Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on April 24, 2024 |
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2024-04-24 21:47 |
Reuters: The US Senate voted on Tuesday in favor of a legislation that would ban TikTok in the US if ByteDance fails to divest the app over the next nine months to a year. Does the Foreign Ministry have anything to offer on this matter? Wang Wenbin: My colleagues, myself and the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce have previously made clear China’s principled position on the US Congress’s passage of the bill on TikTok, which you may refer to. Dragon TV: We noted that after China’s National Bureau of Statistics released statistics about China’s economy in the first quarter of 2024, several international financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, adjusted up China’s growth forecast for this year. What is your comment on this? Wang Wenbin: China’s economy got off to a good start in the first quarter this year. The “troika” growth drivers of consumption, investment and export witnessed sound performance, and the four macroeconomic indicators of growth, employment, inflation and balance of payments are generally stable. Spring is in the air for China’s economy. In the first quarter, China’s GDP grew by 5.3 percent year-on-year. Domestic demand was the major contributor and accounted for 85.5 percent of that growth. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimated in its report that China will hit this year’s growth target of around 5 percent. In the 2024 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index released by US management consulting firm Kearney, China rose from last year’s seventh position to the third. Bloomberg reported that China is projected to account for the biggest share of the world’s new economic activity for the next five years. China’s economy will stay on a sound and upward trajectory for the long haul. We believe that as China presses ahead with high-quality development and high-standard opening up, the Chinese economy will be transformed and upgraded at an even faster pace while sustaining steady growth and will contribute more to the global economy. CNN: Concerning the legislation that was passed by the United States’ lawmakers dealing with both Taiwan and TikTok, a two-part question. First, what will China’s message be on this as Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels the country? Secondly, what is the view of the Chinese government, should ByteDance challenge this legislation or would it be better to leave the American market altogether? Wang Wenbin: On TikTok, we have clearly stated China’s principled position and I have nothing more to add today. On Secretary Blinken’s visit, we spoke on it a few times in the past two days. The head of the MFA Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs also gave a background briefing. You may refer to what has been said. Bloomberg: I have a question about the EU. The EU this morning at China time announced that they were starting an investigation into Chinese market access to the government procurement of medical devices. Does China have any comment on this new statement from the EU? Wang Wenbin: The EU has been frequently using its economic and trade “toolkit” and trade remedies. The moves send out a signal of protectionism, aim at Chinese companies and hurt the EU’s own image. The EU says it is the most open market in the world, but as the world can see, the EU is clearly inching toward protectionism. We urge the EU to honor its commitment to open market and the principle of fair competition, observe WTO rules and stop going after and restraining Chinese companies under various pretexts. Bloomberg: A follow-up on the EU question. You urge the EU to abide by the WTO regulations. When China joined the WTO in 2001, it promised to join the government procurement agreement as soon as possible. China actually applied to join that in 2007 but has never actually joined. Does China ever intend to join the government procurement agreement? And if you don’t, why should the EU give you the same access to their market that other countries have to join the agreement to get when you won’t give them the access to your market? Wang Wenbin: On China’s application to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), I would refer you to the competent authorities. Let me say that China has honored its commitments upon accession to the WTO and been exemplary in abiding by WTO rules, which is often recognized by the WTO. Since our accession to the WTO, China, as the largest developing member, has firmly upheld the multilateral trade regime, practiced true multilateralism and delivered on its commitments to the WTO. China has improved the socialist market economy system and legal system in light of China’s national realities, expanded high-standard institutional opening up and been fully and deeply engaged in WTO reform. We have actively helped other developing members, especially the least developed countries, integrate themselves into the multilateral trade regime. During the past year, China became the first major developing country to complete the approval procedure of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, played a leading role in the conclusion of the negotiation on the text of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, and facilitated the WTO’s substantial conclusion of negotiations on a number of global digital trade rules. China’s active and constructive role is widely commended, and China’s contribution to the WTO and global economy and trade is well recognized. CRI: It’s reported that according to the outcome of the 8th meeting of the State Commissions on the delimitation of the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan held days ago, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to begin the delimitation process and reached preliminary agreement to start with the northern sections of the borderline. What’s China’s comments? Wang Wenbin: China noted the reports. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia are China’s friends and cooperation partners. China welcomes the progress made by the two countries |