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China’s foreign minister on Tuesday demanded that the United States stop interfering in the Taiwan issue, adding that Beijing retains the “option to act” if the island declares its independence.

“We reserve the option to act if there are any circumstances that violate the law of the People’s Republic of China against separatism”Qin Gang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislative body.

“The determination of the Chinese people to defend their sovereignty cannot be underestimated,” he stressed. “That’s a red line that can’t be crossed.”

The Chinese ruler declared that the United States “must stop interfering in the internal affairs” of China. “Why They Don’t Respect China’s Sovereignty On The Taiwan Issue, But Demand We Show Respect For Ukraine’s Sovereignty“, he questioned. “Why are you sending arms to Taiwan and asking us not to send arms to Russia?”

“If the United States wants peace, it must stop using Taiwan to contain China and reject and prevent Taiwan’s independence,” he said.

Answering a question about Taiwan, Qin opened a copy of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, citing that the island is “sacred territory.”

“Taiwan separatism is not compatible with peace. The threat is secessionism. And if the United States does not change its attitude, ties with China could be severely damaged,” he said.

“It’s a China thing, period. It is not something that other countries have to evaluate. Some US officials say otherwise, we reject it and we are vigilant,” she added.

At the opening of the plenary session of the National People’s Congress last Sunday, outgoing Premier Li Keqiang vowed that China will “resolutely fight” against Taiwan’s “independence” and “for the reunification of the motherland”.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory, not a sovereign political entity, and has threatened to use force to seize control of the island. The territory is also a source of tension between Beijing and Washington, Taipei’s main ally and arms supplier.

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“What did China do to be threatened or pressured in relation to this crisis,” Qin Gang questioned at the press conference.

The ruler assured that the China is not directly involved in the conflict, nor has it supplied weapons to the neighboring country.. “We published a document with peace proposals,” she recalled.

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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Beijing has tried to maintain “unlimited friendship” with Moscow and protect strong trade ties with the United States and allied countries, as well as its global image.

Beijing refused to condemn the invasion and condemned the imposition of sanctions on Russia, but also defended the importance of respect the “territorial integrity of all countries”in a reference to Ukraine.

Last February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had evidence that China was planning to supply Russia with weapons. Beijing denied this information.

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Qin noted that there are “one invisible hand that is causing the crisis in Ukraine”, in an implicit reference to the USA. “There are those who are committed to peace and there are those who add fuel to the fire. We are on the side of negotiation and peace, ”she stressed.

In Beijing’s peace proposal, the importance of “respecting the sovereignty of all countries” is highlighted, in reference to Ukraine, but it also calls for an end to the “Cold War mentality”, a term that Beijing often uses to criticize the US US foreign policy.

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“The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the document reads, implicitly criticizing NATO’s expansion.

The plan calls for an end to Western sanctions imposed on Russia, measures to guarantee the security of nuclear facilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and actions to guarantee the export of grain, after the interruptions in the supply will cause world prices to rise. .

The proposal was criticized by the West for putting the “aggressor and the victim” on the same level.

Still at the Qin Gang conference considered that Relations between Beijing and Moscow “do not threaten any country” and “are based on strategic mutual trust and good neighborliness. There are those who see echoes of the Cold War in this relationship, but it does not constitute a threat to any other country, ”he pointed out.

The Chinese ruler declared that “multilateralism in international relations advances thanks to association” between China and Russia.

The Asian country considered the alliance with Moscow essential to oppose the liberal democratic order, led by the United States. Relations between Beijing and Washington have also deteriorated rapidly in recent years due to a trade and technology war, disputes over human rights, the status of Hong Kong and Taiwan, or the sovereignty of the South China Sea.