CCTV reporter: Can the spokesperson brief us on the meeting of the “China-US-Russia +” consultation mechanism on the Afghanistan issue?
Zhao Lijian: On March 31, the “China-US-Russia +” consultation mechanism meeting on the Afghanistan issue was held in Tunxi, Anhui. The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and attended by the Special Representatives of Russia, the United States and Pakistan on Afghanistan. Representatives of the Quartet exchanged in-depth views on the current situation in Afghanistan and how to strengthen cooperation with Afghanistan, and held dialogues with representatives of the Afghan interim government.
The Quartet agreed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in the common interests of the international community, and Afghanistan should not be a venue for geopolitical competition, but a platform for international cooperation. The Quartet reiterated its firm support for the Afghan people and stressed that they will provide more humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The Quartet also called on all Afghan parties to achieve national reconciliation through substantive dialogue and negotiation, and promote Afghanistan’s future political structure to be more broadly based, more inclusive and united. The meeting emphasized that various terrorist forces entrenched in Afghanistan are still threats to the security of the region, and requested relevant Afghan parties to take more visible measures, fulfill their anti-terrorism commitments, and disintegrate and eliminate all types of terrorist organizations. The meeting also encouraged all parties to make joint efforts with Afghanistan through commercialization and marketization such as economic and trade investment, interconnection, infrastructure construction, etc., to improve the level of practical cooperation, and to help Afghanistan improve its independent development capability and achieve economic self-reliance.
The participants highly appreciated China’s hosting of the series of meetings of Afghanistan’s neighboring foreign ministers, including the “China-US-Russia +” consultation mechanism meeting on the Afghanistan issue, and fully affirmed China’s constructive role in Afghanistan-related issues. The representative of the Afghan interim government said that Afghanistan is committed to stabilizing the security of the people, developing the economy and improving people’s livelihood, and actively promoting various social undertakings including education, and hopes that the outside world will continue to provide assistance to Afghanistan. Afghanistan will honor its commitment to the international community and will never allow any terrorist forces to use Afghan territory to harm other countries.
CCTV: Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zakharova said recently that the NATO summit in Brussels reflects the absolute loyalty of NATO members to the United States, indicating that NATO will continue to comprehensively contain Russia and hope that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will continue. What is the spokesperson’s comment on this?
Zhao Lijian: As a product of the Cold War, NATO should have become history when the Soviet Union disintegrated. In the early 1990s, then US Secretary of State James Baker promised Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that “NATO will not expand even an inch eastward.” As the initiator and biggest promoter of the Ukraine crisis, the United States led NATO to engage in five rounds of eastward expansion in the more than 20 years after 1999. The number of NATO members increased from 16 to 30, advancing more than 1,000 kilometers eastward to the Russian border, pushing Russia into a corner step by step.
The world does not need a new Cold War, and Europe does not need a new Cold War. The Ukrainian crisis has been going on for more than a month. The vast majority of countries in the international community hope to persuade peace and promote talks, and look forward to realizing a ceasefire and ending the war as soon as possible. NATO should reflect on its role in European security issues and the Ukraine crisis.
Phoenix TV: The first question is about the China-EU leaders’ meeting. There are media reports that the EU wants China to guarantee that it will not provide Russia with weapons or help it evade Western sanctions. Other EU officials said any help to Russia would damage China’s international reputation and jeopardize China’s economic and trade relations with the EU and the US. How does China respond to this? On the second question, Australian Treasurer Frydenberg said that in the face of China’s “economic coercion”, Australia will increase investment to find new sellers for its exports and ease its trade dependence on China. What is China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: Regarding your first question. The current international situation is becoming more turbulent and uncertainty is rising significantly. As two major global forces, China and the EU maintain strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, and expand cooperation consensus, which will help promote the sustainable and healthy development of China-EU relations, and inject stability and positive energy into the international situation. The China-EU leaders’ meeting is of great significance and has attracted wide attention. We hope that the European side will meet the Chinese side halfway to ensure the smooth and successful holding of the meeting.
