Xi Jinping's Mouthpiece Tells Countries Not To Hype Up 'China Threat Narrative' — Is It A Jibe At US?

Xi Jinping‘s mouthpiece on Monday urged countries not to "hype up the so-called China threat narrative" amid Taiwan invasion fears in what could be a jibe at the U.S. and its allies. 

What Happened: After Australia, in a significant defense review, criticized Beijing's activities in the South China Sea, China hit back, saying, "We do not pose any challenge to any country."

"We hope certain countries will not use China as an excuse for military build-up and will refrain from hyping up the ‘China threat’ narrative," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said.

See Also: Taiwan Reportedly Urges US To Tone Down Chip Rhetoric Amid China Invasion Fears

The review of the Australian government’s defense strategy, published on Monday, described the intense rivalry between China and the U.S. as “the predominant characteristic of our region and current era.”

Although Australia did not explicitly declare China as a direct military menace, it did point out that Beijing's assertion of sovereignty over the disputed South China Sea “challenges the worldwide rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific, which negatively affects Australia’s national interests.”

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded cautiously to the media questions on Monday regarding the possibility of a conflict over Taiwan, where Beijing claims sovereignty. The PM said there was no shift in Australia's position of opposing any unilateral changes to the status quo. "We call for a peaceful resolution through dialogue," he added.

Why It Matters: The U.S. and its allies have repeatedly warned against the growing threat from Beijing. The Chinese authorities have also been ramping up military and political pressure to try and get Taipei to accept Beijing’s sovereignty, including staging war games near the island and warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense zone.

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