Beijing Youth Daily: The UN Summit of the Future opened in New York and adopted the Pact for the Future, proposing plans for action in areas of international peace and security to tackle global challenges. At the Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that, “Our world is going through a time of turbulence and a period of transition. We must take the first decisive steps towards updating and reforming international cooperation. People everywhere are hoping for a future of peace, and prosperity. And they see the United Nations as essential to solving these challenges.” Could you share with us China’s participation at the Summit? How does China view the UN’s role in tackling global challenges?
Lin Jian: On September 23 local time, special representative of President Xi Jinping, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the UN Summit of the Future in New York and delivered a speech titled “Bearing in Mind Our Common Future And Jointly Building a Better Tomorrow.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that the future carried the hope of human development. Facing transformation unseen in a century, it is highly relevant to hold the Summit of the Future, adopt the Pact for the Future to galvanize collective efforts for world peace and development, and to map out the future of humanity. President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, advocated high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. These vision and initiatives have provided new solutions for tackling the common challenges of humanity and drawn a new blueprint for building a better world.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated on the four-point proposal made by China. Countries of the world need to build a future of peace and tranquility. Countries should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. Major countries, in particular, should lead by example. They should break geopolitical circles and rise above bloc confrontation. Countries of the world need to build a future of development and prosperity. Countries need to share development opportunities and pursue win-win cooperation. We need to follow a people-centered development philosophy and advocate a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, so as to deliver the fruits of development to our people and ensure common prosperity for all countries. Countries of the world need to build a future of fairness and justice. We need to build an equal and orderly multipolar world, strengthen the authority of international rule of law, reject the law of the jungle where the strong bully the weak, oppose acts of hegemonism such as unilateral sanctions, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. Countries of the world need to build a better future. We need to push back the frontier and explore new practices, and make global governance more just and equitable. China supports the UN in serving as the main channel in AI governance, and will propose the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All.
Facing global challenges such as conflicts and turbulence, development imbalances and governance disorder, the international community needs solidarity and cooperation, rather than division and confrontation. It is fundamental to uphold true multilateralism. Only by firmly defending the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, can multilateralism be translated into action and can global governance be able to make progress. China stands ready to advocate true multilateralism at the Summit of the Future and the UN General Assembly, and work with countries around the world to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and make the world a better and more peaceful place.
TASS: Southern and eastern Lebanon suffered massive attacks by Israeli military. As of last night, over 1,300 targets have been hit by Israeli airstrikes, leaving more than 2,000 dead or injured, including women and children. What’s China’s comment?
Lin Jian: China is closely following the current tensions between Lebanon and Israel and feels deeply shocked by the heavy casualties inflicted by relevant military operations. China opposes any infringement on Lebanon’s sovereignty and security. We oppose and condemn any move that harms innocent civilians. We call on relevant parties to take measures immediately to cool down the situation, prevent further escalation of tensions in the region, uphold peace and stability in the Middle East, and protect the safety of the people there.
Anadolu Agency: To follow up about Lebanon situation. There are increasing concerns that the escalation could lead to a spillover of the conflict in the Middle East. So does China plan to call for an emergency meeting of UN Security Council about the situation?
Lin Jian: The more severe the situation in the Middle East is, the more important for the international community to jointly cool down the situation and deescalate the tensions. No matter how the situation may evolve, China will stand on the side of justice, and stay committed to keeping the Middle East peaceful and stable. We stand ready to work with all parties and continue making relentless efforts for peace and stability in the region.
Hubei Media Group: I’ve learned that a delegation of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was invited to visit China. Could you share more details with us?
Lin Jian: From September 17 to 22, OPCW Director-General, Chairperson of the OPCW Executive Council, Chairperson of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and diplomatic envoys and representatives from 13 member states of the OPCW Executive Council visited China.
The visit of the delegation aims to thoroughly and completely destruct chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China (Japanese ACWs) as early as possible, uphold the authority of the CWC, and realize the goal of creating “a world free of chemical weapons”. During their stay in China, the delegation made a field visit to the sites where the ACWs have been excavated, recovered and destructed. All parties stressed that the CWC clearly stipulates Japan’s obligation to destruct the Japanese ACWs, and supported the OPCW in continuing its serious review, monitoring and verification in order to ensure the effective implementation of relevant articles.
Let me stress that during the war of aggression against China, the Japanese army used and abandoned a huge quantity of chemical weapons in China, the grave harm of which still haunts this land. To remove the hazardous Japanese ACWs is Japan’s unshirkable historical, political and legal responsibility. Japan needs to strictly abide by the CWC and the relevant MOU between the governments of the People’s Republic of China and Japan, act with greater urgency and a sense of responsibility, and do everything possible to speed up the full chain disposal of the ACWs so that the day will come sooner when the hazardous Japanese ACWs are destroyed completely and thoroughly, and the Chinese people no longer have to live on soil tainted by ACWs.
