News 1+1丨Is the "golden age" of China and Britain over?

  In recent times, Britain has become a country with high frequency in news. What is the current state of China-UK relations? Has the "golden age" of China and Britain ended? On August 4, "News 1+1" Bai Yansong connected with Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the UK, to answer a series of questions about China-UK relations.

What is the stage of the British epidemic prevention situation and has the degree of safety increased?

  The UK's prevention and control measures have achieved certain results, but there has been a rebound recently, especially in some large and medium-sized cities. There has been a rebound in more than 20 cities. Therefore, the British Prime Minister announced the postponement of measures to unblock some cities over the weekend. , And to increase testing, requiring people to continue to maintain social distance.

  The UK currently has more than 300,000 confirmed cases, ranking 12th in the world and 3rd in Europe, but the number of deaths is very high, ranking 4th in the world and 1st in Europe, so the situation is not optimistic. The British government is very worried about a second outbreak, so it has taken a number of measures.

In the blink of an eye, it’s the beginning of the school season. Can Chinese students go back? is it safe?

  The number of foreign students in the UK is relatively large. The largest group of foreign students in the UK ranks second in the world, second only to the United States, and first in Europe. Now the UK has also taken measures to prevent and control the epidemic in schools. They are now gradually preparing to unblock some schools in September and October, but many schools still adopt online teaching. Some schools have also begun to teach on-site, and students have returned to school one after another.

  The flight pressure is great. Before the outbreak, there were 168 flights per week between China and Britain, but now it has been reduced to 8 flights per week. In order to avoid the second outbreak of the epidemic, the aviation authorities between China and the UK have taken some measures to postpone the unblocking. The Chinese Embassy in the UK has also maintained close contact with students who are planning to come to the UK, and will release news at any time to give them the necessary remind.

Not China has changed, but Britain has changed?

  Some difficulties have indeed appeared in China-UK relations recently. The British and Western media said that the reason for this change is that China has become more aggressive and has adopted many measures that are not conducive to relations between the two countries. Why is there such a change in Sino-British relations? Why are you facing such difficulties? Who has changed? Has China changed, or has the UK changed?

  Liu Xiaoming said that my answer is very clear. The English name is loud and clear. It is clear and unmistakable, that is, China has not changed, but Britain has changed.

  China-UK relations are facing the current difficulties, and the responsibility rests entirely with the UK. Ambassador Liu interpreted this issue from four aspects.

First, China faithfully abides by the basic principles established in the Charter of the United Nations, which are also the principles established by the International Law, the Basic Norms of International Relations, and the Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Britain, which are mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference. internal affairs. We have never interfered in the internal affairs of the United Kingdom. It was the British side who groundlessly accused Hong Kong's national security law and took measures to stop the repatriation agreement with Hong Kong, and changed the status of British overseas national passport holders, and embargoed so-called weapons to Hong Kong. Making irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong’s postponement of the election of the Legislative Council is due to Britain’s interference in China’s internal affairs and Hong Kong’s affairs, making Sino-British relations face such difficulties.

Second, China’s determination to pursue a path of peaceful development has not changed. China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development. China has no intention of challenging, threatening or replacing anyone. It just wants to run China's own affairs well so that the Chinese people can live happier and healthier lives. It is precisely some British politicians who have provoked the so-called "China threat theory", accusing China as a potential hostile country, clamoring for a complete Brexit with China, and even clamoring for a new cold war against China, so these British politicians, These anti-China forces and these "cold fighters" have worsened and poisoned the atmosphere of Sino-British relations.

