BEIJING – The government of President Joe Biden must repeal the “dangerous practice” of supporting Taiwan, the Chinese foreign minister said on Sunday, expressing hope that the countries can work together on “common challenges” such as coronavirus and climate change.
Wang Yi told a news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual National People’s Congress that Taiwan was an inalienable part of Chinese territory and an ‘insurmountable red line’ for Beijing.
China regards Taiwan as an illegal breakaway province. When the civil war in China between the communists and nationalists ended in 1949, with the former triumphant, the latter set up a rival government in Taipei.
The US has no official relations with Taiwan, but extensive informal ties. Former President Donald Trump has angered China by sending cabinet officials to visit Taiwan in a show of support.
Download the NBC News app for news and politics
Wang said China was urging the new government to “fully understand the high sensitivity of the issue in Taiwan” and “to completely change the previous government’s dangerous practices of ‘crossing the border’ and ‘playing with fire’ . “
He added that the Chinese government had “no room for compromise” on the issue and that he gave no indication of how Beijing could react if Biden did not change course. However, the ruling Communist Party threatened to intervene if Taiwan declared formal independence or delayed talks on union with the mainland.
His comments come less than a week after Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said China was the “biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century” and that it was the only country that had enough power to carry out the current international order. endanger.
“China is the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power that seriously challenges the stable and open international system – all the rules, values and relationships that make the world work the way we want it to,” Blinken said. Wednesday an address at the State Department.
Trying to draw a contrast with the previous government, which had a skeptical view of multilateral organizations and clashed with a number of allies, Blinken said the challenge posed by China needed to be with international organizations collaborate and collaborate with allies and partners. they.”
Wang, who has served in the role since 2013, said China was “willing to discuss and deepen cooperation with the United States with an open mind”, citing common challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and the global economic recovery spurred.
NBC News approached the State Department for comment.
He also defended the proposed changes in Hong Kong that would tighten control of Beijing by reducing the role of his public in government, and dismissed complaints that this was the autonomy promised to the former British colony when it was 1997 return to China will take away.
Beijing must protect Hong Kong’s ‘transition from chaos to government’, Wang said.
He also denied complaints that Beijing’s treatment of predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang amounted to genocide.
Rights groups say more than 1 million people, many of them members of the Uighur minority, have been sent to detention camps. Chinese officials say they are trying to prevent extremism.
Wang said the accusations of genocide were fully intended with ulterior motives. He also blames ‘anti-China forces’, which he says ‘want to undermine the security and stability of Xinjiang and hinder China’s development and growth.’
Wang’s remarks were an attempt ‘to get out of the pattern of the past and relax some of the restrictions so that both countries can find new direction’, said dr. Henry Wang Huiyao, president of the think tank Center for China and Globalization, told NBC. News.
However, he conceded that the focus was “on issues where we do not differ much.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Abigail Williams contributed.