Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on June 14, 2023 |
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2023-06-14 19:14 |
CCTV: Honduran President Xiomara Castro concluded her state visit to China this morning. How does China view this visit? Wang Wenbin: President Castro’s first state visit to China has been a full success with fruitful outcomes. It is a visit that has opened up a new chapter for China-Honduras relations. This is a history-making visit that boosted trust and expanded cooperation. The two presidents met for the first time and jointly charted the course for bilateral relations. President Xi Jinping noted that China will stay firmly committed to growing friendly relations with Honduras, staunchly support Honduras’s economic and social development, and seek to be good friends and partners of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development with Honduras. President Castro noted that Honduras firmly supports and adheres to the one-China principle and that the rapid growth of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties a little more than two months ago has given the Honduran people full confidence in the future of the relationship. Honduras is ready to work with China for the steady and sustained growth of bilateral relations. A joint declaration was issued following the meeting. Honduras became a new member of the family of Belt and Road cooperation and expressed strong support for the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping. A total of 17 cooperation agreements were signed, covering political exchange, trade, quality inspection and quarantine, agriculture, science, technology, culture, education and media, which constituted the main sectors going forward for practical cooperation. Leaders of both sides agreed to launch the negotiation process for a free trade agreement at an early date to bring bilateral trade cooperation to a new height. President Castro’s visit has attracted extensive attention in China, Honduras and the rest of the world. I heard that China became a trending topic in Honduran media. The Chinese public has also followed the visit closely. This speaks to both peoples’ high hopes for and confidence in the future prospects of China-Honduras ties. China will redouble its efforts of working with Honduras to act on the important common understandings reached by our presidents and give our relationship the strength it needs to cross mountains and oceans and sail towards an even brighter future. Hubei Media Group: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement entered into force for all its 15 signatory states not long ago. Anna Robeniol, Advisor to the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Economic Community, said that RCEP brings good opportunities for member states to open up their markets and seek greater market scope and can promote trade cooperation between member states. How do you see RCEP’s role in promoting trade cooperation in the Asia-Pacific? Wang Wenbin: The entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement for all its 15 signatory states marks the beginning of a new phase of full implementation for RCEP, which covers more population, involves more trade and has more potential to grow than any other free trade area in the world. RCEP is a milestone in Asia-Pacific economic integration. It is a great example of regional countries sharing opportunities for development. Since its implementation began, trade links between relevant countries have grown notably, trade within the region has become a key engine stabilizing and driving external trade, and the region has remained a popular destination for global investment. RCEP has actually given a strong boost to regional integration, development and prosperity. It has delivered tangible benefits for participating states in terms of tariff concession, trade facilitation, greater transparency in investment policies and fewer technical trade barriers. Take China, the largest economy within RCEP, for example. In 2022, trade between China and other RCEP members reached RMB 12.95 trillion, up by 7.5 percent, while their investment in China, in actual use, went up 23.1 percent to USD 23.53 billion. The full entry into force of RCEP reflects regional countries’ strong aspiration for economic integration and common development. As a staunch supporter of trade liberalization and facilitation and an important participant in regional cooperation, China stands ready to work together with all relevant parties to advance high-quality implementation of RCEP and inject new impetus into economic recovery in the region and beyond. Anadolu Agency: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Qin Gang on the phone this morning. Can you give any details about the exchange? The US media reported that Blinken will visit Beijing on June 18. Can you confirm that information? Is there any plan for the visit? Wang Wenbin: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at US request this morning. State Councilor Qin pointed out that since early this year, the China-US relations have encountered new difficulties and challenges, and the responsibility for this situation is clear. China has viewed and handled this relationship under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping. State Councilor Qin stated China’s strong position on its core concerns, including the Taiwan question. He stressed that the US needs to respect China’s concerns, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop undermining China’s sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition. It is hoped that the US will take concrete actions to deliver on the important common understandings between the two presidents in their meeting in Bali and the relevant commitments of the US, work with China to effectively manage differences, promote exchanges and cooperation, stabilize the relationship from further deterioration and bring it back to the track of healthy and stable development. As for the visit you asked about, I have nothing to share at the moment. If we have anything, we will release it in a timely way. |