China News Service: It’s reported that Premier Li Qiang has concluded his visit to Saudi Arabia. Can you share more details about the visit?
Mao Ning: At the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia from September 10 to 11.
During the visit, Premier Li Qiang and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held talks and co-chaired the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Chinese-Saudi Joint Committee. Premier Li Qiang also had a conversation with representatives from the Saudi business community. Premier Li Qiang noted that growing relations with Saudi Arabia is a priority in China’s overall diplomacy, especially in our diplomacy towards the Middle East. In our relations with Saudi Arabia, we hope to firmly support each other, help each other succeed, view each other’s development as important opportunities, and further leverage the role of the High-Level Joint Committee mechanism, to achieve new, greater development in bilateral relations. The two sides need to further increase bilateral trade, encourage our companies to invest and do business in each other’s countries, and jointly keep the global industrial and supply chains stable. The two sides will work for the success of the events of the China-Saudi Arabia Year of Culture in 2025, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
Premier Li Qiang encouraged entrepreneurs of the two countries to grasp the overriding trend and take the initiative to act. Companies from Saudi Arabia are welcome to continue exploring the Chinese market and investing and doing business in China with greater confidence. We will further ease market access, abolish all market access restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing, and provide quality services for foreign businesses, so that foreign businesses will take root and achieve success in China.
While in Saudi Arabia, Premier Li Qiang also met with Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi. Premier Li Qiang noted that China is ready to step up policy coordination with the GCC through mechanisms including the China-GCC strategic dialogue, and support countries in the region in resolving differences through dialogue and consultation and building lasting friendly ties between neighbors. The GCC side expressed high appreciation to China for our just position on the Palestinian question and other regional issues, and our support for peace and stability in the Middle East.
CCTV: Today marks the UN Day for South-South Cooperation. During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, a good many African leaders hailed China-Africa cooperation as a stellar example of South-South cooperation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the Summit that China’s partnership with the African continent is the main pillar of South-South cooperation. Against the current backdrop, how does China view South-South cooperation and how will China further promote it in the future?
Mao Ning: China is the largest developing country and a natural member of the Global South. Africa is the continent home to the largest number of developing countries. President Xi Jinping put forward at the Beijing Summit of FOCAC six features of the modernization that China and Africa should jointly advance, which were well received by the participants. This will have a profound and far-reaching influence on spearheading faster Global South modernization and promoting global modernization.
China has all along been the staunch force for development and prosperity of the Global South. China has provided development assistance to over 160 countries, conducted Belt and Road cooperation with more than 150 countries, and worked with over 100 countries and some international organizations, including the UN, to implement the Global Development Initiative. China has set up a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, which so far has financed over 150 programs. In South-South cooperation, China never attaches any political string to it and aims to enhance capacity building for self-generated development of developing countries with every sincerity and good faith. China will continue to deliver tangible cooperation results for Global South countries to prosper together.
Yonhap News Agency: On September 8 and 9, Chargé d’Affaires Feng Chuntai of the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK attended the commemoration events of the DPRK’s 76th founding anniversary. Did Ambassador Wang Yajun leave office or is he just not in the DPRK now?
Mao Ning: From what I know, Ambassador Wang Yajun is back in China on vacation.
Yonhap News Agency: The DPRK fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea today. Does this firing have something to do with the joint exercise between China and Russia in the East Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk? The DPRK has sent balloons carrying trash into the South for five days on end, and then fired ballistic missiles. What’s China’s comments?
Mao Ning: On the first question, I see no connections between these two issues.
On the second question, China’s position is consistent: we are committed to keeping the peninsula stable and peaceful, and we support relevant parties in improving their relations through dialogue.
AFP: ROK’s football player Son Jun-ho received a lifetime ban from the Chinese Football Association, but he denied any misconduct. He said he made a forced confession, and he and his family were threatened by the Chinese police. What’s China’s response? Has China notified FIFA of the ban?
Mao Ning: In March 2024, China’s judicial authorities announced the sentencing for the case of the ROK’s citizen Son Jun-ho who was accused of taking bribes as a person who is not a functionary of a State organ. Son Jun-ho admitted his wrongdoing, accepted the punishment, expressed remorse in court, and said he would not appeal. China is a country that upholds the rule of law. The judicial authorities in China handle cases in strict accordance with law, and fully protect the lawful rights and interests of the person concerned. On the specifics of his ban that you mentioned, I would refer you to competent authorities.
