China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a stark warning to the United States, urging it to abandon the practice of citing China as a threat to justify its own “selfish” ambitions.
Speaking during a press conference in Beijing on January 19, Guo Jiakun, the spokesperson, called on U.S. officials to adhere to international law grounded in the purposes and principals of the UN Charter—a move he said comes amid escalating tensions following former President Donald Trump’s comments about annexing Greenland.
David Menzies, a prominent commentator, highlighted China’s hypocrisy when it lectures other nations on international law and democratic values. “Isn’t this rich? China going to bat for democracy while wrapping itself in the UN Charter?” Menzies remarked.
He further noted that by invoking the UN Charter, the U.S. had already “lost the building” in his view.
Sheila Gunn Reid added that the Chinese Communist Party’s invocation of human rights while urging America to abandon self-interest was deeply ironic. “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,” she said. “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 pushed 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 shift in foreign policy by promoting cooperation with China on what he termed a “New World Order,” despite recently labeling Beijing as the nation’s greatest security threat. Parliamentary inquiries and human-rights concerns indicate that this realignment could have profound implications for Canadian sovereignty, democratic norms, and civil liberties.
Canadians deserve clarity on who benefits from this pivot — and a say before such a transformation is locked in.
