Contact Us Links 中文
  
HOME > Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on December 12, 2022
2022-12-12 19:33

China News Service: President Xi Jinping has concluded his trip to the Middle East. This trip wraps up China’s head-of-state diplomacy for this year. Can you share with us more about the outcomes and the significance of this visit?

Wang Wenbin: From December 7 to 10, President Xi Jinping successfully attended the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit and paid a state visit to Saudi Arabia. It is the largest and highest-level diplomatic event between China and the Arab world since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and another successful example of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics after the 20th National Congress of the CPC. It thus has a milestone significance.

At the China-Arab States Summit, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, which encapsulates the spirit of China-Arab friendship. In the speech, President Xi put forward eight major cooperation initiatives under which China is ready to advance cooperation with Arab countries, including development support, food security, public health, green innovation, energy security, inter-civilizational dialogue, youth development, and security and stability. The initiatives provide for the top-level design for China’s diplomacy towards Arab countries in the new era. The two sides issued the Riyadh Declaration of the First China-Arab States Summit, the Outline of the Comprehensive Cooperation Plan Between the People’s Republic of China and Arab States and a document on deepening the Sino-Arab strategic partnership for peace and development, and agreed to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.

At the China-GCC Summit, President Xi Jinping stressed in his speech that China and GCC countries should be partners for greater solidarity, common development, common security and cultural prosperity. He identified five priority areas in which China and GCC countries will work together in the next three to five years. The two sides issued a joint statement by the People’s Republic of China and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and a 2023-2027 action plan for strategic dialogue between the People’s Republic of China and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and announced to strengthen the China-GCC strategic partnership.

President Xi’s remarks were well received among the leaders at the summits. They said that Arab-China friendship is built on mutual respect, equal-footed cooperation and mutual benefits. It has produced fruitful outcomes and demonstrated broad prospects. Arab countries attending the summits shared the hope to carry on the traditional friendship, consolidate mutual support, strengthen exchange and cooperation in various areas, jointly promote peace and development in the region and the wider world and uphold fairness and justice.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Xi Jinping met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and held talks with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides reached a series of important common understandings. Both sides agreed to take turns to host biennial meetings between the heads of state of the two countries, upgrade the China-Saudi Arabia High-level Joint Committee to the prime minister’s level, synergize China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and continue to strengthen Chinese language and Arabic teaching in the two countries.

During the visit, President Xi also had bilateral meetings with 20 Arab leaders respectively to renew their friendship, explore cooperation and confer about world affairs. The events have demonstrated the diplomatic style of a major country’s leader that values credibility, friendship, justice and moral strength.

President Xi’s visit to the Middle East has successfully wrapped up this year’s head-of-state diplomacy of China. It has not only elevated China-Saudi Arabia relations to a new height, but also opened a new chapter in China-Arab and China-GCC relations.

AFP: The US on Friday imposed sanctions on two senior Chinese officials over what they called serious human rights abuse in Tibet Autonomous Region. Does China plan any countermeasure? 

Wang Wenbin: The US imposed illegal sanctions on Chinese officials under domestic law and the pretext of so-called human rights issues in Tibet. This grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, blatantly violates basic norms in international relations and gravely undermines China-US relations. China firmly opposes it and strongly condemns it.

Affairs related to Tibet are purely China’s internal affairs and brook no interference from any other country. The US has no right to impose unwarranted sanctions against other countries and is in no position to act as a “world policeman”. We urge the US to withdraw its so-called sanctions immediately, and stop interfering in Tibet affairs, which are China’s internal affairs. China will take effective and resolute measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

The Paper: The China-GCC Summit was held in Riyadh. The leaders of both sides have reached important common understandings on consolidating China-GCC political mutual trust and enhancing cooperation in various fields. In the meantime, there are comments saying that China will not neglect its relations with Iran as it develops relations with the GCC countries. We have also noted that Vice Premier Hu Chunhua will pay a visit to Iran. What is China’s comment?

Wang Wenbin: The recently held China-GCC Summit is of great significance for China-GCC relations. At the Summit, a joint statement by China and the GCC was issued and a 2023-2027 action plan for strategic dialogue between China and the GCC was adopted. The development of relations between China and the GCC countries is aimed at deepening bilateral practical cooperation in various sectors and delivering benefits to the people of both sides.

