China says U.S. relations have left rational path, warns of conflict unless they ‘hit the brake’

© Provided by CNBC Qin Gang, now China’s foreign minister, is pictured here speaking in Washington, D.C., in Dec. 2022 while he was China’s ambassador to the United States.

BEIJING – China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang said relations with the U.S. have left a rational path and warned of conflict if the U.S. doesn’t “hit the brake.”

Qin, who was until recently China’s ambassador to the U.S., said China would “pursue a sound and stable relationship with the U.S.”

However, he said the Biden administration’s call for “establishing guardrails and not seeking conflict simply means that China should not respond in word or in action when attacked.”

“That’s not possible,” Qin said.

“If the U.S. does not hit the brake but continue to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there will surely be conflict and confrontation,” he said.

Qin was speaking at his first press conference since becoming foreign minister. On Taiwan, he reiterated the issue is an internal affair of China. Beijing considers the democratically self-ruled island part of its territory.

Qin said the question of Taiwan is the first red line of U.S.-China relations that must not be crossed.

“The U.S. acted with the presumption of guilt,” he said, regarding the balloon incident last month. Qin reiterated China’s position that the vehicle was unmanned and subject to forces beyond Beijing’s control.

“The result is the U.S. and China policy has entirely deviated from the rational and sound track,” Qin said.

Qin on Tuesday also presented Beijing’s relations with Moscow as an example for relations with other countries.

He said “major countries” need to consider whether they are pursuing “exclusive political blocs” or “fostering friendship.”

Qin said China-Russia relations are not a threat to any country, nor is it subject to any interference by any third country.

“The more unstable the world becomes the more imperative it is for China and Russia to steadily advance relations,” Qin said via an official English translation.

During a reshuffle of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in October, Qin was also named to the party’s central committee.