Home » The United States is worried that China will use military means to solve the Taiwan issue. Qin Gang: China and the United States should give peace a chance – yqqlm

The United States is worried that China will use military means to solve the Taiwan issue. Qin Gang: China and the United States should give peace a chance – yqqlm

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Original title: The United States is worried that China will use military means to solve the Taiwan issue, Qin Gang: China and the United States should give peace a chance

According to the website of the Chinese Embassy in the United States on January 28, on January 27, Qin Gang, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, accepted an interview with Steve Inskip, the host of NPR’s “Morning Edition” program. Inskeep) to answer questions on the Beijing Winter Olympics, Sino-US relations, the Taiwan issue, and Xinjiang-related issues.The edited part of the interview was broadcast on the morning of January 28, local time.

Ambassador Qin Gang was interviewed by NPR.Photo from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America

The transcript of the interview is as follows.

Inskip: I want to start our interview with the Beijing Winter Olympics. Everyone knows that this is the second time that China has hosted the Olympics, the first being in 2008, and a lot has happened since then. How has China’s international status changed?

Ambassador Qin: China’s economic and social development is making continuous progress. Since Beijing hosted the Olympic Games in 2008, China has become more prosperous, people’s lives have gotten better and better, and the entire population has been lifted out of poverty. We are on a journey to achieve common prosperity. China’s international status has been significantly improved, and China is playing a more important role in maintaining world peace, stability and security. China is committed to working with other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

We welcome the Beijing Winter Olympics, China is ready! All venues, venues and facilities are in place, and the preparatory operations are in place. More than 2,000 athletes from about 90 countries are gearing up. The “closed loop of epidemic prevention” has also been activated to provide protection for all stakeholders.

One of the highlights of the Beijing Winter Olympics is green. Let me give two examples, one is that all venues use green power supply, and the other is that we use advanced technology to make ice, and carbon emissions are approaching zero. Beijing is ready. China has the confidence to honor its commitment and present a simple, safe and exciting Winter Olympics to the world.

Inskip: Many people will agree with you that China has a bigger role internationally. But global perceptions of China are also changing. The Pew Center tracks public opinion in 17 countries all year round. A survey in these 17 countries in 2021 found that most people believe that China does not respect the individual freedom of the people, which is increasingly becoming a global consensus. What do you think about this transition?

Ambassador Qin: This is just a family word. If you want to know if a country has freedom and human rights, you have to ask the people of that country. I also have two data. One is that the Harvard Kennedy School poll shows that the Chinese people are more than 90% satisfied with the government.

Inskip: Is this a Harvard poll?

Ambassador Qin: Yes, it is an independent poll conducted by Harvard University. They have conducted this survey for 10 consecutive years. Another number, and the latest, is the same in a similar survey conducted in China by Edelman, one of the world‘s largest PR firms.

Inskip: Some people who are concerned about China will ask, since the support rate of the Chinese government is so high, why does it still use facial recognition software, Internet censorship and other means to restrict speech and effectively control the people?

Ambassador Qin: This is a misunderstanding. In fact, Chinese people can obtain information widely from the Internet. China has the largest number of Internet users in the world, with more than 1 billion netizens. People get information from different sources every day, and they can also comment and exchange (opinions).

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Inskip: The information is plentiful, but if the topic is controversial, it disappears very quickly.

Ambassador Qin: We manage the Internet in accordance with the law and based on the public interest. On the one hand, people can obtain different information, and on the other hand, we also pay attention to protecting the public interest.

Inskip: Online criticism of the government won’t last long, will it disappear?

Ambassador Qin: This is not the case. The government has many channels for soliciting opinions from the public, including accepting public criticism. Before every major policy is announced, the public must be consulted, and there will be criticism and complaints. The government will listen carefully and consider it, and if there are mistakes, it will be corrected.

Inskip: Part of the reason for the change in China’s image that I just mentioned is related to China’s policy towards the Uyghurs in the west. The “diplomatic boycott” of the United States (to the Winter Olympics) is also based on this to a certain extent. Trying to put the issue in perspective, NPR reporters traveled to western China. We also interviewed some people outside of China. We understand this is a counter-terrorism policy, and that’s why it’s a cause for concern. We found people incarcerated and forced to give up their language, culture and religion. Can you explain why this policy has gone so far?

Ambassador Qin: This is not a true portrayal of the actual situation in Xinjiang.

Inskip: That’s what our reporters saw.

Ambassador Qin: Such rumors and lies are flying everywhere. The reality is that the Uyghur people live a happy life like the people of other ethnic groups and enjoy all the rights and freedoms stipulated in the Chinese Constitution. They are part of the big family of the Chinese nation. The so-called “genocide” or “forced labor” is a lie of the century. There is no “genocide” at all, sensational accusations are used for political ends. I have two data. In the past 40 years, the Uyghur population has more than doubled from about 5.5 million to more than 11 million. In the past 60 years, the average life expectancy there has increased from 30 years to 72 years. Have you ever seen such a “genocide”?

Inskip: So let’s not use the word “genocide” and talk about what our reporters found, which is that people are being held and asked to give up their language and culture. Does this exist?

Ambassador Qin: Some people went to jail for breaking the law, while others went to education and training centers.

Inskip: Are you referring to the “concentration camps” that the outside world refers to?

Ambassador Qin: For lawbreakers and terrorists, they end up in prisons under high walls and barbed wire. To keep society safe, they must be brought to justice. This is not a problem, it is the same situation in the United States. At the same time, extremist ideology is the driving force behind acts of terrorism and separatism. For those who are more or less affected by extremist ideology, we will give them another chance. We take steps to correct their mistakes, which are preventative.

Inskip: To stop them before they have terrorist thoughts?

