated from the rational and sound track,” he said.

Ahead of a meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden in November last year in Bali, American officials had spoken of the need to reinforce “guardrails” to keep the superpowers from conflict.

Qin said: “It’s so-called establishing guardrails and not seeking conflict simply means that China should not respond in words or action when slandered or attacked. That is just impossible.

“If the United States does not hit the brakes but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing. And there will surely be conflict and confrontation.”

“Who will bear the catastrophic consequences? Such competition is a reckless gamble, with the stakes being the fundamental interests of the two peoples and even the future of humanity. Naturally, China is opposed to all this,” he added.

Qin also stressed that Taiwan is Beijing’s first red line that the United States must not cross.

The Foreign Minister said that the resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people and no other country has the right to interfere.

Meanwhile, Qin highlighted that Chinese modernisation does not rely on war or colonisation and provides an important source of inspiration for the world, especially developing countries.

"Chinese modernisation is not pursued through war, colonisation or plundering.

“It is dedicated to peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit and is committed to harmony between humanity and nature. It's a new path different from western modernisation,” he said.
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Last updated: 2023-03-07 HKT 12:04