Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned Tuesday that Beijing and Washington are headed for 맥스카지노�conflict and confrontation맥스카지노� if the U.S. doesn't change course, striking a combative tone at a moment when relations between the rivals are at a historic low.In his first news conference since taking office late last year, Qin맥스카지노�s harsh language appeared to defy predictions that China might abandon its aggressive 맥스카지노�wolf warrior맥스카지노� diplomacy in favor of more moderate rhetoric as the two countries face off over trade and technology, Taiwan, human rights and Russia맥스카지노�s invasion of Ukraine.Washington's China policy has 맥스카지노�entirely deviated from the rational and sound track,맥스카지노� Qin told journalists on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China맥스카지노�s rubber-stamp legislature, when leaders lay out their economic and political priorities for the coming year.맥스카지노�If the United States does not hit the brake, but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there surely will be conflict and confrontation,맥스카지노� said Qin, whose new position is junior to the Communist Party맥스카지노�s senior foreign policy official, Wang Yi. 맥스카지노�Such competition is a reckless gamble, with the stakes being the fundamental interests of the two peoples and even the future of humanity.맥스카지노�Qin맥스카지노�s comments echoed remarks made by leader Xi Jinping in a speech Monday to legislators.맥스카지노�Western countries led by the United States have implemented all-round containment, blockade and suppression of China, which has brought unprecedented grave challenges to our nation맥스카지노�s development,맥스카지노� Xi was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.In the face of that, China must 맥스카지노�remain calm, maintain concentration, strive for progress while maintaining stability, take active actions, unite as one, and dare to fight,맥스카지노� he said.U.S. officials have grown increasingly worried about China's expansive political and economic goals and the possibility of war over Taiwan 맥스카지노� and many officials in Washington have called for the U.S. to make a bigger effort to counter Chinese influence abroad.In recent weeks, concerns about Chinese spying on the U.S. and Beijing's influence campaigns there have drawn particular concern, and officials from the two countries have frequently traded accusations.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned visit to Beijing after Washington shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over American territory. The massive balloon and its payload, including electronics and optics, have been recovered from the ocean floor and are being analyzed by the FBI.Then last week, China responded with indignation when U.S. officials raised the issue again of whether the COVID-19 pandemic began with a lab leak. The Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of 맥스카지노�politicizing the issue" in an attempt to discredit China.And the two countries have traded angry words over Taiwan as China has stepped up its diplomatic isolation and military harassment of the self-governing island democracy that it claims as its own territory.Qin 맥스카지노� who briefly served as ambassador to Washington and gained a reputation for his cutting condemnations of China맥스카지노�s critics when he was Foreign Ministry spokesman 맥스카지노� touched on all these topics on Tuesday.He criticized Washington for shooting down the balloon, repeating claims that its appearance in U.S. skies was an accident.맥스카지노�In this case the United States' perception and views of China are seriously distorted. It regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge," Qin said. 맥스카지노�This is like the first button in a shirt being put wrong and the result is that the U.S.-China policy has entirely deviated from the rational and sound track."On Taiwan, Qin called the issue the first red line that must not be crossed. China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949. While the U.S. does not advocate for either unification or Taiwan맥스카지노�s formal independence, Washington is obligated by federal law to see that the island has the means to defend itself if attacked.맥스카지노�The U.S. has unshakable responsibility for causing the Taiwan question,맥스카지노� he said, accusing the U.S. of 맥스카지노�disrespecting China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,맥스카지노� by offering the island political backing and furnishing it with defensive weapons in response to Beijing's threat to use force to bring it under Chinese control."Why does the U.S. ask China not to provide weapons to Russia, while it keeps selling arms to Taiwan?" Qin asked.In Taipei, Taiwan's Defense Minister said the armed forces weren't seeking outright conflict with China's military, but nor would they back away in the event of Chinese aircraft or ships entering Taiwanese coastal seas or airspace.맥스카지노�It is the nation맥스카지노�s armed forces맥스카지노� duty to mount an appropriate response,맥스카지노� Chiu Kuo-cheng told legislators.Beijing has also accused the West of 맥스카지노�fanning the flames맥스카지노� by providing Ukraine with weaponry to fend off the Russian invasion. China says it has a neutral stance in the war, but has also said it has a 맥스카지노�no-limits friendship맥스카지노� with Russia and has refused to criticize Moscow맥스카지노�s invasion 맥스카지노� or even refer to it as an invasion.A Chinese call for a cease-fire in Ukraine that has drawn praise from Russia but dismissals from the West has done nothing to lessen tensions as U.S. officials have repeatedly accused China of considering providing weapons to Moscow for use in the war.맥스카지노�Efforts for peace talks have been repeatedly undermined. There seems to be an invisible hand pushing for the protraction and escalation of the conflict and using the Ukraine crisis to serve a certain geopolitical agenda,맥스카지노� Qin said.Qin's news conference came two days after the opening of the yearly meeting of the National People's Congress, a mostly ceremonial body assembled to approve government reports and, this year, a new slate of top-level appointments. That is expected to include a norm-breaking third five-year term as president for Xi, who has eliminated all term limits to allow him to rule indefinitely.