China has issued a nuclear warning to the United States as several wars continue to rage on internationally.
According to the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, China is warning the U.S. that "those who play with fire will perish by it" after a report notes the possibility of conflicts between Moscow and Beijing.
The 145-page report reveals that the U.S. is unprepared to face the challenge of a nuclear threat posed by Russia and China.
"It is an existential challenge for which the United States is ill-prepared unless its leaders make decisions now," the report states.
A bipartisan group of six Democrats and six Republicans produced the report after nearly a year of investigating the matter.
The report describes Russia and China's behavior as "militarily troubling and increasingly aggressive," which has increased the "risk of conflict between two nuclear peers."
Predicting that China will reach nuclear parity with the U.S. by the mid-2030s, the report explores a worst-possible-case scenario, arguing that U.S. leaders should modify America's strategic stance and strengthen its military modernization.
"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 Global Times, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stated. "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 ultimately backfire on the U.S. itself."
The communist newspaper warned, "Those who play with fire will perish by it," threatening politicians in Washington, D.C., "should carefully contemplate" before going against China.
This is not the first time China has warned the U.S.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Global Times published an article cautioning the U.S. that there would be consequences if it chooses to support Taiwan, saying this can lead to conflict.