China's foreign minister on Tuesday warned that "confrontation and conflict" are on the horizon unless the United States backs down to China, a warning that comes as President Joe Biden faces criticism for failing to address Beijing's hostile behavior.
"If the U.S. side does not put on the brakes and continues down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can stop the derailment and rollover into confrontation and conflict," Qin Gang, a former ambassador to the United States, said at the National People’s Conference in Beijing, NBC News reported. Qin warned that continued efforts from the United States at "containment and suppression" of China would make conflict inevitable.
The warning comes as President Joe Biden faces backlash on the homefront for allowing a Chinese spy balloon last month to traverse the entire United States before ordering it shot down over the Atlantic Ocean. While Biden repeatedly characterizes U.S.-China relations as "competition, not conflict," Qin disputed the president's view, saying China will fight America's "zero-sum game."
The foreign minister also condemned the United States' support for Taiwan and the takedown of the Chinese spy balloon, accusing the U.S. military of "abusing force."
Meanwhile, North Korea on Tuesday warned of its willingness to take "quick, overwhelming action" against the United States. The statement from Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, came a day after the United States and South Korea executed a B-52 bomber flight over the Korean Peninsula.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry responded in a statement, saying that if Washington and Seoul continue the operations, "there is no guarantee that there will be no violent physical conflict."