Putin says unlike NATO countries, Russia and China are not creating any closed military alliance or any military bloc
Washington D.C./Beijing/Moscow: The ever deepening wedge between the United States of America and China was again in the fore with US President Joe Biden telling an interviewer that his country had a commitment to come to Taiwan’s defense if China attacked the island nation. Biden’s statement almost coincided with yet another statement, this time on Hong Kong, made by US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price on October 21, 2021 that the US would continue support people in Hong Kong and their rights and freedom.
Biden in the said interview to CNN went on to state that China, Russia and the rest of the world “knows that we have the most powerful military in the history of the world”. He further stated: “I have spoken and spent more time with Xi Jinping than any other world leader has. That’s why you have — you know, you hear people saying, “Biden wants to start a new Cold War with China.” I don’t want a Cold War with China. I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back. We are not going to change any of our views.”
The US state department followed, selectively picking up Hong Kong, stressing that the United States remains seriously concerned at the continued erosion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including political participation, in Hong Kong. “We note in particular the increase in politically-motivated prosecutions, including through the National Security Law, targeting Hong Kong’s teachers, labor unions, lawyers, journalists, health care workers, student unions, and individual citizens. We again call on the Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to release those unjustly detained and cease their crackdown on peaceful civil society organizations. We once more urge Beijing to abide by its treaty obligations in the Sino-British Joint Declaration,” Price stated. He further claimed that Hong Kong authorities continue to disqualify scores of pro-democracy district councilors, who received their public mandate from free and fair elections in 2019. These retroactive and targeted disqualifications, based on the Hong Kong authorities’ arbitrary determination that these district councilors’ loyalty oaths are invalid, prevent people in Hong Kong from participating meaningfully in their own governance.
China today responded sharply to the both President Biden’s as well as Price’s statements. The Chinese foreign office spokesperson Wang Wenbin asked the USA to “avoid sending wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, lest it should seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. On issues that bear on China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and other core interests, no one shall expect China to make any compromise or trade-offs. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
On the issue of Hong Kong, Wenbin said: “China urges relevant countries and institutions to earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs.” He went on to state that Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong and its affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. “No foreign country has the right to make irresponsible remarks on China’s internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs,” he said. He charged that instead of caring about the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people, what the US and the UK were “really up to is disrupting Hong Kong’s rule of law, destabilizing the SAR [special administrative region Hong Kong] and stirring up trouble there”.
China further charged that during a century and a half of British colonial rule in Hong Kong, all 28 governors were appointed by the UK. “There was no election or democracy in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong people never really enjoyed freedom. Since Hong Kong’s return, its people have enjoyed unprecedented democratic rights and extensive freedoms. But the US and the UK scrambled to assume the role of “saviors”,” Wenbin claimed.
Wenbin also referred to a joint statement delivered by Cuba on behalf of 62 countries at the Third Committee of the 76th Session of United Nations General Assembly, that was held in New York on October 21, 2021. The joint statement, Wenbin said, stressed that issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet are China’s internal affairs that brook no interference by any external forces and expressing support for China’s implementation of One Country, Two Systems in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
“The joint statement emphasizes that the 62 countries oppose politicization of human rights and double standards, unfounded allegations against China out of political motivation and based on disinformation, and interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. Besides, more than 30 countries voiced their support for China in their separate statements and sending joint letters. After the 48th session of the Human Rights Council, nearly 100 countries have once again spoken up for justice at the UN, voicing their explicit support for China’s legitimate position, which fully shows that justice always prevails,” Wenbin claimed.
The growing hostility between China and the West, and its increasing closeness to Russia, are giving shape to a new geo-strategic partnership. While Biden particularly named Russia and China while talking about American Military power, Russian President Vladimir Putin too came out in open at the plenary session of the annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club yesterday, clarifying the Russian position vis a vis China and the United States. He made it loud and clear that “unlike NATO countries, we are not creating any closed military alliance or any military bloc between Russia and China. There are no grounds for such a conversation”. His statement was immediately lapped up by China, and Wenbin today stated that he “appreciates President Putin’s positive remarks on China-Russia relations”.
While highlighting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia, Wenbin said: “China stands ready to join hands with Russia and the rest of the international community to practice the philosophy of win-win cooperation, foster a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and compose a new chapter of international relations for the 21st century.”
– global bihari bureau
