Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang warned in an exclusive interview with National Public Radio (NPR) on January 28 that the U.S. could erupt into a “military conflict” with China over the future status of Taiwan.
It was Qin’s first one-on-one interview with the U.S. media since he took office as China’s ambassador to the United States in July 2021. Qin accused Taiwan of being “on the road to independence” and warned that “if the Taiwanese authorities, with the encouragement of the United States, continue on the road to independence, the two major powers, China and the United States, will probably be involved in a military conflict.
Qin just described the Taiwan issue as a “tinderbox” in U.S.-China relations.
He said, “The Taiwanese authorities, encouraged by the U.S., are trying to move toward the path of independence. So China will not commit to abandoning non-peaceful means of reunification because it is a deterrent.”
But Qin also stressed that the Chinese government remains committed to “peaceful reunification.” He said, “Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese, we are compatriots. The last thing we want to do is to have flesh and blood fighting. We will do our best to achieve peaceful reunification across the Taiwan Strait with the greatest sincerity.”
NPR said it was a rare direct statement from China to the United States and Taiwan. Observer said China usually uses more general terms, such as saying the U.S. is “playing with fire.”
Nevertheless, Qin Gang also noted that China’s “most important relationship” is with the United States, describing his mission in Washington bluntly: “Don’t screw up.”
The State Department and White House have not immediately responded to Qin Gang’s comments.
Earlier, on Jan. 27 Beijing time, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.
According to a circular released by China’s Foreign Ministry, Blinken said that the U.S. one-China policy has not changed. However, this statement was not mentioned in the U.S. State Department’s statement.