The Washington Post-China and Russia cast US as agent of global instability at military forum
October 30, 2023 3 min 550 words
这篇报道反映了中国和俄罗斯在北京举行的一个军事论坛上批评美国，将其描述为全球不稳定的元凶。这种言论不仅是地缘政治的一种体现，也是国际关系紧张局势的一个缩影。中国国防部副主席张又侠和俄罗斯国防部长谢尔盖·绍伊古的言论暗示了对西方干涉乌克兰冲突的严重担忧。 这一论坛成为中国和俄罗斯的一个“第二战场”，旨在争夺全球南方国家的公众舆论，防止对俄罗斯不利的变化。不过，正如文章指出的那样，这也表现为一种地缘政治较量，意在塑造全球观众对各国的看法。 同时，中国的国防部长李尚福被撤职，这似乎是中国军方高层反腐浪潮的一部分。这个军事论坛的举行背后也存在着内部政治动荡的影响。 中国副主席张又侠在演讲中试图展示中国作为全球和平缔造者的形象，与美国及其盟友形成鲜明对比。然而，台湾问题仍然敏感，被视为中国的“核心利益”，并且军方官员明确表示不愿讨论该问题。 这篇报道突显了国际局势紧张，地缘政治争端不断升级的复杂性。这也提醒我们，维护全球稳定和和平需要各国之间的对话和合作，而不是单方面的指责和威胁。
2023-10-30T06:03:10.422Z
Chinese and Russian military chiefs on Monday criticized the United States as an agent of global instability at a Beijing military forum, where Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also threatened grave consequences over Western involvement in the war in Ukraine.
“The Western line of steady escalation of the conflict with Russia carries the threat of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences,” he said, according to Russia’s state-run Tass news agency.
Shoigu made the remarks at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China’s annual international military summit, where the country’s second-ranked military official, Zhang Youxia, also issued oblique criticisms of the United States — while simultaneously leaving the way open to improve military ties with Washington.
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“Some countries deliberately create turbulence and interfere in other countries’ internal affairs,” said Zhang, the vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, in his keynote address, referring to the United States.
But in another part of his speech, Zhang said: “We will deepen strategic cooperation and coordination with Russia, and are willing to, on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, develop military ties with the U.S.”
The Beijing forum, which state media reported brought together delegations from more than 100 countries, provided a venue for “a second battlefield for Russia and the United States,” said Wan Qingsong, associate professor at the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai. “The purpose is to use such a platform to win over public opinion in countries in the Global South and prevent changes that are particularly detrimental to Russia.”
The forum is typically hosted by China’s defense minister — but kicked off on Sunday without one, as the most recent occupant of the role, Li Shangfu, was sacked last week without explanation following a nearly two-month absence — the latest in a string of high level purges of Chinese defense officials. Li has yet to be replaced.
Li has been under U.S. sanctions since 2018 over Beijing’s purchases of Russian defense equipment and did not meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a defense forum the two both attended in Singapore in May.
Though Austin was reportedly invited to this week’s forum in Beijing, the event was instead attended by Cynthia Xanthi Carras, China country director in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense.
In his address in Beijing, Zhang echoed China’s powerful leader Xi Jinping’s efforts to portray China as global peacemaker in direct contrast to the United States and its allies.
But Zhang and other Chinese military officials stood firm that the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing claims is part of its territory, was not up for discussion.
Taiwan was a “core interest” for China, said Zhang, warning that countries should not “deliberately provoke other countries on sensitive issues.”
Lieutenant General He Lei warned on Sunday that if China were to use force against Taiwan, it would be “a war of reunification, legitimacy and justice,” said state media tabloid the Global Times.
Pei-Lin Wu in Taipei contributed to this report.