Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, will pay official visits to Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea from April 18 to 23 upon invitation, and preside over the fourth meeting of the China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism and the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee.
CCTV: President Xi Jinping met with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today. We noted that the leaders of the two countries exchanged views on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Can you tell us more about that?
Lin Jian: This morning, President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing, and the leaders of the two countries exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. The two sides reached the following consensus on the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
On the Ukraine crisis, China and Germany are committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is an essential foundation of a sustainable security architecture and should be respected. China and Germany encourage and support efforts to find a peaceful political solution in Ukraine, and are willing to continue to maintain close and active communication on the hosting of the high-level meeting in Switzerland and other relevant international peace conferences in the future. China and Germany jointly call for opposing the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, opposing attacks on nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities, properly resolving international food security issues, contributing to ensuring world food security, and refraining from hindering food production and exports, abiding by international humanitarian law, protecting civilians, releasing prisoners of war as soon as possible, and respecting the basic rights of prisoners of war.
On the issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China and Germany are concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the danger of further escalation of the situation in the region. China and Germany jointly call for the guarantee of barrier-free and sustainable humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip, support for the United Nations and its Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to play a coordinating role in humanitarian relief, the implementation of UNSCR 2728, the implementation of the two-state solution as the only option for lasting security and peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and the joint maintenance of the safety of trade and navigation in accordance with international law, especially in the waters of the Red Sea.
Xinhua News Agency: Can you tell us more about Foreign Minister Wang Yi's considerations for visiting Indonesia, Cambodia and PNG, and what are China's expectations for the visit?
Lin Jian: China, Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea are all developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and they are good friends and partners with mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development. Under the guidance of the diplomatic strategy of the heads of state, China's relations with the three countries have maintained a strong momentum of development. China has joined hands with Indonesia and Cambodia to build a community with a shared future, continued to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership with PNG, and deepened cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative.
China looks forward to implementing the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the three countries through this visit, building high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepening and solidifying the building of China-Indonesia and China-Cambodia communities with a shared future, injecting new impetus into the China-Pakistan New Guinea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and pushing bilateral relations to a new level. China is ready to work with the three countries and regional countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, maintain peace and tranquility, and make positive contributions to regional and global peace, stability and development.
Reuters: How does China view the Burmese junta's loss of control of Myawaddy, a key border town last week, and does the continued loss of territory mean that China will be more open to engaging with the civilian forces that continue to dominate Myanmar?
Lin Jian: We have noted relevant reports. China calls on all parties to cease fire and cease hostilities, resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and peaceful means, and avoid escalation.
AFP: According to Chinese state media, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian yesterday. Could the speaker provide more details on what they discussed?
Lin Jian: On April 15, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister of the CPC Central Committee, had a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian on the phone. We have already made an announcement on the situation, and I would like to provide further information here.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during the phone call that China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes the attack on the Iranian Embassy in Syria and believes that this incident is a serious violation of international law and unacceptable. The Chinese side noted Iran's statement that Iran's actions were limited and that it exercised its right of self-defense against the attack on the embassy, appreciated Iran's emphasis on not targeting regional countries and neighboring countries, and reaffirmed its continued pursuit of a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship. It is believed that Iran will be able to grasp the situation well and avoid further instability while safeguarding Iran's sovereignty and dignity.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the current situation is a spillover effect of the escalation of the conflict in Gaza. It is imperative to implement Security Council resolution 2728 as soon as possible, to achieve a ceasefire and cease fighting in Gaza, to effectively protect civilians and prevent further escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe. China is ready to maintain communication with Iran and work together to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue. China and Iran are comprehensive strategic partners, and China is ready to steadily advance practical cooperation in various fields with Iran and promote greater development of China-Iran relations.
China Review News: On April 15, the UK government released the so-called "Semi-annual Report on Hong Kong", which made irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong affairs. Do you have any comment?
Lin Jian: China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the UK's so-called report, which ignores facts, reverses right and wrong, grossly interferes in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, and seriously violates the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations.
Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Chinese Government has comprehensively, accurately and unswervingly implemented the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy. The enactment and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Hong Kong National Security Regulations have built a solid shield for national security. Under the protection of the national security law, the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law have been better protected, and the sense of gain, happiness and security has been continuously enhanced, Hong Kong has ushered in the best period of all-out economic development, and Hong Kong's status as an international financial, shipping and trade center has become more stable and the development prospects are brighter.
Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. We would like to warn the UK side to respect the basic fact that Hong Kong has been returned to China for nearly 27 years, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harboring and conniving at criminals and destabilizing elements who undermine China's national security.
Reuters: US State Department Assistant Secretary for Asia-Pacific Affairs John Kangda met with officials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council this week. The U.S. State Department said the two sides discussed developments in the Middle East, the South China Sea and Taiwan, but did not provide further details. Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with his Iranian counterpart and Saudi Foreign Minister this week. The Chinese side said that it is willing to maintain communication with Iran on the Gaza crisis, and the Saudi Foreign Minister highly expects China to play an active role. In light of this, what did Chinese and US officials focus on during the meeting, especially with regard to the situation in the Middle East?
Lin Jian: On April 15, Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu met with US Ambassador to China Burns, US Assistant Secretary for Asia-Pacific Affairs John Conda, and White House National Security Council Senior Director for China Affairs Berthalan. We have published information about the situation and you can check it out.
During the meeting, in accordance with the important consensus reached at the San Francisco meeting between the two heads of state and the recent phone call, the two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive communication on promoting dialogue and cooperation in various fields between China and the United States, properly managing differences, exchanged views on international and regional hotspot issues such as the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and agreed to continue to implement the San Francisco Vision, maintain exchanges at all levels, and further stabilize and develop China-US relations.
You just mentioned the phone call between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran, and I would like to briefly introduce China's relevant principled position as expounded by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China firmly opposes the attack on the premises of the Iranian Embassy in Syria, which is a serious violation of international law, and at the same time, we have noted that Iran's counterattack is not aimed at any neighboring countries and is willing to continue to pursue a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that this round of escalation is the latest manifestation of the spillover of the conflict in Gaza. It is imperative to strictly implement UN Security Council Resolution 2728, achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire, effectively protect civilians, and ensure humanitarian assistance. The Palestinian people's persistent failure to realize their legitimate national rights is the longest-lasting injustice of our time, the root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and the core of the Middle East issue. The direction of solving the problem is to implement the "two-state solution" as soon as possible, establish an independent Palestinian state, restore the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, and realize the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel. The international community should take more active action to support Palestine as a full Member of the United Nations, promote the convening of a larger, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference, and form a timetable and road map for the implementation of the two-state solution. China is also ready to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties and make joint efforts to this end.
NHK: Today, Japan released the 2024 Diplomatic Blue Book, which includes the language of a "mutually beneficial strategic relationship" for the first time in five years. Do you have any comment?
Lin Jian: At their meeting in San Francisco last November, the leaders of China and Japan reaffirmed the positioning of bilateral relations in an all-round way to comprehensively promote strategic and mutually beneficial relations, providing key political guidance for the improvement and development of bilateral relations. The relevant documents of the Japanese side continue to smear and accuse China, exaggerate the so-called China threat, and unreasonably interfere in China's internal affairs, which China firmly opposes. We urge the Japanese side to correct its erroneous practices, stop inciting and creating bloc confrontation, truly take the "strategic mutually beneficial relationship" as the basis for the development of bilateral relations, and make unremitting efforts towards the goal of building a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era.
(The content is synthesized from: the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)