At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will pay a visit to China from August 22 to 24, during which the two foreign ministers will co-chair the 5th Meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Indonesia.

CCTV: General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam concluded his state visit to China. Could you share more details with us, including the major outcomes and highlights of the visit?

Mao Ning: General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam was invited to pay a state visit to China from August 18 to 20. This was Comrade To Lam’s first overseas visit after taking office as General Secretary. He was given high-level reception in China. General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and General Secretary and State President To Lam had talks and a good chat over tea. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and Chairman Wang Huning of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference met with him respectively.

The top leaders of the two parties and two countries made strategic planning on deepening the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future and provided political guidance for the growth of bilateral ties in the next stage. Both sides were of the view that the common ideals and beliefs are the red genes passed down from generation to generation between the two parties, forming the traditional friendship between the two countries that “So profound is the friendship between Viet Nam and China, because we are both comrades and brothers.” As the two governing communist parties in today’s world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold their original aspiration of friendship, continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, uphold the leadership of the Communist Party and the socialist system, jointly promote the development of the cause of socialism in the world, and contribute to the peace and progress of humanity.

Both sides agreed that during the critical period of development and revitalization in both countries, China and Viet Nam should firmly follow the path jointly set by the elder generation of leaders of the two countries, in particular, General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, solidify a development pattern of greater political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper mutually beneficial cooperation, stronger popular support, closer multilateral coordination and better handling of differences, and advance the building of a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Both sides agreed that it’s important to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges and step up institutional cooperation in strategic areas such as diplomacy, national defense and security; expand cooperation in the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the “Two Corridors, One Economic Belt” initiative, accelerate the “physical connectivity” of railway, highway and port infrastructure, enhance the “institutional connectivity” of smart customs, and jointly build secure and stable industrial and supply chains. Taking the opportunity of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Viet Nam diplomatic relations next year, the two sides should jointly hold a series of activities such as the China-Viet Nam Year of People-to-People Exchanges to consolidate the popular support of the two countries.

Both sides agreed to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, work to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and contribute to world peace and development. Viet Nam reaffirmed that it firmly pursues the one-China policy, and recognized that there is but one China in the world, that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. It supports the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties and China’s reunification, firmly opposes all forms of “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and will not develop any forms of official ties with the Taiwan region.

Both sides issued a joint statement, which fully demonstrates the outcomes of the visit. Relevant departments and local governments of the two countries signed multiple bilateral cooperation documents on Party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, health, news organizations and media, locality, and people’s livelihood, which say a lot about the progress in building the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future.

Standing at the new starting point of historic importance, China stands ready to work with Viet Nam to follow the guidance of the important common understandings between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, focus on the six overall goals of “greater political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper mutually beneficial cooperation, stronger popular support, closer multilateral coordination and better handling of differences”, enhance political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, deepen and solidify the building of the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future, promote each other’s socialist modernization and contribute to world peace and development.

RIA Novosti: The New York Times reported that US President Biden approved in March a highly classified nuclear strategic plan for the United States that, for the first time, reorients America’s deterrent strategy to focus on China’s expansion in its nuclear arsenal. What’s the Ministry’s comment?

Mao Ning: China is gravely concerned over the report. As we have seen over the past few years, the US has called China a “nuclear threat” and used it as a convenient pretext to shirk its obligation of nuclear disarmament, expand its own nuclear arsenal, and seek absolute strategic predominance.

The size of China’s nuclear arsenal is by no means on the same level with the US. China follows a policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, and always keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required by national security. We have no intention to engage in any form of arms race with other countries.

In contrast, the US sits on the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world. Even so, it clings to a first-use nuclear deterrence policy, and has invested heavily to upgrade its nuclear triad and blatantly devised nuclear deterrence strategies against others. It is the US who is the primary source of nuclear threats and strategic risks in the world. China urges the US to fulfill its special and primary obligation of nuclear disarmament by further making drastic and substantive cuts to its nuclear arsenal, and stopping nuclear sharing, extended deterrence, expanding nuclear alliance, and other negative moves that undermine global and regional peace and stability.

