Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 30, 2020
CCTV reporter: According to reports, on June 29, US Secretary of State Pompeo issued a statement on the State Department website saying that as China advances national security legislation in Hong Kong, the United States will end the export of US-made defense equipment to China that day. National defense and military-civilian technology exported to Hong Kong impose the same restrictions as those in mainland China. On the same day, the US Department of Commerce also issued a statement on this. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: Regarding Hong Kong's national security legislation, China has stated its solemn position on many occasions. This issue is purely China's internal affairs and no foreign country has the right to interfere. The Chinese government's determination to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests is unswerving, its determination to implement the "one country, two systems" policy, and its determination to oppose any external forces' interference in Hong Kong's affairs is unswerving. China is not scared. The United States’ attempt to obstruct China’s advancement of Hong Kong’s national security legislation through so-called sanctions will never succeed.
In response to the wrong actions of the US, China will take necessary countermeasures and firmly safeguard its own national interests.
China News Agency reporter: According to the US Department of Defense, on the 26th, the commander of the NATO Allied Forces Command and the US Navy’s European-African Theater Commander Fogo said at a seminar of the British International Strategy Institute that China’s "full government action" has The expansion from the Indo-Pacific region to the Arctic, Europe, and Africa has actively exerted influence on Europe and Africa, undermining the peace-keeping, rule-based international infrastructure since the end of World War II. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: Don’t mention "the whole government action" to me. The US is talking about itself. Let's keep the hat on the American side. The remarks of the US side are completely raking in and hiding the evil intentions. The international community sees this clearly.
China urges the United States to abandon the Cold War mentality and the concept of zero-sum game, not to save its own people, stop the unjustified accusations and deliberate slander on China, and do more things that are conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity.
"Global Times" reporter: On the 29th, US Secretary of State Pompeo issued a statement on Xinjiang-related issues, saying that German scholar Zheng Guoen's research shows that the Chinese government has imposed mandatory sterilization, abortion and family planning on Uighurs and other ethnic minorities living in Xinjiang. Continue to abuse and suppress ethnic minorities. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: Pompeo is talking nonsense with his eyes open.
The Chinese government has consistently treated the legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, including ethnic minorities, without discrimination. Population policies have long favored ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs. From 1978 to 2018, the Uyghur population in Xinjiang has increased from 5.55 million to 11.68 million, accounting for 46.8% of the total population of the autonomous region, which is 2.1 times that of the population 40 years ago. If Pompeo’s statement is true, how could the Uyghur population in Xinjiang increase significantly?
Looking back at the United States, ethnic minorities in the United States are bullied and excluded, and face long-term, widespread, and systematic discrimination in various fields such as politics, economy, culture, and social life. As far as the American Indians are concerned, the US government has long enforced policies of forced genocide, segregation, and assimilation. In the nearly 100 years since its founding, the United States has expelled and killed Indians through the Westward Movement. By the beginning of the 20th century, the American Indian population had suddenly dropped from 5 million in 1492 to 250,000. Today, the number of Indians in the United States accounts for only 2% of the total population of the United States. After the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic, the prevalence of African Americans is more than five times that of whites, and the mortality rate is much higher than that of whites, highlighting racial inequality in the United States. The recent death of Freud, an African-American man, and the massive protests it caused have once again fully exposed that systemic racial discrimination in the United States has brought ethnic minorities to the point of "inability to breathe" and urgently needs to be resolved.
I also want to emphasize that this is not the first time that the US has quoted the false information of anti-China scholar Zheng Guoen. The “gray zone” of the American independent news website revealed that Zheng Guoen was actually a member of the far-right organization established by the US government. He is also the backbone of the "Xinjiang Education Training Center Research Group" manipulated and set up by US intelligence agencies.
We urge Pompeo and other American politicians to take off colored glasses, abandon double standards, face the racial discrimination problems existing in the United States, spend more time and energy on improving the human rights situation in the country, and immediately stop using the so-called Xinjiang-related issues to smear China, Stop interfering in China's internal affairs.
Reuters remember who: The first question, it is now for the first time the discovery of new cases of pneumonia crown for almost six months. What is China's thinking about responding to the epidemic and its political impact? On your second question, WHO said it will send an expert team to China next week to investigate the origin of the virus. What is China's position on this?
Zhao Lijian: Regarding your first question, since the outbreak of the New Coronary Pneumonia, the Chinese government has always put people’s lives and health in the first place, and decisively adopted the most comprehensive, strict, and thorough prevention and control measures. Overcoming the difficult times, major strategic achievements have been achieved in the epidemic prevention and control blockade. We have repeatedly introduced China's anti-epidemic measures and results in a timeline manner. We have released the white paper "China Action Against New Coronary Pneumonia", which comprehensively and systematically introduces China's anti-epidemic process.
