Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu met with San Francisco Mayor Breed
On April 18, 2024, Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu met with Mayor Breed of San Francisco, California, and exchanged views on strengthening China-US exchanges and cooperation.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian on April 18, 2024
Presided over the regular press conference
Shenzhen TV: The 135th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off a few days ago. The Canton Fair has always been known as "the barometer and weather vane of China's foreign trade", and we are concerned that some comments say that the Canton Fair has injected momentum into China's high-level opening up. Lin Jian: The 135th Canton Fair opened this week, and Premier Li Qiang of the State Council toured the Canton Fair Enterprise Pavilion and had discussions and exchanges with representatives of exhibitors and overseas buyers. Premier Li Qiang stressed that it is necessary to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on running the Canton Fair, deepen reform and opening up, adhere to innovation and development, and promote the Canton Fair to be better and better, so that the "golden signboard" of the Canton Fair will continue to glow with a new era. Premier Li Qiang appreciated everyone's long-term active participation in the Canton Fair and vigorous economic and trade cooperation with China. The participants were full of confidence in the prospects of China's economic development and expressed their willingness to use the Canton Fair as a platform to continue to expand their operations in China and make positive contributions to promoting free trade and maintaining the stability of the global supply chain. Since its inception in 1957, the Canton Fair has experienced ups and downs and has never stopped. The scale of this year's Canton Fair reached a new high, with an exhibition area of 30,000 square meters and 680 international exhibitors from 50 countries and regions, of which 64% were from the countries that jointly built the "Belt and Road". Countries have "walked in" through the Canton Fair to embrace the surging Chinese market, and more Chinese high-tech enterprises and innovative products have also "gone global" through the Canton Fair, so that the world can fully feel that China is deeply promoting high-quality development and accelerating the formation of new quality productivity. The energetic event showcases an open China. As Premier Li Qiang pointed out, the history of the Canton Fair is also a history of enterprises from all over the world sharing China's opportunities and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results, and is the epitome of China's continuous expansion and opening up and active integration into the international market. Since its establishment decades ago, the Canton Fair has accumulated export turnover of about 1.5 trillion US dollars and established trade relations with 229 countries and regions. As of 2023, China has maintained its position as the world's largest exporter and second largest importer for 15 consecutive years. In the first quarter of this year, the total value of China's imports and exports of goods increased by 5% year-on-year. China's various high-quality products are well received by the international market, and the international community also has a high degree of trust in China's super-large-scale market advantages. Looking to the future, China will adhere to the principle of opening up and development through development, building stronger and stronger "golden ties" for win-win cooperation, continuing to promote opening-up from the flow of commodities and factors to a deeper institutional opening-up, and sharing China's big market with the world and new development opportunities with the world. AFP: US President Joe Biden yesterday called for a significant increase in tariffs on Chinese steel, citing "unfair competition". In his speech yesterday, he also accused China of being "xenophobic" and said that China "has real problems." Lin Jian: On specific issues in China-US economic and trade relations, please ask the competent Chinese authorities. As a matter of principle, we have always demanded that the US earnestly respect the principle of fair competition, abide by WTO rules, and immediately stop trade protectionist measures against China. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights. With regard to the relevant remarks you mentioned, I would like to ask the US side, are these remarks referring to China or the United States itself?
