Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on April 25, 2024
Presided over the regular press conference
China News Service: Yesterday, the China Wildlife Conservation Association released information on the two giant pandas that went to Spain at the end of April to start conservation cooperation.
Wang Wenbin: Giant panda cooperation is the epitome of friendship between China and Spain. Since the launch of international cooperation on giant pandas between the two countries, a total of 6 giant pandas have been bred and survived. Spain is the country with the most fruitful achievements in international cooperation and breeding of giant pandas in Europe, and many technologies such as giant panda protection, breeding and disease prevention and control have been improved by both sides. The "Giant Panda Fever" has also spurred people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and strengthened the friendship between the Chinese and Spanish peoples.
According to the agreement signed between China and Spain on international conservation and cooperative research of giant pandas, the giant pandas "Jinxi" and "Zhu Yu" from the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base will leave for Madrid Zoo in Spain on April 29 to start a 10-year sojourn and continue the "panda love" between the two peoples for more than 40 years. China and Spain are actively and orderly advancing various preparations such as quarantine, feed supply, medical security, transportation, and building upgrades, so as to ensure that the two giant pandas arrive at Madrid Zoo safely and healthily, and smoothly adapt to the new environment. It is believed that with the continuation of the Sino-Western cooperation research project on giant pandas, the protection level of endangered species in the two countries will be further improved, making a positive contribution to biodiversity conservation.
Bloomberg: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed concern about unfair trade practices. He stressed that U.S. companies need a level playing field. He also referred to non-market economic practices. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on Blinken's remarks in Shanghai?
Wang Wenbin: In the past two days, we have given a background briefing on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China, and briefed us on China's principled position on relevant issues. The Chinese side will also release the news of Secretary Blinken's visit to China in a timely manner.
In response to your question, I would like to make a principled response. China has always carried out economic and trade cooperation in accordance with market principles, firmly supported the multilateral trading system, and fully implemented WTO rules. We hope that the US side will earnestly respect the principle of fair competition, abide by WTO rules, work with China in the same direction, and create favorable conditions for the sound and steady development of China-US economic and trade relations.
Voice of China: According to reports, China has provided a batch of relief supplies to Papua New Guinea to fight the severe floods. Could you please tell us more about that?
Wang Wenbin: China expresses its sincere condolences over the severe floods in Papua New Guinea that have caused heavy casualties and property losses in recent days, and provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Papua New Guinea at its request. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Tkachenko mentioned at a joint press conference a few days ago that in the face of the recent floods in Papua New Guinea, China empathizes with it and will urgently deliver a batch of relief materials to the affected people as soon as possible.
Today, humanitarian aid provided by China through the China-Pacific Island Countries Emergency Supplies Reserve has arrived in PNG. The supplies totaled more than 14 tonnes and about 60 cubic metres, including tents, moisture-proof mats, small generators, and household solar lanterns, to help the PNG government and people cope with the disaster.
China and PNG and other Pacific island countries are good friends, good partners and good brothers who stand together through thick and thin and help each other. China will continue to provide assistance to the best of its ability for disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction in accordance with the disaster situation and the needs of PNG, and believes that the PNG people will be able to overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes at an early date.
People's Daily: Today is the 17th World Malaria Day. At present, malaria remains the largest public health problem in tropical developing countries, especially in Africa. Can you tell us more about China's work in the fight against malaria in the world, especially in African countries?
Wang Wenbin: Malaria is a major public health challenge that threatens human lives and health. China has also suffered from malaria in the past, but through unremitting efforts, China has successfully reduced the number of malaria cases from 30 million in 1940 to zero, and in 2021, it was certified by the World Health Organization as a country to eliminate malaria. China was the first to discover and successfully extract artemisinin, a specific antimalarial drug, which has saved millions of lives around the world, especially in developing countries. The "1-3-7" working model explored and summarized by China has been officially written into the WHO technical document and promoted to the world, accelerating the pace of global malaria elimination.