The Chinese government has always insisted on putting people first and life first. In order to protect people’s lives, health and safety, the state suspended social and economic operations, took decisive measures such as isolation, followed WHO’s professional recommendations, scientifically implemented policies, blocked the spread of viruses, and rescued at all costs. life. China’s response to the epidemic can withstand the test of time and history.
China immediately notified the World Health Organization, relevant countries and regional organizations of the epidemic situation information, shared the new coronavirus gene information, and shared the experience of anti-epidemic. China is grateful to the international community for its valuable support to China's anti-epidemic disease, and actively give back to the international community, provide materials assistance within its capacity to all countries, send a number of anti-epidemic medical expert groups, and provide a lot of convenience for foreign countries to purchase anti-epidemic materials.
The greatest enlightenment brought by this epidemic is that viruses are the common enemy of mankind, and only by uniting can we win. Unity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons to overcome the epidemic. The epidemic warns us at the cost of life. Countries should transcend regional differences in race, history, culture, and even social systems, join hands to build a community of human destiny, and jointly safeguard the only planet on which we humans can survive. As a responsible country in the world, China is willing to make its own contribution to this.
Regarding the second question, China has always believed that virus tracing is a scientific issue, and relevant research should be carried out by scientists and medical experts. Since the outbreak, China and WHO have maintained communication and cooperation on virus tracing, and Chinese scientists have conducted scientific exchanges with international counterparts. China continues to support scientists from all over the world to carry out global scientific research on the source and spread of viruses.
Iran News Agency reporter: The first question, according to reports, the UN Security Council will discuss the UN Secretary-General’s report on Resolution 2231. What's your opinion? The second question, it is reported that Israel will announce the acquisition of some occupied land on the West Bank on July 1. Many countries except the United States, more than a thousand European parliamentarians and the UN Secretary-General strongly opposed the plan. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: Regarding your first question, China firmly upholds the authority of the UN Security Council’s resolutions, the effectiveness of the comprehensive Iranian nuclear agreement, and opposes the United States’ efforts to extend the Security Council’s arms embargo on Iraq. All the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2231, including the arrangements for lifting the arms embargo against Iraq, should be faithfully implemented.
Regarding your second question, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a statement a few days ago at the United Nations Security Council video conference on Palestine issues, once again clarifying China's position on related issues. As State Councilor Wang Yi said, taking unilateral actions will only further deepen contradictions and damage mutual trust. The issue of settlements is one of the core issues related to the final status negotiations on the question of Palestine. The Security Council has long been certain about the violation of international law in the construction of settlements. The issue of occupied territories in the West Bank should be resolved as soon as possible in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, and the final border between Palestine and Israel should be drawn through peaceful negotiations. China calls on all parties concerned to stick to the strategic choice of peace talks, cherish the achievements of the existing dialogue, and refrain from taking actions that will intensify the conflict between Palestine and Israel.
Reporter from Fuji Television Japan: Today, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshio Suga expressed at the press conference that if the national security legislation involving Hong Kong is passed, it will be extremely regrettable and said that this decision undermines the confidence of the international community in "one country, two systems." What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: China has stated its solemn position on Japan’s negative trends concerning Hong Kong. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs and no outside interference is allowed. Establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security at the national level is originally a manifestation of "one country, two systems", and also to ensure the stability of the "one country, two systems" policy and the maintenance of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. The support and support of the Chinese people and most countries in the international community. China is firmly opposed to any country interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs in any way.
Reuters reporter: According to reports, India issued an announcement saying that for national security reasons, measures are being taken to ban dozens of Chinese mobile phone applications. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: China is strongly concerned about the relevant announcements from India, and is understanding the verification. I would like to emphasize that the Chinese government has always required Chinese companies to carry out foreign cooperation on the basis of abiding by international rules and local laws and regulations. The Indian government is responsible for safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of international investors, including Chinese companies, in accordance with market principles. The cooperation between China and India in a pragmatic field is mutually beneficial and win-win. This pattern of cooperation has been artificially damaged and is actually not in India’s own interest.
Reuters reporter: Regarding US Secretary of State Pompeo’s statement concerning Hong Kong, you just said that China will take necessary countermeasures. What are the countermeasures? Will it take effect soon or will it take another time?
Zhao Lijian: I have clearly stated China's position just now. China's determination to safeguard its own interests is unwavering, and it will make the necessary response to the US's wrongdoing.