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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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China has reacted to a recent U.S. report weighing up the possibility of simultaneous wars against both Moscow and Beijing by warning Washington that "those who play with fire will perish by it."
The U.S. is not ready to face the challenge of the growing nuclear threat posed by Russia and China. This is according to a 145-page report released by the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States on Thursday.
"It is an existential challenge for which the United States is ill-prepared, unless its leaders make decisions now," the report states. The panel behind the report, led by a bipartisan panel of six Democrats and six Republicans, produced the document after a year of research into the topic.
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In the report, the behavior of both Russia and China is described as "militarily troubling and increasingly aggressive," something that in turn has increased "the risk of conflict with two nuclear peers." China is expected to reach nuclear parity with the U.S. by the mid-2030s, according to the report.
Exploring a possible worst-case scenario, the report focuses on the idea of a possible coalition between Russia and China against the U.S. Therefore, American leaders should change the country's strategic posture and step up its military modernization, according to the experts.
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However, in Beijing, talks of a possible war with the U.S. have apparently caused anger and resentment. This was made clear by a piece recently published in the Global Times, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Discussing the report, the newspaper writes: "The idea of 'preparing for possible simultaneous wars with Russia and China,' once a fringe fantasy, has gradually made its way into Washington's agenda, which is deeply unsettling."
The article adds: "If Washington were to adopt even a small portion of the recommendations in this report, the harm and threats it could pose to world peace would be immeasurable and would ultimately backfire on the U.S. itself."
The piece then issues a warning: "There is an old Chinese saying: 'Those who play with fire will perish by it.' This is something that is worth Washington's careful consideration."
The article condemned the bipartisan report as reckless for "promoting a nuclear arms race under the banner of 'deterrence'," describing this as "a disastrous step backward in history. "
The piece added that the American report was exaggerating the threat posed by China and said that its motivations to create a warlike atmosphere was highly suspicious.
Newsweek contacted the United States Institute of Peace for comment by email on Saturday.
It's not the first warning that China has given to the U.S., as relations between the two countries have worsened following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Beijing's increasingly aggressive stance towards Taiwan.
Last month, the Global Times published an op-ed article containing a warning to the U.S. over its support to Taiwan, whose independence is contested by Beijing.
"The Chinese mainland has never promised to renounce the use of force, and this is the Sword of Damocles hanging over the U.S. government and Taiwan authorities," the article in the Chinese state-run news outlet read.
"The U.S. keeps arming Taiwan by selling a large amount of weapons and equipment to Taiwan and encouraging Taiwan to 'reject reunification with force,' a move that aims to incite tensions across the Straits and will inevitably exacerbate the tension between China and the U.S. which may lead to a conflict," the Global Times piece added.
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