At the same time, China has carried out large-scale international antimalaria assistance represented by artemisinin through various means, such as the provision of medicines, technical assistance, the construction of anti-malarial centres, and personnel training. On the African continent in particular, China's antimalaria programmes, medicines and experience have brought hope to the survival of local populations suffering from malaria. In recent years, China and the World Health Organization (WHO) have jointly implemented a China-Tanzania malaria prevention and control cooperation demonstration project, which has effectively reduced the incidence and mortality of malaria in Tanzania. China has cooperated with Comoros in the "Compound Artemisinin Rapid Malaria Elimination Project" and assisted in the construction of the Chinese Science and Technology Malaria Prevention and Control Center and the Moheli Island Antimalaria Sub-center, which has enabled Comoros to transform from a high-malaria-endemic area to a low-malaria endemic area in a short period of time. China has carried out the third phase of anti-malaria technical assistance in Sao Tome and Principe. Chinese pharmaceutical companies have invested in Kenya, Sudan and other countries to set up factories to achieve localized production of artemisinin-based antimalarial drugs. China has also relied on the World Health Organization Research and Training Center for Malaria Elimination to train more than 2,000 health officials and technicians from 85 countries and regions in Africa, including Africa, for the prevention and treatment of malaria and other infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization, about 240 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone have benefited from artemisinin-based combination therapy.
We will uphold the vision of a community of health for all, and continue to contribute China's wisdom and solutions to the global elimination of malaria and the realization of a malaria-free world.
Shenzhen TV: According to reports, the UN recently released the Independent Review Team's review of the UNRWA Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which clearly states that the Agency has a number of mechanisms to ensure its neutrality, and that Israel has so far failed to provide evidence that UNRWA staff are involved in terrorism. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: We have noted that the UN has released the relevant review report, and most countries have welcomed the report. The current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is still dragging on, causing a serious humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian relief is the hope for the survival of the people in Gaza, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is the backbone and indispensable role of humanitarian relief in Gaza. The review report issued by the United Nations justified the Agency's neutrality and made recommendations to improve the Agency's work. We support the continuous improvement of the Agency's work by the United Nations, oppose attacks and repression against the Agency, and call on countries that have not yet done so to resume funding for the Agency as soon as possible. China will increase its support for the Agency and make its due contribution to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Beijing Daily: According to reports, on April 24, Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered a partial shutdown of the power supply system, which interrupted the ongoing discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. On the afternoon of the 24th, the Japanese side announced the resumption of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: China has noted the power outage and the suspension of sea discharge. We have also noted that more than 180,000 Japanese people submitted a joint petition to the Japanese government on the same day, demanding an immediate halt to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
In the eight months since the Japanese government insisted on discharging Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in August last year, a number of safety accidents have occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. From the sputtering of radioactive waste liquid to the leakage of a nuclear-contaminated water purification device, from the corrosion of the inner surface of a water storage tank to the shutdown of the power supply system, facts have repeatedly proved that the international community's doubts and concerns about the safety and legitimacy of Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea are justified. TEPCO's management of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is not reassuring, and it is necessary for the international community to strengthen long-term and effective monitoring of Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water.
The discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima concerns human health, the global marine environment and the international public interest. We urge the Japanese side to attach great importance to the concerns of the international community, take the initiative and fully cooperate with the establishment of an independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement with the substantive participation of neighboring countries and other stakeholders, and earnestly prevent the irreversible consequences of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
Bloomberg: US President Joe Biden has signed a bill requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company to divest the video-sharing platform within 270 days or face TikTok banned. Does the foreign ministry have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: We have already clarified our principled position on relevant issues.
Bloomberg: I am interested in the Argentine Foreign Minister's visit to China. Can you tell us more about her itinerary and China's expectations? After the recent Argentine election and the inauguration of the new government, how does China assess the relations between the two countries?
Wang Wenbin: China and Argentina are both large developing countries and important emerging economies, and are comprehensive strategic partners of each other. China is ready to work with the Arab side to continuously deepen political mutual trust between the two countries and promote the steady development of the China-Arab comprehensive strategic partnership.
Regarding the visit you mentioned, we will release information in due course, so please stay tuned.
CCTV: It has been more than 200 days since the outbreak of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. UN Women recently said that the conflict has claimed the lives of 10,000 women and orphaned about 19,000 children. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: The conflict in Gaza, which has dragged on for more than 200 days, has so far killed more than 30,000 Palestinians and killed more than 110,000 civilians. This appalling humanitarian catastrophe challenges the bottom line of human civilization and exposes the hypocrisy of some countries in so-called "safeguarding and protecting human rights".
Time is of the essence. The continuation of the fighting in Gaza is unacceptable, indifference to the massacre of women and children in Gaza is intolerable, and it is unforgivable to obstruct the efforts of the United Nations Security Council to promote a ceasefire and cease the fighting in Gaza.
We urge the countries concerned to stop obstructing the Security Council's action, and call on all parties concerned to fully implement Security Council resolution 2728, achieve an immediate and unconditional and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, ensure barrier-free and sustainable humanitarian access, and put an early end to this scourge on the Palestinian people so that human civilization will no longer be humiliated.