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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on September 20, 2022

CCTV: According to reports, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had an exchange with representatives of the National Committee on US-China Relations, the US-China Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce, and met with former US Secretary of State Dr. Kissinger in New York on September 19 local time. Can you share more information? 

Wang Wenbin: On September 19 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had an exchange with representatives of the National Committee on US-China Relations, the US-China Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce in New York.

Wang Yi pointed out that this year marks the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s visit to China and the Shanghai Communiqué. It is an important year to take stock of the past and carry on from a new starting point. But one may find less certainty and more uncertainty in the prospects of China-US relations. In that context, Wang Yi talked about the five certainties China can provide.

First, China’s development prospects are certain. The upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will lay out the blueprint and the objectives of China’s future development. A modernized China with more than 1.4 billion people approaching common prosperity will create bigger markets and development opportunities for the US and other countries.

Second, China’s resolve to further advance reform and opening-up is certain. China will continue to deepen reform and open up even wider, foster a new system of opening-up of higher standards, build an open world economy and continue to advance economic globalization.

Third, China’s policy toward the US is certain. President Xi Jinping put forward the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in developing China-US relations. President Joe Biden has reiterated the “five noes” commitment (i.e. the US does not seek a new Cold War with China, it does not aim to change China’s system, the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China, it does not support “Taiwan independence”, and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China) on many occasions. The most critical thing now is for the US to adopt a rational and practical policy toward China sooner rather than later.

Fourth, China’s commitment to closer bilateral trade and economic cooperation is certain. China welcomes US business operations in China and will continue to provide a market-oriented, world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework. We need to have more, not less, economic and trade interactions between China and the US. We need to “join hands” with each other instead of “letting go” of each other’s hands. We need to remove barriers, not build up walls. We need dialogue and consultation, not confrontation or coercion, when it comes to each other’s concerns.

Fifth, China’s readiness to engage in multilateral consultation with the US is certain. History has proven and will continue to prove that when China and the US cooperate, the two sides can accomplish many big things that are good for the two countries and for the world. For that to happen, it is vital to protect the political foundation for China-US relations and in particular, uphold the one-China principle.

Wang Yi stressed that China-US relations bear on the future of the two countries and the peace and stability of the world. The two sides need to work together to find a way for the two major countries with different social systems, histories and cultures to get along.

When meeting with former US Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, Wang Yi said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s visit to China and the issuance of the Shanghai Communiqué. China and the US should earnestly take stock of the useful experience in the 50 years of exchanges. China’s policy toward the US remains consistent and stable. The US, out of a wrong perception of China, insists on viewing China as its primary rival and a long-term challenge. Some people even described stories of the success of China-US exchanges as failures. This is a lack of respect for both history and these people themselves. The US needs to adopt a rational and practical policy toward China, return to the right track of the three China-US joint communiqués, and safeguard the political foundation of China-US relations.

Wang Yi stressed that the pressing task is to properly manage the Taiwan question; otherwise, it would have a disruptive impact on China-US relations. A Chinese saying goes to the effect that “To defend even an inch of land, a country will not hesitate to sacrifice thousands of troops.” The saying reflects the will and resolve of the Chinese people. If the Anti-Secession Law is violated, China will surely take firm action in accordance with the law to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Wang Yi stressed that to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the US must return to the true meaning of the one-China principle, and unequivocally oppose and curb “Taiwan independence” activities.

The US participants said that as the world’s two largest economies that are interdependent, if China and the US can manage their bilateral relations well, reduce impediments and negative factors and jointly respond to climate change, public health and food and energy security challenges, people of both countries and the world at large will enjoy more benefits. The two sides need to work in a cooperative spirit and in the right direction and keep having constructive and productive dialogues at various levels. Small steps can build into major progress. The level of trust will also grow. This will contribute to world peace, stability and prosperity. 

Hubei Media Group: We have learned that the second Middle East Security Forum will be held in Beijing on September 21 in an online-plus-offline format by the China Institute of International Studies. Can you share more information? 

Wang Wenbin: The world has entered a new period of volatility and transformation. The Middle East is facing new security challenges. China attaches great importance to peace and security in the Middle East. In 2018, President Xi Jinping put forward that we must together pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in the Middle East in his remarks delivered at the opening ceremony of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Over the past year or so, China has proposed a five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East, a four-point proposal for the political settlement of the Syrian issue, and a three-point vision for the implementation of the two-state solution to the Palestinian question, contributing China’s insight and solution to addressing the issues. In April this year, President Xi put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI), pointing out the direction and way forward for peace and stability in the Middle East.

