China’s new foreign minister warns of conflict with U.S.

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned Tuesday that “conflict and confrontation” with the United States is inevitable if Washington does not change course.

Foreign Minister Gang suggested the recent balloon crisis could have been avoided, and he also echoed accusations from the Chinese President, saying the U.S. is trying to contain China's development.

At the highly scripted event, Gang set the tone for China’s foreign policy for the coming year and beyond, berating the U.S. for rising bilateral tensions and defending Beijing’s close partnership with Moscow.

These digs came on the sidelines of China's National People's Congress, a key annual political event. The U.S. claims it seeks to compete with China but does not seek conflict.