Foreign Minister Qin Gang of China has stated that the Ukrainian issue appears to be driven by an invisible hand pushing for the protraction and escalation of the war. Qin, speaking at a news conference on the margins of China’s annual legislature meeting in Beijing, said that a “invisible hand” was “using the Ukraine situation to promote certain geopolitical interests,” but he gave no details about who he meant by this. Quick talks, he said, were needed.
As the saying goes, “conflict, sanctions, and pressure will not solve the problem…” Qin said that peace negotiations should start as soon as feasible, with all sides’ genuine security concerns taken into account. Western capitals are worried that China cannot be an honest broker in any potential peace talks because it has refused to name Russia as the aggressor in the conflict, and China’s position on the Ukraine war has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks as a result of its deepening relationship with Moscow. On February 24 of last year, Russia launched a “special military operation” within Ukraine. Cities in Ukraine are in ruins, millions of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, and the world economy has taken a hit as a result of the violence. Despite statements from U.S. officials about undefined “consequences” for China should it offer deadly help to Russia, Qin emphasized that Beijing has not contributed weaponry to either side of the Ukrainian war. China has not taken sides in the fighting or supplied weaponry to either side. On what grounds, then, are accusations, sanctions, and threats made against China? What you’ve done is just unacceptable. Qin expressed optimism that the United States and China might find the “proper path to get along” during a prolonged and in-depth interview with reporters.
He described self-ruled Taiwan as “the heart of the key issues, and the first red line that must not be crossed in US-China relations,” underscoring its importance to the conduct of relationships between Beijing and Washington. For its part, Beijing insists that Taiwan is an integral part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to seize control of the island. With Tsai Ing-2016 wen’s election as president, China has increased military and diplomatic pressure on the island, alleging that she is trying to gain independence for Taiwan. Tsai has stated that the people of Taiwan are responsible for the island’s destiny. The United States must give Taiwan with military equipment so that it can protect itself.