China: “If we won’t stop the USA, small countries can’t”

 “China is a great, powerful state,” emphasizes China’s Ankara Embassy Charge d’affaires Cheng Weihua – 程卫华.

“How can smaller, weaker countries endure if we don’t object to the United States ignoring us meddling in our internal affairs? The world would become ruled by chaos then,” he added. 

These words are a sign of how the current Taiwan Crisis has deeply affected Beijing, and therefore it is preparing to take its response to the US to the global scale. 

“The United States tried to provoke China into conflict by playing the Taiwan card. We will not be provoked by this trick,” Cheng Weihua said in an online interview in Turkish adding:

“The US tried to test China’s limits. They have media advantages but China will not be outdone by that. We are a nation that loves peace. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait are the same nation; we are brothers. We don’t want to spill blood. But we are a nation that defends its principles. We will not compromise even an inch.”

Does that mean that this policy of yours will not be limited to Taiwan? Will this be reflected in other parts of the world? I asked.

“Yes. We aim for a more just, new international order. It will not be limited to Taiwan,” he responded.

Does this mean that you will follow preventive, proactive politics? I added,

He answered “Yes.”

“The US imposes its domestic law”

The framework of their line of struggle with the USA, which the Chinese diplomat said will not be limited to Taiwan, includes the US sanctions policy. 

“The USA is putting pressure on other countries with its own domestic law. It is trying to take the development rights away from the developing countries. In whichever field we go forward, it tries to strike a blow. For example, blocking Huawei for security reasons is just an excuse. It imposes sanctions on some of China’s space activities as ‘against US interests’” Cheng said. 

“It also works against their allies. [President of the House of Representatives Nancy] Pelosi had a role in the 2018 aluminum sanction to Turkey. They declared sanctions against Turkey’s Defense Industry Presidency for buying S-400 missiles from Russia,” he added, “We must fight together against the tyrannical methods of the United States. This is important not only for China, but for the whole world. If China can’t stand it, other countries can’t either.” 

He also underlined his claim that the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is expected to be held in October, will be decisive in terms of the global struggle with the USA, on two points:

“We are determined to continue to develop the Chinese economy, which is also important for the world economy, and to fight against US hegemony around the world,” he said. 

China and “The world is bigger than five”

He sees the United Nations as another battleground for China’s fight against “US hegemony”.

“We support the Security Council reform at the UN. We care about the representation of developing countries and African countries,” he said. 

At this first moment, it brings to mind President Tayyip Erdogan’s slogan “The world is bigger than five”. However, among the “five” that Erdogan counts, there is also China as the member of the Security Council with veto power, along with the USA, Russia, England and France. I ask:

Like President Erdogan’s slogan “The world is bigger than five”? I asked, he said “There are also countries such as Japan, Germany, Brazil, India.”

But Erdogan wants the representation of Muslim countries, which make up a significant part of the world’s population, I added. He stated that China “cares about the representation of developing countries, Muslim countries and African countries,” emphasizing on the African countries for the second time.

I noted that second emphasise as I think it points to the field where the struggle will rise. Turkey has also shown itself in that field in recent years.

From what Cheng has said, we understand that Pelosi’s latest Taiwan move has infuriated China. On the other hand, we also understand that China wants to carry out this struggle in the economic and political field, even though it conducts military exercises surrounding Taiwan.

“This wouldn’t have happened without the Pelosi visit”

I asked Cheng if he means Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as “the US intervention in China’s internal affairs.” He confirmed that, and stated that “United States violated its own commitments.” He listed the reasons in three:

“First, According to the 1971 Agreement, the United States accepted that there is only one legitimate Chinese state, that it is the People’s Republic of China and that Taiwan is an indivisible part of it, which is a condition for establishing diplomatic relations.

“Second, the United States acted contrary to the consensus of the international community. Until 1971, the Chinese seat in the UN was on behalf of Taiwan. It was handed over to the PRC despite the USA with the support of the developing countries.

“Third, in the 1971 agreement, it is written that the American people will maintain the cultural and trade agreement with the Taiwanese people. But Pelosi’s visit was not limited to cultural and trade relations.

“Some in Turkey are commenting as if China has escalated the tension. However, we warned the USA at every level, at the highest level. This wouldn’t have happened without the Pelosi’s visit.”

Pelosi went to Taiwan in the heat of the Russia-Ukraine war. Will this US outflow result in China’s more support for Russia or will it decrease it? Time will show that. However, the escalation of the Sino-US rivalry, which may also affect Turkey, is now on the agenda.