On the Ukraine issue, I would like to reiterate that China adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace and makes its own judgment based on the merits of the matter. China has been playing a constructive role in easing the situation, promoting peace talks and preventing humanitarian crises in its own way. At the same time, all countries have the right to independently decide their own foreign policies. We should not force others to choose sides, and we should not adopt the simplistic approach of being either an enemy or a friend, or black and white. In particular, we must resist the Cold War mentality and camp confrontation. China and many countries, including developing countries, hold the same position on this issue.
On the issue of sanctions, China has always opposed unilateral sanctions. The question now is not who wants to help Russia bypass the sanctions, but the normal economic and trade exchanges between countries including China and Russia have been unnecessarily damaged. There are also some forces trying to use sanctions to intensify conflicts and divide the world. I heard that Russian conductors were expelled from a Western orchestra for refusing to condemn their homeland; Russian films were excluded from awards; Dostoevsky stopped teaching at universities; Russian tanks had letters printed on them” Z”, even displaying the letter “Z” is illegal in some places. Western politicians often say that “literature has no borders”, “art has no borders” and “music has no borders”. What are these writers and musicians guilty of? They also say “private property is sacrosanct”, yet so many Russians have their personal property frozen or even confiscated. Where are the principles that these Western politicians talk about?
These frenzied practices do nothing to cool the situation. We hope that all parties can calm down and focus on promoting peace and talks, rather than escalating sanctions and intensifying conflicts.
Regarding your second question. China has always adhered to the concept of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and win-win results, promoted the building of an open world economy, and shared development opportunities with other countries. Australia has benefited enormously from cooperation with China and is a beneficiary of China’s development. The so-called “economic coercion” is definitely not on China’s head. On the contrary, the Australian side took measures that violated market principles and even bullying, imposed unreasonable restrictions on the normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, and disrupted the sound development momentum of China-Australia pragmatic cooperation. , and gangs and factions put pressure on China, violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, and harmed China’s core interests.
The responsibility for the current difficult situation in China-Australia relations lies entirely with the Australian side. It is imperative that the Australian side face up to the crux of the setback in the relationship between the two countries, abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, respect basic facts, view China and China’s development objectively and rationally, handle the relationship between the two countries in the principle of mutual respect and equality, and stop any For his own political selfish interests, he advocates the so-called “China coercion”, and does more things that are conducive to enhancing mutual trust and promoting cooperation between the two countries.
Xinhua News Agency: The U.S. State Department released a report on the Hong Kong Policy Act on March 31, criticizing China’s central government’s policy on governing Hong Kong, threatening that Hong Kong’s status as a global financial center will continue to be affected. What is China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere. The relevant report released by the US ignores the facts, makes irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs, and makes groundless accusations against the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong SAR government. China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this. The US side should immediately stop this wrong practice and be cautious in its words and deeds on Hong Kong-related issues.
Since the return of Hong Kong, the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy have been effectively implemented, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents have been fully guaranteed in accordance with the law. The Chinese government is determined to act in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law, and to fully and accurately implement the “one country, two systems” policy.
China’s enactment and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in accordance with the law and the improvement of Hong Kong’s electoral system are in the final analysis to maintain Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability and “one country, two systems”. The Hong Kong National Security Law targets a very small number of criminals who endanger national security, and protects the legal rights and freedoms of the vast majority of Hong Kong citizens and foreign citizens in Hong Kong. Since the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, the rule of law in Hong Kong has been effectively improved and better guaranteed. Hong Kong’s rule of law index continues to rank among the top in the world, and foreign investors’ confidence in Hong Kong has been further enhanced. This is an undeniable objective fact.
Global Times: According to reports, recently, Russia has repeatedly spoken out on the issue of US biological military activities in Ukraine, claiming that the relevant activities violated the Biological Weapons Convention, and designated the laboratories established by the US around Russia as “biological warfare”. laboratory”, stressing that more and more evidence shows that the United States has carried out synthetic biology research for military purposes in Ukraine, and hopes that the parties to the Convention will conduct consultations on compliance issues and investigate possible violations. What is China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: I have noticed relevant reports and the US has not responded constructively to Russia’s accusations.