China and Iran enjoy traditional friendship. China and Iran jointly decided to cement and grow a comprehensive strategic partnership. China stands ready to enhance communication and coordination with Iran to make new progress in bilateral relations. The two sides have signed a plan for China-Iran comprehensive cooperation, which started implementation early this year. China will work with Iran for the sound and steady growth of practical cooperation. Vice Premier Hu Chunhua’s visit to Iran starts today. We believe this visit will play a positive role in deepening China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

The GCC countries and Iran are all China’s friends, and neither China-GCC relations nor China-Iran relations are targeted at any third party. China supports the GCC countries in improving relations with Iran based on the principle of good-neighborly friendship, conducting win-win cooperation with Iran and jointly promoting the development and stability in the Persian Gulf. China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Bloomberg: The US will send a delegation to China in the coming days. This follows up on Joe Biden’s meeting with President Xi at the G20 in Indonesia. Does the foreign ministry have any information about this delegation’s visit and what issues would be discussed?

Wang Wenbin: On December 11 and 12, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng held talks with visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Senior Director for China Laura Rosenberger in Langfang, Hebei.

The two sides had in-depth communication on following through on the common understandings between the two heads of state in Bali, advancing consultations on the principles guiding China-US relations, properly handling important and sensitive issues in bilateral relations including the Taiwan question and strengthening interactions at all levels and cooperation in relevant areas. The two sides also had a broad exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

The two sides agreed that the meeting and talks are candid, in-depth, and constructive, and agreed to maintain communication. 

CCTV: US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns issued a statement on December 10, International Human Rights Day, criticizing the human rights conditions in China and in particular expressing concerns over the human rights conditions in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. What is your response?

Wang Wenbin: This US statement makes unwarranted accusations against China’s human rights conditions, and is full of falsehoods and bias. It fully reveals the hegemonic, high-handed and bullying nature of the US and its political agenda of using human rights issues as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs and undermine China’s stability, development and ethnic solidarity. China is gravely concerned and strongly opposes this.

The people of China are best positioned to judge the human rights conditions in China. It is enshrined in our Constitution that “The state shall respect and protect human rights”. We follow the development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursue whole-process people’s democracy in every aspect, and put the people front and center in our development. The 1.4 billion Chinese people, once poor, have had their basic needs met and now live a moderately prosperous life. Average life expectancy is increased to 78.2 years. China has put in place the world’s largest system for education, social security, health care and community-level democracy. The Chinese people now have a more complete and lasting sense of fulfillment, happiness and security and see every aspect of their life improved. China has also fulfilled its obligations to the world on human rights. China is the only major country that has formulated and implemented four consecutive national human rights action plans. We will continue following our own human rights path and taking an active part in global governance on human rights, with a view to achieving all-round progress of the human rights cause.

The so-called “genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang” is a sheer lie of the century. The so-called “repressive policies in Tibet” is a distortion of facts. The so-called “dismantling of the autonomy” in Hong Kong confuses right and wrong. While wantonly criticizing other countries’ human rights conditions, the US has turned a blind eye to its own human rights violations. Domestically the US faces severe problems including systemic racism, forced labor, and infringement of the rights of refugees, migrants and Native Americans. It has also, in the name of protecting human rights, bullied, imposed sanctions on and waged wars against other countries, resulting in humanitarian devastation, economic ruin and social turbulence in these countries and creating numerous human rights disasters and crises. What the US does tramples on the international cause of human rights. With such a poor track record, the US is in no position to preach human rights and has no right to point fingers at other countries.

The international community would not be easily misled. We urge the US to stop smearing China and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and undermining China’s stability under the pretext of human rights. It should truly reflect on its own human rights violations and fix its poor track record first.

Bloomberg: Just to go back to the meeting. I think you said it was in Langfang. Can you talk about what the Chinese and US officials talked about? And did the US officials have the quarantine?

Wang Wenbin: As I just shared with you, on December 11 and 12, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng held talks with visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Senior Director for China Laura Rosenberger in Langfang, Hebei. The two sides had in-depth communication on following through on the common understandings between the two heads of state in Bali, advancing consultations on the principles guiding China-US relations, properly handling important and sensitive issues in bilateral relations including the Taiwan question and strengthening interactions at all levels and cooperation in relevant areas. The two sides also had a broad exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest. The two sides agreed that the meeting and talks are candid, in-depth, and constructive, and agreed to maintain communication. 

As for the arrangements related to COVID control you just mentioned, arrangements are made according to the current COVID policies.


[Suggest to a Friend]
     [Print]