Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang said Tuesday that his country and the U.S. are heading for "conflict and confrontation" due to American policy.
In his first press conference as foreign ministry, Qin accused the U.S. of pushing for the destruction of Taiwan by instigating tensions between the island and the mainland.
"Why does the U.S. keep on professing the maintenance of regional peace and stability while covertly formulating a plan for the destruction of Taiwan?" Qin asked.
"If the United States does not hit the brake — but continues to speed down the wrong path — no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there will surely be conflict and confrontation and who will bear the catastrophic consequences?" Qin continued. "Such competition is a reckless gamble, with the stakes being the fundamental interests of the two peoples and even the future of humanity."
Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, is an island nation off the coast of the mainland. Taiwan has declared itself independent of the People's Republic of China, and has claimed continuation of governance from the pre-revolutionary China.
The People's Republic of China has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, the relatively narrow strip of ocean between the island of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. The Chinese military has frequently sent planes into the area, testing Taiwan's air defense zone.