The Paper: The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently released the World Trade Report 2024, in which the WTO reiterated the importance of trade in reducing poverty and creating shared prosperity, and pointed out that mounting protectionism threatens to unwind 30 years of progress in closing income gaps between the poor and the rich. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that protectionism is not an effective or cost-effective path to inclusiveness. Instead, more and better trade is the path to bring more economies and communities from the margins to the mainstream of the global economy. What’s China’s comment?
Mao Ning: I also noted this WTO report. The report also states that the rising protectionism will harm the growth prospects of all economies, but the poor and economically marginalized will suffer the most.
China is an important contributor to open trade. We have all along firmly opposed trade protectionism. We advocate a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and stay committed to bridging the North-South divide by promoting global development through trade. At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, President Xi Jinping announced that China will implement ten partnership actions, including the Partnership Action for Trade Prosperity, unilaterally open its market wider, and give the least developed countries in Africa zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines. This has made China the first major developing country and the first major economy to take such a step.
Protectionism has no future. Prosperity and stability cannot be possible in a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer. We stand ready to discuss with more Global South countries free trade arrangements, help other developing countries improve their transport and logistics through practical cooperation, including Belt and Road cooperation, and make them stronger players in international trade.
AFP: Yesterday China and the Philippines had candid high-level talks on the South China Sea issue. Can you share more details? What common understandings were reached and what topics were discussed?
Mao Ning: On the meeting between heads of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea held in Beijing yesterday, China has released a readout. We have nothing more to add.
Beijing Youth Daily: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said yesterday at a press briefing before concluding his visit to China that Spain is reconsidering its position on the EU’s import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. He called on not only the member states but also the European Commission to reconsider their position, and stressed that Brussels and Beijing need to find a compromise that avoids a trade war and seek solutions. What’s your comment?
Mao Ning: China appreciates Prime Minister Sánchez’s statements, which reflect his rational and objective thinking. The development of the EV sector is in the interest of both China and the EU. We need to work together and jointly face challenges, which will benefit our companies and consumers, and turbocharge the green transition in China, Europe, and even the world. China has all along shown the greatest sincerity to actively seek solutions that are consistent with WTO rules and acceptable to both sides. We hope the EU side will listen more to the rational and objective voices, fully recognize the complementarity and cooperation potential of China and the EU in the EV sector, show flexibility and sincerity, and work with us to properly settle trade frictions through dialogue and consultation and promote the sound and steady growth of China-EU trade ties.
AFP: Australia’s ABC News released a report today. The report talked about how the Australian government sent expert teams to Fiji this year to help the Pacific’s top regional body after its networks were infiltrated by Chinese state-backed hackers. Is China aware of this report and do you have a comment on this? So the cyberattack was on the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Mao Ning: We noted relevant reports and we also noted that the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Forum did not associate this cyber attack with China. We have seen similar disinformation many times already, which is politically motivated and aimed at sowing discord between China and countries in the region. I want to stress that the South Pacific is no one’s backyard. We hope parties concerned will fully respect the right of South Pacific countries to a balanced approach when developing relations with various parties.
Bloomberg: Today we reported that the Ministry of Commerce has told Chinese EV companies that they should not export China’s EV technology to other countries. They shouldn’t invest in India. And when they invest in plants in Türkiye, they have to notify the Ministry of Industry and the Chinese Embassy before they do that. The Chinese government has been very critical of American export controls blocking sales of chip technology to China. Why is China now trying to block the export of Chinese EV technology to places like India and control that when it goes to places like Türkiye?
Mao Ning: I’d refer you to competent authorities for this question.
PTI: Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi is currently attending a BRICS meeting, and on the sidelines he’s been meeting some of the other foreign ministers and delegates. Is there any meeting that is expected to take place between him and the Indian national security adviser Mr. Ajit Doval?
Mao Ning: As for the bilateral meetings of Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the BRICS NSAs meeting, we will release information in due course. Please check back for updates.
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