The United States is the country with the most biomilitary activities in the world, and the only country that opposes the establishment of a multilateral verification mechanism. The international community has every reason to question the US biomilitary activities. As a state party to the Biological Weapons Convention, the United States is obliged to abide by the provisions of the Convention, and it is also obliged to cooperate in addressing the concerns of the international community through clarifications and consultations.
We welcome the fair, objective and professional assessment by the international community of the documents disclosed by the Russian side under the framework of the Biological Weapons Convention and the United Nations, including hearing clarifications from the United States. The international community will have its own public opinion on the US compliance. We expect the US side to make a constructive response to restore the confidence of the international community in its implementation of the treaty.
I would also like to stress that the U.S. side is at every turn, accusing other countries of non-compliance, demanding other countries to accept verification, taking the opportunity to impose illegal unilateral sanctions, and even circumventing the UN Security Council by using force without any conclusive evidence. On the other hand, when it comes to its own compliance, the US has attempted to deal with it, which is unacceptable. Compliance or not is related to international peace and security, and cannot be defined by the United States alone using double standards.
At the same time, “verification to ensure compliance” is an international consensus. Establishing a verification mechanism is the best way to ensure the authority and effectiveness of various treaties in the fields of arms control and disarmament. The field of biosecurity should not be an exception, nor should it be stopped because of the opposition of one country, the United States. The U.S. side should stop exclusively obstructing the resumption of negotiations on a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention.
Reuters: The Solomon government has said that despite a security agreement that has been initialized but not signed between China and Solomon Islands, it will not allow China to build military bases. What is the comment of the Chinese government on this?
Zhao Lijian: The starting point of China-Solomon Islands security cooperation is to safeguard people’s lives and property, and it does not have any military overtones. The relevant remarks and speculations in the media are baseless and have ulterior motives. When it comes to the issue of militarization in the South Pacific region, some countries, despite the strong opposition of regional countries, do not hesitate to introduce the risk of nuclear proliferation into the South Pacific region, insisting on creating a small circle of militarization, which seriously threatens regional security and stability. This is the wanton trampling and destruction of the existing stability mechanism in the region.
RIA Novosti: The Financial Times said that if Chinese technology companies continue to ship mobile phones and telecommunications equipment to Russia, they will face the risk of sanctions. What is China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: I haven’t seen the report you mentioned. China has repeatedly emphasized its position on the issue of sanctions. China is not in favor of resolving issues through sanctions, and is even more opposed to unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law. We have said many times that sanctions, like war, will not solve any problems and will create new ones. We also urge relevant US politicians to get rid of their tendency to sanction others. They should do something real to de-escalate the situation and achieve a peacefully negotiated solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
The Paper: According to reports, the Yemen Dialogue Conference hosted by the Gulf Cooperation Council is being held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this conference is to build a dialogue platform for promoting the political settlement process of the Yemen issue. what opinions do the Chinese have on this issue?
Zhao Lijian: China welcomes the GCC to host the Yemen Dialogue Conference, and supports the GCC to play an active role in easing tensions in Yemen and promoting a political settlement of the Yemen issue. We hope this will help restore security and stability in Yemen at an early date.
AFP: Philippine President Duterte said the Chinese leader offered to hold talks with him next Friday. Can you confirm this news?
Zhao Lijian: Regarding the high-level interaction between China and the Philippines, I have nothing to offer you. If there is news, we will release it in time.
Shenzhen Satellite TV: According to reports, on March 31, the United Kingdom released its 50th “Semi-annual Report on Hong Kong Issues”, criticizing China’s Hong Kong policy, especially the Hong Kong National Security Law. What is China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: In disregard of China’s solemn stance, the UK has once again issued the so-called “Semi-Annual Report on the Hong Kong Issue”. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this.
Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, China has been unswervingly and fully and accurately implementing the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy. Hong Kong residents enjoy more rights and freedoms far beyond those before 1997 in accordance with the law. Since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, national security has been maintained, the rule of law and justice have been upheld, and the legal rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents and foreign citizens in Hong Kong have been more fully guaranteed. We believe that with the full support of the Central Government and the joint efforts of people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, Hong Kong will be able to maintain long-term prosperity and stability and continue to consolidate its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center. No attack or smear of the National Security Law for Hong Kong can stop Hong Kong’s general trend of turning from chaos to rule, from rule to prosperity. The UK’s attempt to disturb the hearts of Hong Kong people by publishing reports, manipulating the BNO, and pressuring judges to leave office will not succeed.
I would also like to stress that the UK has no sovereignty, governance, or supervision over Hong Kong after its return, and there is no so-called “historical responsibility” at all. The British side repeatedly used the Sino-British Joint Declaration to talk things over, and used the so-called semi-annual report to point fingers at Hong Kong affairs twice a year, acting as the so-called “master” and “reproducing machine”. Such actions will only damage the image of the UK itself. The British side should face up to the reality that Hong Kong has returned to the motherland nearly 25 years ago, put aside its colonial mentality, respect China’s sovereignty and unity, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs, and stop causing trouble for China-UK relations.
Dragon TV: According to reports, the latest update on the website of the US non-profit organization “Gun Violence Archives” on the 30th shows that in the first three months of this year, at least 10,362 people have been killed by gun violence in the US, and another 8,172 people have been injured by gunshots. have increased over the same period. Considering that the US government is promoting its democracy and human rights everywhere, what is the spokesperson’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: I noticed the relevant figures you mentioned. This figure means that in the first three months of this year, on average, more than 115 people were killed and more than 90 injured by gun violence in the United States every day. There are also studies assessing that the U.S. population is only 5% of the global population, yet owns 46% of the world‘s firearms. There are as many gun stores in the US as there are drugstores. There are nearly 400 million guns of various types in the hands of American civilians, an average of about 120 guns per 100 people. These data show that the United States is not only the world‘s number one power, but also the world‘s number one “gun country”.
According to media reports, the manufacture and trade of guns in the United States has formed a huge industrial chain. Relevant interest groups have provided a large amount of political donations for the US presidential and congressional elections, forming a military-industrial complex of “politicians + arms dealers”, which profoundly affects US policy and public opinion. Under the joint efforts of the military-industrial complex, many U.S. governments have been willing to restrict guns but have been unable to recover. Various forms of gun control bills often end without success due to various reasons. The increasing number of gun violence cases in the United States has become a typical example of the shortcomings of the American system. The US government should put the devil of gun violence back in the bottle and let the American people enjoy “democracy and human rights” without gun violence.
Reuters reporter: You just said that as part of the security agreement, China has no plans to have any kind of military deployment in Solomon. Does China hope to establish any form of military base in Solomon in the future?
Zhao Lijian: China has repeatedly stated its position on cooperation between China and Solomon Islands in the field of police affairs and security. Serious social riots broke out in the Solomon Islands last November, threatening people’s lives and property. The Chinese side firmly supports the Solomon Islands government in ending violence and chaos and maintaining stability. It has provided multiple batches of police material assistance to Solomon Islands, and sent a temporary police advisory team to conduct training to help the Solitary police to strengthen their own capacity building. Widely acclaimed. As two independent and sovereign states, China and Solomon Islands conduct normal law enforcement and security cooperation on the basis of equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results. This is in line with international law and international practice, and is conducive to maintaining social order in the Solomon Islands, promoting regional peace and stability, and helping Promote the common interests of China, the institutes and countries in the region. We hope that the relevant parties can view it objectively and calmly and not over-interpret it.
Reuters: China has issued visas to several U.S. personnel involved in the China Eastern Airlines crash investigation on behalf of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Do these American experts need to be quarantined? If yes, how long will they be quarantined?
Zhao Lijian: I don’t have any information about what you said. Please inquire with the relevant civil aviation authorities.
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According to the 2022 Qingming Festival holiday arrangement, the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be adjourned from April 4 (Monday) to 5 (Tuesday) and resumed on April 6 (Wednesday). During the adjournment, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Office will accept questions from reporters by fax, email or WeChat as usual.
(Comprehensive content from: the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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