A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a direct challenge to the United States, urging Washington to stop using what he termed the “so-called China threat” as justification for pursuing “selfish” objectives.
The remarks were made during a live stream discussion on Monday by David Menzies and Sheila Gunn Reid. The spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, addressed the U.S. in a press conference held in Beijing on January 19, calling for adherence to international law based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Guo Jiakun’s comments followed recent remarks by President Trump regarding the potential annexation of Greenland, which have heightened tensions between the two nations.
Menzies highlighted the perceived hypocrisy of China’s stance, stating: “Isn’t it rich that China is going to bat for democracy and wrapping itself in the UN Charter?” He added, “By the way, you just lost the building when you bring up the UN charter.”
Sheila Gunn Reid similarly criticized the Chinese Communist Party’s invocation of human rights issues while urging the U.S. to stop acting selfishly. She questioned whether the United States was ignoring past events: “I get why China is like this, but they could have made a different argument not based on democracy since you drive tanks over democracy protesters. Are we just pretending like Tiananmen Square didn’t happen? Are we pretending that the Hong Kong protests didn’t happen?”
Meanwhile, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng has called for a “more just and equitable” economic order during his speech at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos.
In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled a major foreign policy shift by promoting cooperation with China on what he described as a “New World Order,” despite having recently labeled Beijing as Canada’s greatest security threat. Parliamentary inquiries and human-rights concerns indicate that this realignment could have significant consequences for Canadian sovereignty, democratic norms, and civil liberties.
Canadians are urged to clarify who benefits from this pivot and to have a voice before such transformations become locked in.
