Ruptly
"Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday cautioned the US to handle the Taiwan issue ‘with utmost caution’ after an assessment by the International Institute for Strategic Studies warned that a major conflict over Taiwan could trigger a nuclear escalation and targeted strikes on communications hubs. “First, the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, and resolving it is a matter for the Chinese people themselves, which brooks no external interference,” Mao stressed during a daily press conference in Beijing. “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait requires a clear and unequivocal opposition to 'Taiwan independence.' What the US should do is implement the important consensus reached at the meeting between the two heads of state and handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution.” Mao also discussed rare earth minerals after, last year, Washington and Beijing reached a temporary de-escalation agreement where China promised to suspend its harshest trade policy - a severe round of export restrictions on rare-earth minerals - until November 10 this year. However, the Chinese Embassy recently published a social media post containing an image of those exact domestic rare-earth regulations. Market analysts immediately interpreted the post as a sign that Beijing was preparing to bypass the truce and enforce the restrictions ahead of schedule. Mao dismissed these claims, clarifying that the post was simply an update on trade consultations and that Beijing was not shifting its policy early. “As far as I know, the Chinese Embassy in the United States forwarded the preliminary results of the China-US economic and trade consultations,” Mao stated. “Both sides should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and maintain the stable development of China-US economic and trade relations.” Turning to regional security, Mao reiterated Beijing's long-standing disdain for Western-led alliances in the Indo-Pacific. Asked about the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad) - comprising the US, Japan, India, and Australia - and its recent declarations regarding the denuclearisation of the DPRK, Mao defended Beijing's steady policy line following Pyongyang's fierce pushback that it will ‘never’ disarm. “China has repeatedly clarified its position on the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ mechanism. We consistently oppose the formation of exclusive ‘small circles’ and the confrontation of blocs. On the Korean Peninsula issue, China's position and policies have maintained continuity and stability.” It comes after the Quad foreign ministers met in New Delhi on Tuesday, where they issued a joint statement reaffirming their strict commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the DPRK, urging Pyongyang to fully comply with all its international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions. Mao also answered questions on EU plans to expand tools to address imbalanced trade with China, including tariffs, as well as Japanese plans to establish a ‘National Intelligence Council’ and ‘National Intelligence Bureau’ to build a national-level integrated intelligence system for the first time since World War II."
Go to News Site