Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech last year on the success of his country, one that has struggled with global hardship, the largest of which was first detected in his country – the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ties between the major world powers China and the US have been deteriorating for some time, and the international crisis has only made it worse. While the Chinese leader spoke of hope for the new year, his officials issued a stern warning in response to the U.S. military that would pose a challenge at the end of the year in the sensitive Strait of Taiwan.
In the latest insult, the U.S. Navy led a rare double warship pass through the Straits of Taiwan with Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS John S. McCain and USS Curtis Wilbur.
In response to the move, the second of this month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin expressed China’s “firm opposition” and warned against future movements in comments confirmed to Newsweek by Beijing’s embassy in Washington.
“The Chinese side closely followed the US military vessels’ passage through the Taiwan Strait and were well aware of it,” Wang said. “U.S. warships have repeatedly flaunted their skills in the Straits of Taiwan, provoked and provoked problems, sent the wrong signals to Taiwan’s independence forces, and seriously jeopardized peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
He said the People’s Liberation Army would be vigilant against such alleged threats.
“China will be constantly ready to respond at all times to all threats and provocations, and to resolutely protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Wang said. “We call on the American side to play a constructive role for local peace and stability rather than doing the opposite.”
Wang also referred to remarks by PLA senior Colonel Wu Qian, who had issued similar warnings against the US “flexing muscles” at the maritime flashpoint where China regularly scrambles its forces against such movements.
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington in the United States of America
Taiwan’s Department of Defense has also issued a statement regarding the passing of U.S. warships.
“The Chinese military has used joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as a means of understanding the relevant dynamics and actions of ships and aircraft in the surrounding sea and airspace,” the statement said. Newsweek read by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.
The U.S. 7th Fleet in turn maintained that the steps were being taken “in accordance with international law.”
“The transportation of the ships through the Strait of Taiwan shows the American commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific Ocean,” the Navy’s Department of Public Affairs said Wednesday. “The U.S. military will continue to fly, sail and operate where international law allows.”
The words were recently repeated by a Navy spokesman who claimed that ‘the vast majority of our interactions with the PLA’ across the region, including the Eastern and South China Seas, are ‘safe and in line with international standards.’
“We expect the PLA to work according to the same,” the spokesman said Newsweekand pointed out that ‘attempts to misinterpret or sensationalize our operations are irresponsible and counterproductive.’
Xi, in turn, took on a characteristically measured tone on Thursday as he delivered an annual message to reflect on 2020 and set the stage for 2021.
The Chinese leader was advocates of health workers and scientists to soldiers and civilian volunteers in the country’s collective fight against the new coronavirus. The disease was first observed about a year ago in the city of Wuhan in the central Chinese city and has since spread worldwide, infecting 83 million people and killing more than 1.8 million people.
While the West continues to suffer the most from the virus, China has largely recovered, and Xi has taken the opportunity to signal his country’s return to normalcy and the achievement of its economic growth targets with record-breaking trade figures.
The People’s Republic would be the only major economy in the world to expand this year.
“I am proud of our great motherland and people, as well as the unwavering national spirit. Only in difficult times can courage and perseverance be shown,” Xi said. Only after polishing can a piece of jade be finer. We have overcome the impact of the pandemic and have made great strides in coordinating prevention and control and economic and social development. ‘
During the fight against the pandemic, China managed to combat catastrophic floods, alleviate poverty and send a robot to plant its flag on the Moon.
However, the year was also full of tension.
China consolidated central government influence over tranquil semi-autonomous Hong Kong and had a deadly border clash with neighboring India. It has intensified pressure on Japan by engaging increasing patrols near the disputed East China Sea islands, and in a controversial trade conflict with Australia.
Beijing has also launched unprecedented international investigations into its re-education camps in Xinjiang province, where the United Nations has detained an estimated more than a million people, most of whom are members of the majority Muslim-Uighur community.
Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Mark Castaneda / US Navy
China has vehemently defended itself against criticism of its domestic and foreign policies, but nowhere have Chinese officials responded so strongly to the unprecedented pace of U.S. challenges to claims to mainland sovereignty over the self-governing island of Taiwan and its surrounding waters.
Since defeating their nationalist enemies in 1949, the Central Government led by the Chinese Communist Party has maintained itself as the legitimate administrator of Taiwan. In the seven decades since the establishment of the rival Taipei government in Taiwan, an overwhelming majority of the world community – including the US in 1979, coupled with Chinese economic reforms – shifted relations to Beijing, breaking diplomatic ties with the breakaway. prohibit. island.
Yet the U.S. is providing military assistance to Taiwan in a move that continues to anger China. Under President Donald Trump, Washington also sent senior diplomatic officials to the island, despite the absence of formal relations.
At a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, senior colonel Tan Kefei, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, chased against “external forces” to incite China in the Strait of Taiwan and the South China Sea, where he and other officials also promised to defend Chinese territorial claims.
In addition to criticizing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Tan also denounced the growing U.S.-India relationship amid the ongoing border dispute between Beijing and New Delhi.
He also released a report by the US Navy earlier this month claiming that the “People’s Republic of China is the most urgent, long-term strategic threat” to US maritime security.
“To the person with the hammer in his hand, everything looks like a nail,” Tan said. ‘Some people in the United States hold on to the outdated mentality of the Cold War and the narrow concept of a zero-sum game, while posing a threat to other countries’ hypotheses, disregarding international justice and axioms, which often lead to disputes. and incite conflict and affect the international system and international influence. order. “
While the People’s Liberation Army captured Hong Kong Garrison warships for the first time at the Special Administrative Region’s recently handed over Central Military Terminal, a move that would potentially indicate a greater Chinese military role in Hong Kong, the foreign ministry said On Thursday, a statement was issued directing the recent jail sentence. of a dozen activists there who tried to flee to Taiwan.
“A regime that prevents its own people from leaving can claim no greatness or global leadership,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “It’s just a fragile dictatorship, afraid of its own people.”
South China Sea Exploration Initiative
The Trump administration has taken a very difficult line over China, accusing the People’s Republic of trade abuses, human rights violations and geopolitical aggression. However, as President-elect Joe Biden will take office on January 20, despite Trump’s protests, some Chinese officials have expressed hope for an improvement in US-China relations.
Tan told reporters on Thursday he hopes for a more productive relationship between Washington and Beijing that moves forward, away from “the twists and turns” from 2020 towards the US, which wants to reduce hostility and provocation against China, China halfway will meet and continue to strengthen cooperation in areas such as strategic communication, institutional dialogue, conflict prevention and crisis management and to promote the stable development of relations between the two militaries jointly. ‘
Others were less optimistic.
The South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Chinese think tank made up of international experts monitoring the region, recently said Newsweek that the threat of war has remained all too real and may even increase.
“We still believe the risk of conflict is increasing,” the SCSPI team said. “Although there has been less mention in media reports recently, there have always been different kinds of two sides from each side every day. If the US and China could not find substantial crisis management measures, the risk of an accident or unexpected conflict would still be high. ‘
The institute also recommends a discount for tension, but was skeptical whether Washington would accept it, given the circumstances of their growing international feud.
“The US must: 1) refrain from ‘taking sides’ on disputed issues and maintain the necessary policy balance; 2) to avoid extreme frontline movements,” the SCSPI said.
But they were not hopeful.
“But against the background of the great power competition,” the SCSPI said, “both of the above are difficult to see.”