In November 2019, the China Institute of International Studies successfully held the first Middle East Security Forum in Beijing, where officials, experts and scholars from China and other countries concerned had fruitful dialogues and exchanges. China will hold the second forum to follow through on President Xi’s remarks, and work together with the regional countries to implement the GSI, build up the new security framework in the Middle East and realize common security in the region. The meetings, which will be held in an online-plus-offline format, consist of two subforum sessions about the Palestinian question and the security situation in the Gulf region. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will address the opening ceremony via video, Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li will deliver a keynote speech, and important guests will also address the forum. More than 70 participants, including diplomatic and security officials and scholars of Middle East countries and beyond, representatives from the Chinese foreign ministry and defense ministry, former Chinese diplomatic envoys and experts with think tanks, will share views on subjects including the Palestinian question and the security in the Gulf region.

We hope that this upcoming forum will provide an opportunity and a platform for the parties to explore new ideas and new pathways in security governance in the Middle East.

People’s Daily: We noted that the International Forum on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains took place in Hangzhou. Could you share more with us?

Wang Wenbin: To implement President Xi Jinping’s important proposal at the G20 Leaders’ Summit last year, China held the International Forum on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains in an online-plus-offline format from September 19 to 20.

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum. In his letter, President Xi noted that maintaining the resilience and stability of the global industrial and supply chains is a vital guarantee for promoting the development of the world economy and serves the common interests of people globally. China will unswervingly ensure that the industrial and supply chains are public goods in nature. We will work with countries in the world to build a global industrial and supply chain system that is secure, stable, smooth, efficient, open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial, and contribute to promoting global economic circulation, boosting the growth of the world economy and enhancing the wellbeing of humanity. Vice Premier Liu He attended the event and read out the congratulatory letter.

State leaders and ministerial officials from 15 countries, including Argentine President Alberto Fernández and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, attended the forum via video link, and diplomatic envoys in China from 29 countries and representatives from four international organizations and many transnational companies attended the event in person. They had dialogue and exchanges on such issues as enhancing global industrial collaboration, facilitating unimpeded international logistics and boosting global economic recovery. 

At the forum, China, 2022 G20 chair Indonesia, Chile, Cuba, Pakistan, and Serbia jointly proposed the Initiative of International Cooperation on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, asking all countries to join them in a more equitable, inclusive and constructive partnership for industrial and supply chains, in a bid to jointly build a beautiful and prosperous world.

China Daily: According to the latest reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics on the progress of China’s socioeconomic development over the past decade following the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an average annual growth rate of 6.6 percent from 2013 to 2021, higher than the average growth rate of 2.6 percent for the global economy and 3.7 percent for developing economies. Do you have any comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: I noted the relevant reports. The reports show that in 2021, China’s economic aggregate accounted for 18.5 percent of the world’s total, up by 7.2 percentage points from 2012. China’s average contribution to global economic growth exceeded 30 percent during the past decade or so, ranking first across the world. The numbers show China is a stabilizer and engine for world economic growth.

In recent years, globalization has encountered headwinds. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. The world economy is in the doldrums. Despite difficulties and challenges, China still believes that openness and cooperation is the way forward and win-win cooperation has the support of the people. China remains committed to wider, broader and deeper opening-up. A lot has been done to promote trade and investment facilitation and liberalization. We have made sustained efforts to create a market-oriented, world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework, which has made the Chinese market a world market shared by all and a source of momentum and stability for world economic recovery. 

China’s door will only open wider and will never be closed. We stand ready to work with countries in the world in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win results, expand practical cooperation across the board and let countries better share China’s development opportunities.

CCTV: American independent journalist Ben Norton noted the other day, citing data from the US Congressional Research Service, that the US launched 469 military interventions overseas from 1798 to 2022. For just 30-plus years since the end of the Cold War, the US has waged 251 military interventions, far outnumbering the tally of the 190-plus years before the end of the Cold War. What’s China’s comment?

Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports. The US has repeatedly claimed that it respects and defends the “rules-based international order”. However, the statistics released by the US Congress have shown the world the bellicose and hegemonic nature of US rules.

The US was not at war for only 16 years throughout its 240-plus years of history. Following the end of the Cold War, the world anticipated the US to reduce its overseas military operations. But what happened was the opposite. After the Cold War, the US launched military operations seven times more frequently than before the Cold War. All of these numbers are conservative estimates, because they do not include things like US special operations and covert actions. It is also pointed out in Norton’s report that the list of countries targeted by the US military includes the vast majority of the nations on Earth, including almost every single county in Latin America and the Caribbean and most of the African continent.

Instead of peddling itself as a defender of so-called rules and order and attacking, accusing and smearing others, the US needs to earnestly reflect on its warlike behavior and constant interference in others’ internal affairs, get rid of such wrongful habits and stop being the world’s No.1 maker of war.

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