Ambassador Qin: It is preventive. But not every Uighur is sent to education and training centers. We found that some people were influenced by extremist ideology to a certain extent and sent them to education and training centers for language, legal education and vocational skills training just before their ideology became further extremist. That way they graduate with decent jobs that pay well enough to support themselves and their families without engaging in extremist and separatist activities.

Inskip: Let me add to the audience that China is very diverse, and the Uyghurs are one of the many ethnic minorities, and they are different from the majority ethnic group in many ways. Is the goal of the policy (to the Uyghurs) assimilation? Is it to ensure that no nation is a threat because it is too alienated or different from the majority?

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Ambassador Qin: Our policy is to maintain social stability and security, to ensure that people of all ethnic groups share peace and tranquility, free from fear and hatred.

Qin Gang was interviewed by Inskip.Photo from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of AmericaQin Gang was interviewed by Inskip.Photo from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America

Inskip: I would like to ask a question about Taiwan, which the Chinese foreign minister raised with Secretary of State Blinken this week. Let me remind the audience that the US admits that there is only one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. Of course, there are currently two governments. The US believes that the future of Taiwan should be decided by the people of Taiwan. Do you agree?

Ambassador Qin: No, I disagree. The one-China principle is the political foundation of Sino-US relations. When China and the United States established diplomatic relations, the United States recognized that there is only one China in the world, that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. These are written into the three joint communiqués that lay the foundation for Sino-US relations. The reason for the recent escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait is that the Taiwan authorities are trying to use the support of the US to agitate for “Taiwan independence”, while the US is trying to play the “Taiwan card”.

Inskip: Playing the “Taiwan Card” to Contain China?

Ambassador Qin: Yes. That is to say, we emphasize the three joint communiqués and the one-China principle, but the US is deviating from its commitment step by step, strengthening and enhancing official exchanges with Taiwan, selling more advanced weapons to Taiwan, sending soldiers to Taiwan, and making a big Hollow China.

Inskip: Is this why the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the US did not keep its promises and was too friendly towards Taiwan?

Ambassador Qin: We have noticed President Biden’s remarks that the US does not support “Taiwan independence”, hopes that the Taiwan Strait will maintain peace and stability, and adheres to the one-China policy, but so far we have not seen the US make a move to abide by its commitments.

Inskip: The United States is very worried that China will eventually resolve the Taiwan issue through military means. Do Americans have reason to worry that China will attack Taiwan?

Ambassador Qin: Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese, and we are flesh and blood compatriots. The last thing we want to do is kill each other. We will do our best to achieve peaceful reunification across the Taiwan Strait with the greatest sincerity, which is in the best interest of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the interests of China-US relations, and the interests of regional peace and stability. However, with the support and encouragement of the United States, the Taiwan authorities have gone further and further on the road of “Taiwan independence”. China does not promise to renounce the use of non-peaceful means to achieve reunification. It is to deter “Taiwan independence” forces, not to target the people of Taiwan.

I would like to stress that the Taiwan issue is the biggest powder keg between China and the US. If the Taiwan authorities continue to promote “Taiwan independence” with the support of the US, it is likely to involve the two major powers China and the US into a military conflict. China does not want conflict with the United States, and the United States does not want to fight with China, so no war and no conflict are the greatest common divisors between China and the United States. The two sides should jointly deter the forces of “Taiwan independence”, give peace a chance, and let peace prevail.

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Inskip: My next question is about the mutual understanding between China and the United States. One point of view is that people from both parties in the United States have said that the United States believes that by engaging with China, opening up to China, and strengthening economic ties with China, China will become more open, democratic, and more in line with international rules. But now many in both parties feel that hope has been dashed, and China has not changed as expected. This is the US view, do you agree?

Ambassador Qin: The idea of ​​changing China was an illusion from the very beginning. Chinese civilization has a history of five thousand years. China is China and America is America. The United States cannot expect to change China as it envisions, and vice versa. China has no intention of changing or replacing the United States. Both countries have their own domestic agendas, both face many challenges, and both want to provide a better life for their people. Why can’t the two sides work together? Why always think about trying to surpass each other or contain each other’s development?

Inskip: Are you saying that if the United States continues to maintain engagement with China, China will not change?

Ambassador Qin: China has always advocated strengthening contacts and cooperation with the US. But as you just said, in the United States, different people have different opinions, and it is best to let the United States speak for itself. But China does believe that China’s development is a huge opportunity for the United States.

Inskip: Another point of view is that the United States is a declining power. You can find people with this view all over the world, including Americans. Does President Xi Jinping also see the United States as a declining power?

Ambassador Qin: China is not betting against the United States. Chinese people, including leaders, believe that the United States is one of the most important countries in the world, and that China-US relations are one of the most important bilateral relations. China-US relations can only be improved, not broken. So we wish America well. But the question is whether the United States can respect and accept China’s development and regard China as a positive force for maintaining and promoting world peace and prosperity. Does the United States believe that China’s development will benefit all countries, the American people, and provide more business and job opportunities?

Inskip: Last question, do you think the relationship between the two countries will face greater difficulties in the future?

Ambassador Qin: We are in a very challenging period. What I want to do here is to reach out to people from all walks of life in the United States and tell them about China’s intentions and policies, which of course are goodwill and good strategies for developing Sino-US relations, and at the same time, I am open to various views. I am willing to listen to opinions, pass on information, and work hard to improve the relations between the two countries. But the road ahead is tortuous, and the two countries are (re) getting to know each other and finding the right way to get along. The Chinese side believes that to develop China-US relations well, the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation must be adhered to. It will not be easy, it will take time and there will be many difficulties. My job is to make the way forward less difficult and more certain.

Inskip: Ambassador, it’s a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much.

Ambassador Qin: Thank you for the interview.

Responsible editor: Zhang Di

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