Chinese Official: "US-led Small Group Does Not Represent International Order... Attempts at Interference Will Fail"

Lu Weiqing, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Lu Weiqing (photo), Vice Foreign Minister of China, said, "The old, moldy idea of rummaging through the Cold War toolbox to figure out how to contain other countries and forming 'small groups' to confront each other collectively no longer works."

In a recent interview published on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website on the 11th, Vice Minister Lu diagnosed the US-China relationship in this way. He said, "The United States has gathered exclusive groups such as the Quad (a US-led four-country security dialogue), Five Eyes (a US-led intelligence-sharing alliance), and the Group of Seven (G7)," adding, "These small groups do not represent the international order."

Vice Minister Lu stated, "The United States' strength remains that of the world's number one great power and a strong nation, and it will be difficult to surpass it for a considerable time," but also said, "If any country today tries to maintain hegemony, dominate the world, and interfere recklessly in other countries' internal affairs, it will surely fail."

He said that damaging US-China relations is a major political mistake for the United States and urged it to return to reason and the path of dialogue and cooperation instead of confrontation. He said, "The greatest challenges faced by a superpower like the United States always come from within," and "Toppling China is not a prescription to solve America's problems."

Regarding the still unresolved theory that COVID-19 originated in China, he emphasized, "The joint research report by China and the World Health Organization (WHO) records that there is no possibility that the virus leaked from a Chinese laboratory." He then countered, "If the United States truly wants the truth, it should accept an international investigation to find the origin of COVID-19 within the US and clarify issues related to US biological laboratory bases."

Referring to US President Joe Biden's proposal for a global infrastructure project, he said it proved that China's past Belt and Road Initiative (the overland and maritime Silk Road connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe) was the right approach.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.