CCTV: We noted that the statement issued at the recent trilateral summit between the United States, Japan and the Philippines expressed grave concern about China's activities in the South China Sea and called on China to abide by the 2016 South China Sea arbitration. Lin Jian: China resolutely opposes the manipulation of bloc politics by relevant countries, any practice of stirring up and intensifying contradictions and harming the strategic security and interests of other countries, and resolutely opposing the creation of closed and exclusive "small circles" in the region. China will never accept groundless accusations and malicious smears against China by relevant countries on the South China Sea issue. The award rendered in the South China Sea arbitration case was illegal and invalid. China does not accept or participate in arbitration, does not accept or recognize the so-called award, let alone any claims or actions based on the award. The South China Sea arbitration case and its illegal award harm the interests of regional countries, including the Philippines. No package can change the essence of the South China Sea issue, and no political manipulation in the cloak of law can stop China's firm determination and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and it is doomed to be in vain. China will continue to resolutely defend its legitimate rights in accordance with domestic and international law. We advise the countries concerned to recognize the reality, change course and not make mistakes again and again. Dragon TV: According to reports, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York handed over to the Chinese government on November 17 38 pieces of lost Chinese cultural relics and artworks. Lin Jian: On April 17 local time, China received 38 cultural relics and artworks returned from the US at the Chinese Consulate General in New York. These cultural relics and artworks, which are rich in categories and have important historical, artistic and scientific value, were seized by the US side in March this year. After learning the news, the Chinese side attached great importance to it, carried out verification and other work as soon as possible, and successfully achieved the return of cultural relics with the cooperation of the US side. In the next stage, the relevant departments of the Chinese side will arrange for the return of cultural relics in due course. On January 14, 2009, China and the United States signed the first intergovernmental memorandum of understanding on preventing Chinese cultural relics from illegally entering the United States, and its validity period was extended for the third time from January 14 this year. This return is the first successful cooperation between China and the United States on the return of cultural relics since the extension of the MoU, and it is also a manifestation of the active implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state at the San Francisco Meeting. China will continue to fulfill the relevant memorandum of understanding between China and the United States, establish and improve the information reporting mechanism for stolen cultural relics with the United States, ensure the safety of cultural relics, promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and provide useful assistance for enhancing people-to-people exchanges and friendship between the two peoples. Bloomberg: There are reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China. Can you confirm and provide a specific date for his visit to China, and what are your expectations for the visit? Lin Jian: China welcomes Secretary Blinken's recent visit to China. At the moment I have no more information to offer.
Antara News Agency: Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno in Jakarta today. Lin Jian: On April 18 local time, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno in Jakarta and held a joint press conference. We have published the relevant news and you can check it out. With regard to the situation in the Middle East to which you referred, I would like to brief you here. When the foreign ministers of the two countries met with reporters after the talks, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: We are deeply saddened by the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. They agreed on the full implementation of UNSCR 2728, the immediate and lasting ceasefire and the effective protection of civilians. It is necessary to establish a humanitarian relief mechanism as soon as possible to ensure the rapid, safe, barrier-free and sustainable flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza, and call on relevant parties to maintain calm and restraint to avoid escalation of the situation and prevent the spillover of the conflict. China supports the Security Council in discussing and accepting Palestine as a full Member of the United Nations as soon as possible, and in proposing to convene a larger, more authoritative and effective international peace conference to form a timetable and road map for the implementation of the two-State solution. Global Times: According to reports, the US Army Pacific recently announced that the US has deployed the Typhon medium-range missile launch system on the Philippine island of Luzon as part of a joint military exercise with the Philippine military. This is the first deployment of a ground-launched missile installation since the United States withdrew from the "Intermediate-Range Missile Treaty." Some commentators say that the US move is intended to deter China. Lin Jian: China has taken note of relevant reports and expresses grave concern about the relevant developments. China has always firmly opposed the deployment of medium-range missiles by the United States in the Asia-Pacific region in pursuit of unilateral military superiority, and the strengthening of forward deployment at China's doorstep. The US move has exacerbated regional tensions and increased the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation. We urge the US to earnestly respect the security concerns of other countries, stop inciting military confrontation, stop undermining regional peace and stability, and take concrete actions to reduce strategic risks. The Philippine side should be soberly aware of the true purpose of this move and the serious consequences of pandering to the United States, and refrain from playing for the United States at the expense of its own security interests, and not go further down the wrong path. AFP: In this week's Solomon Islands elections, a leading candidate named Peter Kenilorea said that if he becomes the next prime minister, he will scrap the security agreement with China. He has also said he will seek to rebuild relations with Taiwan. Lin Jian: I would like to stress once again that China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in its internal affairs and supports the people of the Solomon Islands in independently choosing a development path suited to their national conditions. Upholding the one-China principle is the general international interest, the aspiration of the people, and the trend of the times, and is also the political foundation of China-China relations. China and Solomon Islands are comprehensive strategic partners of mutual respect and common development in the new era, and it is in the common interests of both sides to promote the healthy and stable development of Solomon Islands relations.
Ma Xinmin, Director General of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with a delegation from the Law Society of Hong Kong
On April 17, 2024, Ma Xinmin, Director General of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with a delegation of the Council of the Law Society of Hong Kong led by President Chen Zeming. The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on topics such as Hong Kong lawyers' participation in the country's foreign-related rule of law, strengthening legal services to help national diplomacy, and promoting the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.