China warned the United States against trying to build what it called a Pacific version of NATO , while declaring that the security disputes over Taiwan and Ukraine were “not comparable at all”.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at his annual press conference on Monday that the “real goal” of the US Indo-Pacific strategy was to form Asia’s answer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. . China has often accused the US of trying to form blocs to stifle its growth , a complaint likely to draw more attention after Russian President Vladimir Putin cited similar grievances ahead of his invasion of Ukraine.
“The wicked actions run counter to the common aspiration of the region for peace, development, cooperation and win-win results,” Wang added. “They are doomed to fail.”
Complaints about US efforts to strengthen its network of alliances in Asia were among the talking points raised by Wang at the nearly two-hour briefing on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress in Beijing. The diplomat repeatedly cited the US as the source of problems with countries around the world and issued some of China’s sharpest warnings against calls to expand US ties with Taiwan.
“This would not only push Taiwan into a precarious situation, but also bring unbearable consequences for the US side,” Wang said on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, later adding: “Taiwan will eventually embrace its motherland again”.
Several Asian nations, like their counterparts on Russia’s European border, have sought closer security ties with the US to avoid being dominated by the region’s biggest player. China has active border disputes with neighbors like Japan, India, and Vietnam; It has also increased military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and last year sent fighter jets on some 960 sorties through the island’s air defense identification zone.
The Biden Administration outlined efforts to roll back growing Chinese influence in its Indo-Pacific strategy released last month. The US has sought to build a coalition of democracies around the world, including traditional treaty partners like Japan and new groupings like the Quad, which also includes Australia and India.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has undermined confidence that world powers could prevent a similar crisis from erupting in Taiwan, a democratically ruled island of more than 23 million people and a key global source of semiconductors. Wang dismissed the comparisons and argued that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory, a claim Taipei President Tsai Ing-wen has rejected.
‘solid as a rock’
Wang passed up another opportunity to criticize Russia’s military action or call it an “invasion,” saying instead that ties between the two countries remained “rock solid.” Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on Chinese support as it faces a barrage of US-led sanctions over bloodshed in Ukraine.
“No matter how precarious and challenging the international situation may be, China and Russia will maintain strategic focus and steadily advance our comprehensive strategic partnership and coordination,” he said.
Wang said that China will soon offer humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The briefing comes as Russian forces continue to shell Ukrainian cities, raising fears of mass casualties and a broader humanitarian crisis.
“China is ready to continue to play a constructive role in facilitating dialogue for peace and to work together with the international community when necessary to carry out the necessary mediation,” Wang said, without clarifying whether Beijing would mediate between Kiev and Moscow.