The Chinese Communist Party is threatening the United States with a cold war should the U.S. continue standing in China’s way, according to the CCP itself.

According to Fox News, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said that the U.S. should  “give up on its wishful thinking of changing China” or else risk a cold war:

“China has no intention to change, still replace, the United States,” he said, according to the Washington Post. “It is time for the United States to give up its wishful thinking of changing China and stopping 1.4 billion people in their historic march toward modernization.”

The relationship between the U.S. and China has been strained for some time. President Trump has criticized Beijing over a trade imbalance and the outbreak of the coronavirus lead both to accuse the other of an improper response. Trump recently said that he may completely end U.S. funding for the World Health Organization over its cozy ties with Beijing.

The White House has insisted that Beijing downplayed the virus’ threat in December, which led to the subsequent outbreak. China has denied the charge and accused Trump of shirking responsibility to the organization, according to the AFP.

China’s corruption seems to be everywhere nowadays. Not only has the COVID-19 virus shaken the world and the WHO practically obeying China’s every whim, making the problem exponentially worse, the events in Hong Kong have also caused the tensions between the U.S. and China to worsen.

As CBS News reported on Monday, Beijing’s proposal to impose new national security laws on Hong Kong which ban secession and subversion has U.S. officials warning that should Hong Kong allow a complete takeover, they would lose their trade status and would see the same tariffs and trade restrictions put on China imposed on them.

“I can’t see how Hong Kong remains an Asian financial center if the Chinese Communist Party goes through and implements its national security law,” said National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien while on Face the Nation.

Hong Kong has been showing its resistance in various ways for months now. Not only are they fighting back on the political level, but the largest demonstration from Hong Kong residents since last year’s pro-democracy demonstrations hit the street last week with thousands of Hong Kong residents in attendance. The demonstration resulted in 180 people arrested for “violating coronavirus-related regulations” according to CBS News.

The protest is to keep in place the “one country, two systems” policy adopted by China and Hong Kong after the British vacated power. The agreement was to stay in place until 2047, however, China appears to be moving that timeframe up with this new legislation.

The U.S.’s trade threat has given Hong Kong all the more reason to resist, making a huge problem for China.