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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on October 27, 2022

CCTV: China released the announcement about the upcoming visit by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to China. Can you share more information on this visit? What’s China’s expectation for this visit? How does China see its relations with Tanzania?

Mao Ning: Tanzania is an important country in East Africa. China and Tanzania enjoy traditional friendship. In 2013, during his visit to Tanzania, President Xi Jinping put forth the guiding principles of China’s policy toward Africa, namely sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, which have then become China’s basic policy on pursuing solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries. In recent years, the two countries have witnessed deepening political mutual trust and fruitful practical cooperation and have maintained sound cooperation in international and regional affairs.

President Hassan will be the first African head of state China is going to receive after the 20th CPC National Congress. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold a welcome ceremony and a welcome banquet for President Hassan. The two heads of state will hold talks and attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents. Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Li Zhanshu will meet President Hassan respectively. We believe President Hassan’s visit will inject new impetus into the comprehensive and profound development of China-Tanzania relations and make new progress in bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Xinhua News Agency: We have noted that Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with diplomatic envoys of ASEAN countries in Beijing yesterday. This was State Councilor Wang Yi’s first diplomatic activity after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Can you give us more details?

Mao Ning: Yesterday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with diplomatic envoys of ASEAN countries in Beijing. It shows the importance China attaches to ASEAN.

State Councilor Wang Yi briefed the envoys on the epoch-making significance, major achievements and far-reaching impact of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. He elaborated on the five features and essential requirements of Chinese modernization and stressed that China’s development will bring important opportunities and huge benefits to all countries in the world. China will remain committed to upholding world peace and promoting common development and to promoting a human community with a shared future. Neighborhood diplomacy will remain of primary importance for China and ASEAN will always be a priority in China’s diplomacy. This year, ASEAN countries will host three major multilateral meetings -- the G20 Summit, the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and leaders’ meetings on East Asia cooperation. “Asia’s moment” in global governance is arriving. China looks forward to working with ASEAN to contribute to regional and global governance and show our collective robustness as Asian nations. 

Diplomatic envoys of ASEAN countries extended warm congratulations on the full success of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, commended China’s opening up and development and spoke highly of China’s contribution to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and beyond. They expressed the desire to seize the new development opportunities that Chinese modernization will bring, deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with China and promote cooperation for mutual benefit in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Beijing Youth Daily: It is reported that on October 26, at least 15 people have been killed and 27 injured in a shooting incident in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the gun attack. What is China’s comment?

Mao Ning: China is shocked by and strongly condemns the attack. China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and supports the government and people of Iran in fighting extremists and terrorists and upholding peace and stability in the country.

China News Service: On October 26, the X8155 China-Europe freight train, loaded with 50 cars of goods including photovoltaic inverters, motor compressors and vacuum cleaners, departed from the Xi’an International Port Station for Duisburg, Germany. This is the first China-Europe freight train service that runs on a fixed timetable for the whole journey through China and Europe. Do you have any comment?

Mao Ning: I saw this good news. The opening of the time-tabled China-Europe freight trains will make its transportation service more time-efficient and give it another edge in the market.

Lately, Belt and Road cooperation has seen quite a few milestones. The China-Europe freight train service has run more than 14,000 trips so far this year. The sea-rail intermodal train of the new western land-sea corridor has made more than 20,000 trips. For ten months since the China-Laos railway was open to traffic, it has transported over 8.51 million tonnes of cargo. The Hainan Free Trade Port has launched the first ocean freight route to Africa. All this speaks volumes to China’s high-level opening up.

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress underscores the imperative for us to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. China will work with all partners and commit ourselves to building an open and interconnected rather than divided and mutually-isolated world and contributing to the common development of countries in the world. 

Associated Press of Pakistan: Today marks the day when India undertook a unilateral action in Kashmir and forcibly occupied the territory of Jammu and Kashmir more than seven decades ago. What is your comment? 

Mao Ning: China’s position on the Kashmir issue is consistent and clear-cut. The Kashmir issue, a dispute left from the past, needs to be resolved peacefully and appropriately in accordance with the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and relevant bilateral agreement. Parties concerned need to avoid unilateral moves that may complicate the situation. Efforts should be made to settle the dispute through dialogue and consultation so as to maintain regional peace and stability. 

Reuters: Chinese President Xi Jinping called on China and the United States to strengthen communication in a message to an event of the National Committee of US-China Relations on Wednesday. We would like to ask will President Xi attend the November G20 summit in person, and will he be meeting President Biden on the sidelines? Does China have any plans to reopen dialogue with the United States in areas including military commanders and on climate change, which is shut down in August? 

Mao Ning: On October 26, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on United States-China Relations. You may refer to the Chinese side’s press release. 

As for the question you raised, I do not have anything to offer at the moment. There need to be favorable conditions and an enabling atmosphere for relevant communication to resume. 

AFP: A question about the allegations of Chinese illegal police stations overseas. I know that your colleague yesterday already made a comment about the Netherlands specifically, but since more reports have emerged worldwide of illegal Chinese police stations, including in Canada and Ireland, I would like to know if you can confirm that China has any police operations in Canada, and if so, are local authorities aware of that?

Mao Ning: My colleague has indeed answered a similar question yesterday. If you would like to know more, I would refer you to the competent authorities. Let me stress that Chinese public security authorities strictly observe international law and fully respect the judicial sovereignty of other countries. 

Bloomberg: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Beijing was trying to “speed up” its seizure of Taiwan during an interview with Bloomberg. He said, “What’s changed is this -- a decision by the government in Beijing that that status quo was no longer acceptable, that they wanted to speed up the process by which they would pursue reunification.” Does the foreign ministry have any comment? 

Mao Ning: First of all, the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China and Taiwan is part of China. It is not China that is trying to change the status quo, but the DPP authorities’ “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and US moves to distort and fudge the one-China principle. 

The one-China principle is the most important political prerequisite and bedrock of the establishment and advancement of diplomatic relations with the US. It is a basic common understanding between China and the US on the Taiwan question. How to resolve the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification; but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form.

AFP: It’s been 41 days since the death of a young Iranian woman in police custody, which sparked a huge protest in Iran. Dozens of civilians and security forces have been killed in the protest. What is China’s view on this event in Iran? 

Mao Ning: We have noted relevant reports. We believe the Iranian government can properly handle relevant issues and keep the country stable.

Bloomberg: South Korea’s Defense Minister said on Wednesday that his country should work to deter the use of nuclear weapons by sending North Korea a message it would bring an end to the current regime. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? 

Mao Ning: We hope the parties concerned will face squarely the root cause and turn of events that led to the protracted impasse on the Korean Peninsula and do more to enhance mutual trust and address parties’ concerns in a balanced way. 

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