A threat
of, quote, catastrophic consequences
for the United States
from a top Chinese Communist
Party official today
after a series of high profile
diplomatic squabbles,
China's new foreign
minister drew a red line
with the United States
over the issue of Taiwan.
And he defended Beijing's
relationship with Moscow, Russia.
CNN's Selina Wang
went to the National People's Congress
in Beijing
to find obstacles for journalists
covering the foreign minister's
tightly controlled debut
Thousands of government delegates across
China are gathering
for the biggest annual political meeting
known as the two sessions.
It's the first
since China
abandoned its zero COVID policy.
But reporters covering
the event are still stuck
in a coated bubble
required to stay overnight
at a quarantine hotel
and get an onsite PCR test.
We just left the quarantine hotel.
We're now headed to the venue.
Everything is highly controlled.
The foreign media bus
gets dropped off at Tiananmen Square.
It is very rare for journalists
to get access to this.
As you can see, though,
there's heavy security.
There are guards everywhere.
Normally
the two sessions is the rare chance
for media to get up and close
to China's top leadership
right here
on the steps
of the Great Hall of the People.
This is normally where you will see media
trying to doorstop
off the top leadership.
But as you can see,
this year, we,
the media were completely separate
from the rest of the leaders
The two
sessions is a
carefully choreographed event.
The new government shake up Scott,
a rubber stamp parliament will vote on
has one unifying goal
to strength
Xi Jinping
and the ruling Communist Party's power.
And the COVID restrictions
are the perfect tool
for Beijing to control the message.
So media has to apply to get access
to specific events.
Were not granted approval to all of them.
And this is the media
area inside the Great Hall of the People.
As you can see,
it's pretty empty
so it's clearly not an issue of capacity.
Some of the events during the week
long meeting allow select
reporter questions,
including Ching Gong's
first press conference
as China's new foreign minister.
He said that conflict with the U.S.
is inevitable
if Washington does not change course.
Qin Gang called Washington's approach
a reckless gamble, accused the U.S.
of creating a crisis over Taiwan,
defended China's partnership with Russia
as imperative
and said
it has not supplied weapons to Russia
or Ukraine.
See you at the two sessions.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media
is portraying
the legislative meeting
as an open event
where journalists can freely operate.
Sri Lanka. Hi, I'm from Luke News.
It's an amazing country.
The assemblies also offered journalists
the opportunity
to put questions to the Chinese
premier and ministers.
What's the deal like? Let me 80.
But under these controls
spontaneous run
ins with top leaders
like the Premier
and ministers are out of reach.
But after today's meeting ended,
we had a few minutes
to approach some delegates,
which are a
curated group of local representative
This delegate is part of the Duong
ethnic minority from the south
western Gwangju province.
She says this is her first time
attending the Congress
and she feels happy to see her motherland
becoming stronger.
The rest of the delegates
quickly rush out
before we have a chance to approach them.
The question
is how much of these COVID controls
will remain in post-pandemic China?
It limited access even more to China's
already extremely opaque
political machine.
This much is clear
the communist leadership
only wants the world to see one
narrative from China.
That is the image of unity, strength
and victory.
Jake, those COVID
restrictions were so surprising
considering the country has already
completely opened up.
So it really seems like
those COVID controls
were really just an excuse
to restrict press access.
Now, this year's
two sessions is significant
because it is the first after
Xi Jinping secured
that precedent, shattering
third term as party chief last October.
Now, during this political event, he's
now set to get an unprecedented
third term as president
It is a largely ceremonial title,
but it is significant.
We'll also see a new slate
to aid government
leaders and institutional reforms made.
All of that is going to increase
the communist party's grip. And and.
This was the foreign minister's
first time front and center like this.
What did you make of his comments?
Yeah, it's interesting.
This was a very fiery and combative
press conference before this.
He was actually the Chinese ambassador
to the US.
He's known
as this very accomplished
and measured diplomat.
So very significant here
that he made such strong comments.
At one point,
he even made a show of reading
from a copy of the Constitution
of the People's
Republic of China
to emphasize Beijing's claims
that the self-governing
democracy of Taiwan
is part of its, quote, sacred territory.
He also said the Taiwan issue
is the bedrock of Sino-U.S.
relations and that, quote,
the red line that must not be crossed.
Now, this press conference
came amid reports of a potential meeting
between Taiwan's president
Tsai Ing Wen and U.S.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in April.
Regardless of where
that meeting is held,
the Financial Times said
it could be held in the US.
This is going to draw
the ire of Beijing it's
going to increase already
tense relations Jake.
All right.
Selina Wang in Beijing,
thank you so much.
I want to bring in Republican Senator
Dan Sullivan of Alaska.
We should note
of course, by the way, that Xi Jinping,
when he's reelected, it's by the
the National People's Congress.
It's not by the people
the way that we do it here
in the United States.
Senator, how
how does the United States
transition
from this increasingly
combative relationship with China
into into one that is less hostile?
And what was your reaction
to the new foreign minister's comments?
Well, I know the foreign minister
and I think his comments
about the United States
needing to pump the brakes
or there's
going to be some kind of conflict.
I think
China, the Chinese Communist
Party,
Jake, is the one
that needs to pump the brakes.
Look at what they've done in terms
of aggressive actions
in the last two years.
I mean, obviously,
the pandemic is a huge issue.
But with regard to its neighbors,
whether it literally
was a shooting war
on the border
with India,
the crushing of any kind of liberty
and democracy in Taiwan,
the crushing of what's going on
with regard to the weakness
in economic
embargo and coercion against Australia,
in the aggressive actions
that they take almost daily
in the Taiwan Strait
and the South China Sea.
That's just in the last two years,
or this is a regime
that is showing very aggressive actions
to its neighbors
and all around the world.
And I think
if anyone needs to pump the brakes
on their actions, it's
the Chinese Communist Party, not America.
On the subject of Taiwan,
there are reports that Taiwan's
president is going to meet
with Republican House
Speaker Kevin McCarthy in April.
China's Foreign
Ministry have warned McCarthy
not to visit Taiwan,
so it's possible
the meeting might
take place in California.
We don't know.
Either way, Beijing
is likely going to react.
What do you think about McCarthy meeting
the president of Taiwan?
Is that appropriate?
Do you support it?
We should remind people that
that then Speaker Nancy Pelosi
visited Taiwan,
and that was also
considered poking the bear.
Well, you remember
when Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan,
I actually led a statement of over 40
I think it was 40
us senators,
a bipartisan group of senators that said
we should support Pelosi's visit.
Actually, I'm
sorry, on Pelosi's visit,
it was just Republicans, ironically.
I actually think if the speaker,
the number three
elected official in our government,
wants to visit Taiwan,
that that individual
should be able to do so.
And we shouldn't
let the Chinese Communist Party
dictate where elected American officials
can travel.