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The United States should not underestimate China's resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last week to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bali, Indonesia. During the talks, the Chinese minister demanded that Washington stop sending out wrong signals to supporters of the so-called Taiwan independence.
In particular, the official statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry reads as follows: "Wang Yi explained China's firm stance on the Taiwan issue, demanded that the US side must be cautious in its words and deeds when it comes to Taiwan and must not send any wrong signals to «Taiwan independence» forces, and by no means underestimate China’s determination and ability to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Experts unanimously note an obvious deterioration between China and the United States, with Taiwan being one of the stumbling blocks. After Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine, armed clashes have become possible Beijing and Washington. The United States acts as an instigator, while China is ready to respond even by force. Earlier, the Chinese Ministry of Defense said Beijing would draw the sword in case of attempts to separate Taiwan from the mainland. This was particularly stated by Ministry spokesman Wu Qian.
His statement followed a meeting between Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Shangri-La Dialogue on the Issues of International Security held in Singapore back in June. "If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs and take all necessary measures to crush any attempt by the Taiwan separatists," Wu Qian said.
During their first face-to-face encounter, Fenghe and Austin agreed that the two countries’ military should carefully implement the key consensus, keep frequent communication and manage risks and crises, China’s Global Times writes. Back then, the Chinese defense minister reminded his American counterpart of the One China principle being the centerpiece of bilateral relations. However, the recent defiant statement by the US administration about weapons sales to Taiwan damaged China's sovereignty and security, Fenghe said.
Beijing generally considers the United States a major threat both to China and the entire world. Recently, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called the United States "the most warlike country in world history" which has become "the greatest threat to world peace and development." Attempts to contain China using the "Taiwan issue" will end in failure, he emphasized.
As the verbal fight between Chinese and American officials goes on, don’t forget that the United States and Taiwan have no established diplomatic relations. However, the White House's policy in the region involves military assistance to the island in case of security threats. For this very reason the United States sells weapons to Taiwan. Moreover, back on May 23, President Joe Biden said Washington would use force to defend Taiwan, if the need arises. Having confirmed adherence to the One China policy, he said this does not imply Beijing’s right to seize Taiwan. The very same day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry voiced protest over President Biden's statement.
Notably, the United States is not the only one kept on the run by China ˗ this also refers to Great Britain. Last week, head of that country’s MI5 service Ken McCallum and US FBI chief Christopher Ray met in London to discuss China. It was for the first time that the two counterintelligence agencies started jointly talking about the Chinese threat. McCallum and Ray particularly pointed to China’s growing threat as regards merchant intelligence, and urged Western companies to leave that country.
According to the MI5 head, the number of relevant inquiries has increased sevenfold since 2018 in the UK. "China is the most game-changing threat in the sense that it pervades so many aspects of our national life," he stressed. The FBI chief spoke up in a similar vein, referring to Beijing’s interference with US politics, including elections. According to him, Taiwan’s affiliation with the PRC would entail a global economic downfall, with foreign companies in China to be nationalized or transferred to the Chinese.
Quite explicably, McCallum and Ray touched upon the issue Ukraine, too. The latter is sure China is scrutinizing lessons of the Ukrainian conflict, including attempts to protect itself from sanctions similar to those imposed against Russia. If China attacks Taiwan, the economic turmoil will be much stronger than this year’s. Ray forecast that supply chains would be destroyed, and Western investment would become in thrall to China. As Britain’s The Telegraph notes in this regard, Western businessmen have already lost $59 billion over the conflict in Ukraine. Losses in a possible Taiwan war will be cosmic, the outlet points out.
Naturally, statements by MI5 and FBI heads did not fall on deaf ears of the Chinese side. People's Daily, the mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party, dubbed the US and British plans to tighten pressure against China an intimidation campaign that will further undermine Beijing's trust in Washington and London. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also responded to American and British counterintelligence, with spokesman Zhao Lijian saying that the United States exaggerates the "Chinese threat", slanders and attacks China, and calling MI5 and FBI statements full of ideological prejudice and a deep-rooted Cold War and zero-sum game mentality.
Mr. Lijian took a shot at the British side as well. He stressed, for one, that MI5 and MI6 deliberately publish fear-mongering reports, projecting their own dishonest action on China, with their goal being to foment the Chinese threat theory and provoke confrontation. In this regard, the Chinese diplomat recommended that the head of MI5 "cast away imagined demons, leave the dark room and meet the sunlight… and stop creating imagined enemies."