China looks to the OPCW playing a greater role in monitoring Japan’s fulfillment of its commitments under relevant convention and continuing striving for the lofty goal of creating “a world free of chemical weapons.”
NHK: Regarding the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa in New York, “The Japanese side should view this calmly and rationally and avoid politicization and exaggeration.” So could you elaborate on what politicization and exaggeration means in this case?
Lin Jian: Let me reiterate that it’s an individual case, and China is investigating and handling the case in accordance with the law. We noted that some in Japan have been linking this individual case with so-called “anti-Japan” comments on Chinese social network, and exaggerating and sensationalizing so-called “safety risks.” This type of rhetoric is clearly not what the facts have shown. I made clear China’s position yesterday. I want to stress again that China will as always protect the safety of all foreign nationals in China, and we hope Japan can view this individual case in a calm and rational way, and avoid the case from being politicized or inflated.
AFP: The Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig has said in an interview with CBC news that he was psychologically tortured by being held in solitary confinement in a Chinese prison for nearly six months from 2019. And does China have a response to this allegation of psychological torture?
Lin Jian: China is a country that upholds the rule of law. The judicial authorities in China handle cases in strict accordance with law. Lies and smears can’t change the fact that the person you mentioned committed illegal activities. We urge relevant party to respect facts and reflect on the wrongdoings.
Dragon TV: It’s recently reported by some US and European media outlets that the US is drafting a “New York Joint Statement” that is set to be signed later this month in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, and EU member countries are discussing whether to join the pledge or not. Countries signing the statement will promote “reliable and trusted cable components and services” and “encourage undersea cable network service providers and operations and maintenance providers to have transparent ownership, partnerships, and corporate governance structures.” They would also demand network operators to have supply chain security and data security measures in place. Some media believed that by doing so, the US attempts to exclude Chinese companies from the global undersea cable supply chain. What’s China’s comment?
Lin Jian: International undersea cables are the most important type of information carrier in international communications of our time and the underpinning infrastructure for international digital economy and cross-border trade. Regrettably, however, the US has in recent years blatantly contravened international rules and business operation models, built a small yard with high fences targeted at China in the field of undersea cables, and kept abusing state power to go after and suppress Chinese companies, products and technologies. The fact that the US advocates the signing of such an exclusive joint statement on undersea cables during the UNGA says everything about its ill intention.
Undersea cables are typical international infrastructure for civilian uses, which bear on global cyber connectivity and the wellbeing of people around the world. China firmly opposes the US turning undersea cables into a political and security issue, which severely disrupts international market rules, threatens global digital connectivity and cybersecurity, and denies other countries, especially developing countries, the right to develop their undersea cable industry and independently choose undersea cable suppliers. China will, as always, firmly defend the lawful and legitimate interests of Chinese companies, support the international community in conducting undersea cable cooperation under the principles of fairness, justice, equality and inclusiveness, and firmly oppose the US’s unilateral and hegemonic moves.
Bloomberg: The Biden administration proposed new rules blocking the sale or import of connected vehicle software and hardware originating from China and Russia to prevent the threat of hacking. The Department of Commerce believes that it concerns national security. What’s the Foreign Ministry’s comment?
Lin Jian: I’d refer you to competent authorities for the specifics. I have elaborated our position on this issue yesterday. The discriminatory practices of the US targeting particular companies and products of certain countries violate the basic principles of the WTO, disrupt international trade and investment, destabilize global industrial and supply chains and will eventually undermine the US’s own interests. China has noted there is much doubt from the industry of the US itself.
What the US needs to do is to stop bringing down and containing other countries in the name of national security and create an open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from all countries. China will firmly safeguard its lawful rights and interests.
TASS: The Finnish Ahtari Zoo announced in a news release that two giant pandas would return to China ahead of schedule. Could you provide more information?
Lin Jian: I noted that the China Wildlife Conservation Association has released relevant information, which you may refer to.
NHK: Just a follow-up question on Shenzhen incident. You’re saying some people are connecting anti-Japanese comments on social network in China to this individual case. That’s what you said, right? That is not consistent with facts. So are you saying that China concluded that this incident is not related to the anti-Japanese posting and comments on social network?
Lin Jian: Did you come to the press conference yesterday? (NHK: I watched the press conference yesterday.) Same question was raised yesterday and I have responded to it. China does not teach its people to hate Japan. After the incident, many local Chinese laid flowers to mourn the boy. These actions of their own accord showed their opposition to violence and aspiration for ever-lasting friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people.
Let me stress once again that we believe that to learn from history is not for perpetuating hatred but for avoiding the tragedy of war from repeating itself, cherishing the hard-won peace and creating a bright future.
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