Shenzhen TV: Recently, the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) formed a report by consensus. Could you share more information on that?

Mao Ning: Preventing an arms race in outer space and ensuring the peaceful use of outer space has long been the common aspiration of the international community. For years, China has been vigorously advocating the need to take concrete measures to prevent an arms race in outer space and start negotiations on relevant international legal instruments at an early date, which has gained extensive support.

The UN Group of Governmental Experts on Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, whose launch was partly initiated by China, had a session in Geneva recently. Experts with government authorization from more than 20 countries including China, Russia, the US, the UK and France had in-depth discussions over two weeks and formed a report by consensus. The report put forward a series of suggestions for addressing the threats and challenges to outer space security. This important consensus-based report on “PAROS” reached under the framework of the UN is conducive to advancing global governance on outer space security. It fully shows that the necessity of “PAROS” has been widely endorsed by the people, and that it is possible to reach consensus among the international community on safeguarding outer space security. The report marks a new starting point. China is ready to work with all parties to make greater contributions to the global governance on outer space.

Bloomberg: Beijing has told Hong Kong-based consular officials to seek approval from Chinese authorities 10 days in advance before visiting the Greater Bay Area. This is according to a report from the Hong Kong media. Can you confirm that foreign consular officials in Hong Kong are now required to seek approval in advance to make visits to the Greater Bay Area, including Macao?

Mao Ning: According to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and relevant consular treaties and agreements between China and other countries, foreign consular officials shall exercise their functions within their consular districts, and may, in special circumstances, with the consent of China, exercise their functions outside their consular districts. Foreign consular missions in Hong Kong are welcome to actively fulfill their duties on the basis of observing the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and deepen exchanges and cooperation between their countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to share in China’s development opportunities.

Bloomberg: So if the diplomat in Hong Kong would also be responsible for Macao, so their assignment is to be representative for their countries for Hong Kong and Macao. In that case, would they also need to be given approval in advance or does this fall into the category whereby this is the coverage area so they don’t need to seek approval?

Mao Ning: According to my understanding, foreign consular officials in China don’t need to seek approval in advance in order to exercise their functions within their consular districts. 

AFP: At a regional security forum held in Taiwan today, Lai Ching-te noted China’s growing authoritarianism abroad. The former US ambassador to the UN and the former Japanese prime minister will also address the forum. What’s the Foreign Ministry’s comment?

Mao Ning: There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair which brooks no external interference.

It is the DPP authorities’ go-to tactic to mislead the public and engage in “Taiwan independence” separatist activities under all kinds of pretexts. However, no matter what they say or do, the DPP authorities cannot change the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China, or stop the historic trend that China will achieve reunification.

Reuters: The video game “Black Myth: Wukong” has taken the gaming world by storm since its debut on Tuesday, impressing players with its Chinese cultural characteristics. Would the Foreign Ministry consider the game an “ambassador” for China and what broader diplomatic gains would you expect from this development?

Mao Ning: I do not know much about video games, but thank you for drawing my attention to this game. The name of this game suggests that it is inspired by the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. I think this speaks to the appeal of the Chinese culture.

AFP: The European Commission announced plans yesterday to slap tariffs of up to 36% on electric vehicles from China and said that it is open to “China’s alternatives.” What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning: Yesterday, the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Commerce has stated China’s position on this. China’s EV industry and business associations also voiced their strong opposition.

Let me stress that this probe is a typical protectionist and politically-motivated move. It ignores the facts, disrespects WTO rules, goes against the trend of history, disrupts the EU’s green transition process and global effort to respond to climate change, and will harm the EU itself as well as others. We urge the EU to stop pursuing this wrong action at once, stop politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues, show real sincerity, and work with China to speed up discussions for a proper way to resolve this, so as to avoid escalating trade frictions and undermining the trust and cooperation between China and the EU. China will take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard our companies’ legitimate rights and interests.