China will retaliate with strong countermeasures if US harm China's interest over the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
I hope China is well prepared for this counter measure. The dual circulation economy and digital Yuan are part of this preparation. And there is no point in accumulating too much US$ and Euros at this stage.
AFP: According to the readout of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s call with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, China doesn’t want to be affected by western sanctions on Russia. Could you provide any more details on what “affected” means in this context? Was the foreign minister warning countries against imposing new sanctions on China? Was he saying that China opposes any indirect effects of the current sanctions on its own economy or was he saying something else?
Zhao Lijian: We have released the relevant readout. China’s position on opposing sanctions is clear. The US lately has made many provocative remarks about China. For example, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that China will face significant consequences if China supports Russia’s “invasion”. She also said that China and Russia “only make up 15 to 20 percent of the world’s economy. The G7 countries make up more than 50 percent. So there are a range of tools at our disposal in coordination with our European partners should we need to use them”.
The US’ remarks reflect thinly-veiled bullying and intimidation and expose the ingrained Cold War zero-sum mentality and bloc confrontation. They represent another product of the US’ philosophy of doing things “from a position of strength”. On the Ukraine issue, China has been independently making its judgment and expounding on its proposition based on the merits of the matter in an objective and just manner. China has been calling for dialogue and negotiation, working for deescalation of the situation and putting forward China’s initiative to resolve the current crisis. Any disinformation that dismisses China’s efforts, misrepresents China’s intention and slings mud on China with lies is irresponsible and unethical. I want to reiterate that sanctions are never effective means to solve problems. China opposes all forms of unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” by the US. We will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals. Wielding the baton of sanctions while seeking China’s support and cooperation simply won’t work. We urge the US not to undermine China’s legitimate rights and interests in any form. If the US insists on going its own way, China will
definitely take strong countermeasures.