Thread by @MoritzRudolf

Attacking the 🇺🇸 and embracing the Global South.

🇨🇳 Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s 2-hour press conference offers an overview of PRC’s foreign policy priorities:

🧵

#China #ForeignPolicy

Q1: Priorities of 🇨🇳 diplomacy? (🇨🇳 Central Television)
A: In 2023, the top diplomatic events hosted by 🇨🇳 are:
(a) the China-Central Asia Summit &
(b) the 3rd BRI Forum for international Cooperation.

Qin also referred to the usual themes of 🇨🇳 diplomacy under XJP:

(1) defending 🇨🇳’s core interests, (2) opposing hegemonism, (3) new type of international relations, (4) openness & development, (5) rejecting decoupling & sanctions, (6) promoting multilateralism, (7) calling for the establishment of a community of shared future in the new era,

(8) greater democracy in international relations, (9) making global governance more "just and equitable", (10) offering more and better 🇨🇳 insight and solutions to help meet humanities common challenges.

Qin underlined 🇨🇳 willingness to enhance services, security & protection of 🇨🇳 citizens and institutions abroad. This is code for more application of Chinese laws abroad (#涉外法治).

Q2: 🇨🇳 view on how to achieve modernization (for the developing world)? (🇪🇬 state media)

A: Qin argued that "Chinese modernization combusts the myth that modernization is westernization."

Q3: Future of 🇷🇺🇨🇳 relations? Does Xi plan to go to 🇷🇺? Does China plan to drop the USD and the EUR in bilateral trade settlement? (TASS, asked in CHN).

A: Qin pretty much dodged the question, stating that 🇷🇺🇨🇳 relations exemplify the concept of major country relations...

... (featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness). This does not sound like “no limits”. He also stated there is no 🇷🇺🇨🇳 alliance and 🇨🇳 follows an interest-driven use of currency in bilateral trade settlements.

Q 4: 🇨🇳 vision to improve global governance? (Renmin Ribao)

A: Qin listed XJP’s main initiatives: BRI, CCD, common values of humanity, GDI, GSI, which share the “interdependence of nations” assumption. Qin referred to the importance of international law and the UN Charter.

Qin also stated that developing countries are entitled to greater representation and a louder voice in international affairs. 🇨🇳will take an active part for peace, development & human progress (all common
🇨🇳positions).

Q5: Is a healthy and stable 🇺🇸🇨🇳 relationship still possible? How to achieve this, recognizing the 🇺🇸 core interests? (NBC)

A: Qin criticized the 🇺🇸 for (1) breaking int. law in the🎈affair, (2) having an irrational distorted threat perception of 🇨🇳, (3) containing and ...

... suppressing 🇨🇳, instead of competing with it in a fair manner, (4) putting on guardrails on 🇨🇳 while expecting it not to respond, (5) following a course which is leading towards disaster (insinuating war).

Qin differentiated between 🇺🇸 decision-makers and the (kind) US people. He blamed domestic US policy & hysterical neo-McCarthyism. Qin put the entire blame on the 🇺🇸 for the deterioration of the bilateral relationship, urging Washington to get rid of its "cold-war mentality."

Q6: How likely is 🇺🇸🇨🇳 war over 🇹🇼? (PhoenixTV)

A: Qin read from the 🇨🇳 constitution stating that 🇨🇳 views the 🇹🇼question as an internal affair (a matter for the Chinese people). Peaceful reunification is the goal, but 🇨🇳 reserves the option to all measures (usual rhetoric).

Qin called the 🇹🇼question the core of 🇨🇳 core interests & a red line. He accused the 🇺🇸 of double standards with regards to 🇺🇦 and 🇨🇳 sovereignty and territorial integrity. He called 🇹🇼 independence a threat to regional stability and the US to "stop containing China".

Q7. What is 🇨🇳’s role in the 🇺🇦🇷🇺 conflict? (Global Times)

A: Qin stated that the 🇺🇦 “crisis” could have been avoided, blaming the security governance of Europe. 🇨🇳 is not a party to the “crisis”. 🇨🇳 has not provided weapons to Russia.

Qin insinuated that the 🇺🇸' “invisible hand” wants to escalate the situation for geopolitical reasons. Referring to the 🇨🇳 "peace proposal", Qin argued, a peace process should launch ASAP.

Q8: 10-years after its launch, are Western initiatives competing with the BRI? (AP 🇵🇰)

A: The BRI is not dead. Qin stated that the vision of the BRI has become a reality (1 trillion USD invested, 420,000 local jobs created & almost 40 million people lifted out of poverty).

Qin praised the Laos railway, a Sri Lanka power plant, the Mombasa-Nairobi railway and China-EUR freight services (e.g., health train during pandemic). Western initiatives are welcomed, as long as they “are not ideological driven and don’t carry a geopolitical agenda.”

Q9: Future of 🇨🇳🇯🇵 relations? (NHK):
A: Qin said the following principles shall guide the relationship: (1) honoring the 1975 🇨🇳🇯🇵 Treaty of Peace and Friendship; (2) Learning lessons from history (“old wounds are not healed yet”). (3) Preserving the international order.

Q10: Are countries in the Asian-Pacific region less able to rely on 🇨🇳for economic development and the 🇺🇸 for security guarantees? (Xinhua)

A: Qin called the 🇺🇸 Indo-Pacific strategy an attempt to build an Asia-pacific version of NATO, accusing the 🇺🇸 of encircling 🇨🇳.

Q11: What are 🇨🇳's priorities in the Middle East?

A: Qin referred to the 2022 China-Arab States Summit arguing that 🇨🇳 (1) supports strategic autonomy of middle eastern countries, (2) has no intention to fill a vacuum, & (3) will be a facilitator of peace and stability

Q12: Is 🇨🇳 moving away from wolf warrior diplomacy? (The Straits Times)

A: Qin (as expected) criticized the term wolf warrior diplomacy and underlined that the PRC will defend its interests when attacked.

Q13: 🇨🇳 relationship with the 🇪🇺? (AFP)
A: Qin attempted to highlight the difference of 🇨🇳🇺🇸 and 🇨🇳🇪🇺 relations, referring to (1) the comprehensive strategic partnership with the EU, (2) Chinese support of 🇪🇺 strategic autonomy & the shared interest to "uphold multilateralism"

Q14. What role can the 🇨🇳youth play? (China daily):
A: Qin encouraged the youth to make 🇨🇳 voice heard loud & clear.

He returned to the core theme of his press conference: Calling "Western modernization a prelude" and "the modernization of 🇨🇳& the developing world a symphony"