Conflict with China is inevitable unless U.S. changes course, Beijing's new foreign minister warns

The United States and China are hurtling toward inevitable “confrontation and conflict” unless Washington changes course, Beijing’s new foreign minister warned Tuesday.

The fiery comments from Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang underlined the deepening tensions between the world’s two largest economies in the wake of the surveillance balloon saga and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

They echoed similarly sharp remarks a day earlier by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, blaming U.S. efforts to contain China for deteriorating relations and suggesting Beijing would increasingly seek to push back.

Qin’s news conference, his first since taking office in December, took place in Beijing on...