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In his speech to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that the period in which Beijing suffered from “invaders” is over.
Without naming the United States, Xi recalled the history of the Korean War, while criticizing “modern unilateralism, protectionism and extreme selfishness.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks today on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Image: Reuters.
“No matter in which country, whatever your army, no matter how strong they are, if they oppose the trend of the world, intimidate the weak, try to change history, undertake aggressive and expansionary actions, which will inevitably lead to bloodshed, “said the Chinese president.
Xi’s eloquent speech was delivered at the right time on the other side of the Pacific, two US presidential candidates, on the stage of debate, are arguing on a number of issues, the most prominent of which is the question of how to counter the growing influence of Beijing.
Steve Tsang, China expert at University College London, delivered the latest speech marked a notable turning point compared to Beijing’s previously subdued tone and as “a direct warning to the United States to stop putting pressure on China.”
“It is not a good sign or a sign that Xi understands US policy because given the current state of the US-China relationship, this can only be counterproductive,” Tsang said.
Analysts say that the possibility of a war between the two countries is highly unlikely, but according to them, regardless of the results of the US elections, the relationship will only deteriorate if Mr. Xi takes a tougher stance on when Washington stands up. kept determined.
“There is not much hope for the future because no matter who is elected president of the United States, they will not be courteous to China,” said Cui Lei, an expert at the China Institute of International Studies. “For China, using harsh language does not mean it is ready for war, it is just mental preparation and planning for the worst.“.
The debate between President Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden on the night of October 22 is the clearest proof that the United States will not take it lightly with China. Biden announced that he would make China “obey international rules” and criticized Trump for being nice to rivals like Beijing.
“We need with the rest of our friends to tell China bluntly: there are rules to follow,” emphasized Biden, referring to his plan to urge allies to press. to Beijing. “You have to comply with the law or you will pay the price, financially, for refusing to comply.”
Meanwhile, President Trump, as before, continued to blame China for causing the Covid-19 pandemic to spread globally, causing chaos around the world.
But Mr. Xi said that China will never allow its sovereignty, security and development interests to be damaged. On the other hand, he warned that any unilateralism, monopoly or harassment action would not work for China and would only lead to a dead end.
“Let the world know that the Chinese people are extremely united and cannot be belittled,” he said.
According to Wei Zongyou, a research professor on US-China relations at Fudan University, China, Beijing does not want the relationship to erode further, but “will always be ready to fight.”
“If Trump is re-elected, the relationship will inevitably continue to experience many ups and downs and move increasingly toward confrontation,” he said. “If Biden is elected, the head-to-head trend will not change, but perhaps there is still room for both parties to cooperate, such as global governance.”
Chin-Hao Huang, professor of political science at Yale-NUS University, Singapore, said President Xi’s speech was as a national reminder that the development of military capabilities is always a top priority. from China.
“Another central implication given in the nationalist discourse is that China will do whatever it takes to preserve its territorial integrity, and this is seen as a premise, both at the center of Chinese national interests,” he said.
According to Huang, Chinese experts are concerned that “they may still become the target of Washington-directed criticism” of foreign policy, yet whoever wins the US presidency is not necessarily in need of war.
Vu hoang (Follow SCMP)
