Timeline of CCP Statements on Surpassing or Confronting the U.S. (2016-2023)
LJ Eads
2016 (July 1) – Xi Jinping’s speech on the 95th anniversary of the CCP’s founding: Xi issued a stark warning that China will not compromise on core interests or yield to foreign pressure. Chinese: “任何外国不要指望我们会拿自己的核心利益做交易，不要指望我们会吞下损害我国主权、安全、发展利益的苦果” English: “No foreign country should expect us to trade away our core interests, nor should it expect us to swallow the bitter fruit of harm to China’s sovereignty, security, or development interests.”
2017 (October) – Xi Jinping’s report to the 19th Party Congress: Laying out a two-stage national development plan, Xi declared that by mid-21st century China will be a world-leading power, effectively implying surpassing the U.S. Chinese: “到本世纪中叶，把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国…成为综合国力和国际影响力领先的国家” English: “By the middle of this century, we will build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful modern socialist country… becoming a country that leads the world in composite national strength and international influence.”
2019 (January 2) – Xi Jinping’s speech on the 40th anniversary of the “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan”: Xi pointedly reiterated that China will not rule out force against “Taiwan independence” or foreign intervention (a veiled reference to the U.S.). Chinese: “我们不承诺放弃使用武力，保留采取一切必要措施的选项，针对的是外部势力干涉和极少数‘台独’分裂分子及其分裂活动，绝非针对台湾同胞。” English: “We do not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary measures, targeting foreign interference and an extremely small minority of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists and their activities. It is not directed at our Taiwan compatriots.”
2019 (July 24) – State Council Defense White Paper “China’s National Defense in the New Era”: China’s government explicitly accused the United States of fueling great-power rivalry. Chinese: “国际战略竞争呈上升之势。美国…挑起和加剧大国竞争，大幅增加军费投入，加快提升核、太空、网络、导弹防御等领域能力…” English: “International strategic competition is on the rise. The United States has provoked and intensified major-power competition, drastically raised its defense expenditures, and accelerated the upgrading of its nuclear, space, cyber, and missile defense capabilities…”
2020 (October 23) – Xi Jinping’s speech on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War (“War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea”): Xi hailed China’s past victory over U.S.-led forces and drew inspiration for China’s rejuvenation. Chinese: “…中国人民志愿军同朝鲜军民…经过艰苦卓绝的战斗，打败了武装到牙齿的对手。抗美援朝战争伟大胜利…是中华民族走向伟大复兴的重要里程碑…” English: “…The Chinese People’s Volunteers, together with the Korean people and army… through arduous battles, defeated an opponent armed to the teeth. The great victory in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea… was a monumental milestone in the Chinese nation’s journey toward rejuvenation…”
2021 (February 16) – Chinese officials began emphasizing Xi Jinping’s assessment that “the East is rising and the West is declining,” i.e. China and other Eastern powers are ascendant while the U.S.-led West is in decline. This notion – reportedly introduced by Xi around 2020–2021 – reflects Beijing’s confidence that China’s rejuvenation will outpace and eventually surpass Western nations. (Chinese: “东升西降,” 字面意思即东方力量上升、西方力量下降。)
2021 (March 18) – Yang Jiechi at the U.S.–China Alaska summit: In a rare public confrontation, top diplomat Yang Jiechi rebuked the U.S.’s posture toward China. Chinese: “美国没有资格居高临下同中国说话，中国人不吃这一套。” English: “The United States is not qualified to speak to China from a position of strength, and the Chinese people won’t accept such condescension.” (Yang added, “History will prove that resorting to ‘choking’ tactics against China will end up hurting oneself.”)
2021 (July 1) – Xi Jinping’s speech marking the CCP’s 100th anniversary: Xi struck a defiant tone against foreign pressure, implicitly warning the U.S. and others against trying to subjugate China. Chinese: “中国人民也绝不允许任何外来势力欺负、压迫、奴役我们，谁妄想这样干，必将在14亿多中国人民用血肉筑成的钢铁长城面前碰得头破血流！” English: “The Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or enslave us. Whoever attempts to do so will find their heads bashed bloody against a Great Wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people!”
2022 (June 10) – During a meeting in Singapore with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe issued a stark warning over Taiwan. He stated that “if anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate to fight, will not hesitate to pay any price, and will firmly smash any ‘Taiwan independence’ scheme” (Chinese: “如果有人胆敢把台湾分裂出去，中国军队必将不惜一战，不惜代价、坚决粉碎任何‘台独’分裂图谋”. This message – conveyed face-to-face to the U.S. side – signaled China’s willingness to go to war, if necessary, to prevent the U.S. and Taiwan from altering the status quo.
2022 (July 28) – Xi Jinping’s phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden: Xi issued a direct warning to Washington over Taiwan tensions (just days before Speaker Pelosi’s Taiwan visit). Chinese: “民意不可违，玩火必自焚。希望美方看清楚这一点。 English: “Public opinion cannot be defied, and those who play with fire will perish by it. We hope the U.S. side can see this clearly.”
2022 (November 8) – Xi Jinping inspecting the Central Military Command Center: Donning military fatigues, Xi emphasized war preparedness in the new era, signaling the PLA to be ready for conflict (implicitly with high-end adversaries like the U.S.). Chinese: “他强调，全军要全部精力向打仗聚焦，全部工作向打仗用劲，加快提高打赢能力…” English: “He stressed that the entire military must focus all its energy on fighting wars, direct all its work toward warfare, and speed up improving its ability to win.”
2023 (March 6) – Xi Jinping’s remarks during China’s “Two Sessions” (CPPCC meeting): Xi openly blamed the United States for unprecedented challenges to China, a rare direct critique at the highest level. Chinese: “我国发展的外部环境急剧变化…尤其是以美国为首的西方国家对我国实施了全方位的遏制、围堵、打压，给我国发展带来前所未有的严峻挑战。” English: “The external environment for China’s development has changed rapidly… most notably, Western countries headed by the United States have launched all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to China’s development.”
2023 (March 7) – Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s press conference at the National People’s Congress: Qin (reflecting the CCP line) cautioned that U.S. “competition” is seen as a life-or-death struggle, and warned of war if U.S. policies don’t change. Chinese: “美方的所谓‘竞争’，就是全方位遏制打压，就是你死我活的零和博弈… 如果美方不踩刹车，继续沿着错误道路狂飙下去…必然陷入冲突对抗。” English: “The U.S.’s so-called ‘competition’ is in fact all-round containment and suppression – a zero-sum game where either you die or we do… If the U.S. does not hit the brakes but continues to speed down the wrong path… conflict and confrontation will be inevitable.”
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