On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the release of the August 17 Communiqué between China and the United States, Qin Gang, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, spoke to Archyde.com, The Associated Press, Bloomberg, NPR, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal in Washington. , “The New Yorker”, “Capitol Hill”, POLITICO, AXIOS, “Defense One” and other mainstream American media jointly interviewed and answered questions from reporters on Sino-U.S. relations, Taiwan issues, Hong Kong-related issues, and Chinese diplomacy.
According to the reporter’s on-site record, Qin Gang’s 90-minute verbal battle was quite exciting. He also revealed that in order to prevent Pelosi from going to the stage, he had repeatedly worked with various channels of the US in advance in the United States. “It’s a pity that the U.S. didn’t listen, and Pelosi went anyway.”
Qin Gang pointed out that after Pelosi came to power, the United States turned around, claiming that China was escalating the situation, overreacting, and using Pelosi’s visit as an “excuse” to create a new normal. But the most basic fact is that the US first provoked China on the Taiwan issue and blatantly violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “On the Taiwan Strait issue, who is changing the status quo now? It is the United States and the separatist forces of ‘Taiwan independence’.”
He continued that China’s position is legitimate, reasonable and legitimate, and China’s measures are firm, forceful and appropriate. China maintains territorial integrity and opposes the division of the country, which is legitimate and justifiable, and does not need any “excuse” at all. “The U.S. side should not be surprised. If we want to make excuses, why do we do our best and do everything possible to stop it?”
Qin Gang pointed out that the U.S. has launched provocations on the Taiwan issue, and hit back again.
Immediately afterwards, Qin Gang took out the “August 17 Communiqué”, one of the three Sino-US joint communiqués, and read a paragraph directly to the American reporters at the scene.
After reading the original text, Qin Gang went on to say, “This August 17 Communiqué has the promise of the US written in black and white. But after 40 years, the US has not only failed to fulfill its promise, and has not gradually reduced arms sales to Taiwan, but has instead provided Taiwan with weapons. Not only are they more numerous, but they are also more advanced. This is what the United States has done to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.”
“The “August 17 Communiqué” was signed by the United States and China on August 17, 1982. Today is August 17, which happens to be the 40th anniversary of the publication of the communique! Eighty percent of the time there will be no commemorative activities in the United States, but the Chinese always remember this day!”
For this exciting confrontation, Han Peng, a Chinese reporter in the United States who was at the scene, praised: “Ambassador Qin reasoned with the Americans to prevent the United States from taking the blame!”
He believes that when dealing with the US media, one must be able to tell stories, and Qin Gang is just telling stories in a targeted and creative way: first, let the media have news to report. After attracting the attention of the reporters, he took out the document in black and white and read it to the reporters unexpectedly, making clear his position and telling them who was undermining the peace across the Taiwan Strait.
As for whether there is a timetable for the reunification of Taiwan, and whether China is worried that the military reunification will trigger international sanctions, Qin Gang’s answer was equally brilliant, and the reporters on the scene listened very carefully.
As soon as the press conference ended, many American media quickly grasped the “key points” and quoted many of Qin Gang’s key statements.
Bloomberg mentioned that Qin Gang warned the U.S. side “not to underestimate the Chinese government and people’s strong determination, firm will and strong ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and that “China’s military exercises are open, transparent, professional, in line with domestic law, in line with international law, in line with international practice.”
The Wall Street Journal quoted Qin Gang as saying that “some people in the U.S. do not admit or correct mistakes,” but in fact, “the U.S. provoked first” and hoped that “the U.S. will stop hitting back and stop its words and deeds that further aggravate tensions.”
The AXIOS website mentioned that Qin Gang warned that after Pelosi’s departure, “if the United States does not exercise restraint, there will be new tensions”, and “if the United States plans to send warships through the Taiwan Strait in the near future, then China will regard this as a The situation escalated and was forced to react.”
According to a report by Defense One, which focuses on defense, Qin Gang believes that it is not China’s overreaction on the Taiwan issue, but that “the U.S. has overreacted and acted too aggressively in the region,” because “the U.S. crosses the Taiwan Strait several times every year, which exacerbates regional tensions.” Tensions are supporting the separatist activities of ‘Taiwan independence’.”