China warns aggressors
China will never seek hegemony nor expansion, and is firmly opposed to hegemony and power politics
BEIJING, China (Global Times) — Almost at the same time, while the world was focused on the theatrical presidential debate in the United States, across the Pacific Ocean was a grand ceremony on Friday celebrating China’s victory in a war against US aggression in Korea 70 years ago.
There, Chinese President Xi Jinping mounted a scathing denunciation of forces that seek to contain China’s development and issued a stern warning that the Chinese people were not to be trifled with, and any aggression against China would be dealt with head-on.
President Xi said Friday that Chinese people will never sit idly by while China’s sovereignty, security and development interests are undermined, and if such situations occur, “they will certainly deal with them head-on.”
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a meeting commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) army’s entry into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.
Chinese analysts said Xi’s remarks on Friday were similar to China’s warning to the US before the US-led “UN forces” crossed the 38th parallel in 1950, showing the current tension between the two countries is also approaching the brink of conflict, and if the US fails to avoid a new conflict with China, it would be the US that bears the full responsibility, just like the war 70 years ago.
At that time, Chinese leaders made the most difficult decision in New China’s short history to send Chinese troops to assist North Korea and protect its own homeland, and to fight the most powerful country in the world, while China was working to rebuild the country from the ruins of its own civil war.
But when China’s security, sovereignty and development interests are threatened, no matter 70 years ago or now, China and its people will not hesitate to fight back and
defeat all invaders, said Chinese experts. Loud & clear warning
Xi also quoted late leader Mao Zedong’s remarks as saying that the Chinese people cannot be trifled with; and it is not easy to stop them once they are riled up.
It is necessary to speak to invaders in the language they know: that is, a war must be fought to deter invasion, and violence must be stopped by violence, Xi said, adding that a victory is essential for winning peace and respect.
Xi said that China will never seek hegemony nor expansion, and is firmly opposed to hegemony and power politics.
Pursuing unilateralism, protectionism and extreme egoism leads nowhere. Blackmail, blockades and maximum pressure will simply not work at all. Any act of hegemony and bullying won’t work anywhere, “And not just won’t work, all of these will eventually lead to the dead end,” Xi said.
Lü Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times that, “this is an extremely clear message to the US led by the Trump administration.”
They will certainly deal with them head-on.
Apart from the warning, China is also sending advice to the future leaders of the US, no matter who becomes president eventually, urging them to stop provocations and other hostile acts and return to cooperation and exchanges. The US still has a chance to avoid repeating its mistakes of arrogance and hegemony made in 1950, Lü said.
“Whether in 1950 or 2020, US policymakers and political elites fail to understand China’s strategic transparency and would easily misinterpret China’s solemn warning as ‘bluffing.’ When China believes its rivals won’t listen to its warnings, its first strike would be quiet and invisible, its enemies won’t get another ultimatum before they receive a counterattack from China,” he said.