Third, China has faithfully fulfilled its international obligations. Some of them said that China's failure to abide by the "Sino-British Joint Declaration" and Hong Kong's national security law violated China's international obligations. Quite the opposite. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, and China is the first country to sign the United Nations Charter. Over the past 75 years, China has joined more than 100 international organizations and signed more than 500 multilateral treaties. China has not withdrawn, withdrawn, withdrawn from the group, or withdrawn from one such treaty or organization. On the contrary, China has faithfully fulfilled these obligations, while the United Kingdom has violated its international obligations, violated the basic norms of international law, and violated the memorandum of understanding signed between China and Britain in 1984, which is to change the passport of British citizens abroad. Holder status, and announced the unlimited termination of the agreement with Hong Kong to repatriate criminals, etc. It was the United Kingdom that violated the agreement.

Fourth, China has always been committed to establishing a partnership with the United Kingdom, and has not regarded Britain as a threat to China. It is precisely the United Kingdom that has changed the positioning of Sino-British relations and sees China as a potential threat and a potential challenge. The case of Huawei is a very prominent example. Therefore, Huawei’s problem is not a simple question of how the UK treats Chinese companies, but it is actually a question of how the UK treats and treats China. Is it to see China as an opportunity or a threat? Is it to see China as a partner or an adversary? As a result of these changes in the UK, the current difficulties in Sino-British relations have been caused, and the responsibility rests solely with the UK.

Britain’s policy towards Huawei has undergone a major change. Is it to follow the US’s decision?

Britain’s problem with Huawei is not a simple problem with a British company, but a problem with how it treats China.

  Some British officials said that Britain’s ban on Huawei was due to US sanctions. He interpreted this problem from the technical level, there is no silver three hundred taels here. After Britain decided to ban Huawei, American leaders scrambled for success. Some say that I have been persuading the United Kingdom not to use Huawei, and at the same time I congratulated the United Kingdom, saying that I did a good job. A discerning person can tell at a glance that there is a strong external pressure. The British should really understand the issue of Huawei.

  After Britain banned Huawei, Ambassador Liu wrote an article titled "Rejecting Huawei is rejecting opportunities, rejecting Huawei is rejecting development, and rejecting Huawei is rejecting the future." Huawei is a leader in 5G, and Britain refuses to cooperate with Huawei, which means it refuses to play a leading role in the field of 5G. In the first industrial revolution, Britain was the leader. Now the fourth industrial revolution is the construction of 5G as a landmark infrastructure.

  If the United Kingdom rejects Huawei, the United Kingdom may become a laggard in the fourth revolution. If it loses such a development opportunity, it refuses to cooperate with Chinese companies, which means it refuses to share the dividends of China's development with China.

  If Britain rejects Huawei, its 5G construction will be delayed for two to three years. In the past, Huawei was a company that started in Shenzhen. In the early days of reform and opening up, Comrade Xiaoping particularly appreciated that time is money and efficiency is life. The delay of 5G construction by two to three years means that 6G will come out when you are engaged in 5G.

  The British Prime Minister has an ambitious plan: to have 5G coverage by 2025. Huawei can help him achieve this goal. If you postpone it for two to three years, you don't know the consequences, and the cost will increase. The British are very smart, but why do they spend more money on worse products? To reject Huawei is to reject development and finally reject the future. Because 5G is not only communication and telecommunications, it includes all aspects of our future life, smart cities, smart medical care...From the anti-epidemic in Hubei, it can be seen that 5G has played an important role. For the full coverage of telemedicine and shelter hospitals, especially for the protection of medical staff, 5G plays a very important role.

From 1997 to now, has the UK still not believed that Hong Kong has returned to China?

  There are indeed some people in Britain who have a very strong colonial mentality. Their bodies have entered the 21st century, but their heads are still in the colonial period. The most typical representative is Patten, the last Hong Kong independence of the United Kingdom, who will speak whenever there is any trouble in Hong Kong. He has forgotten who appointed him the last Hong Kong independence of the United Kingdom and who elected him. There were no elections at all. What democracy did Hong Kong have before the reunification? Britain’s Hong Kong independence was appointed by the British government. After the return, Hong Kong people enjoyed unprecedented democracy. They elected five chief executives. This is a very obvious contrast and contrast. There are some British politicians with a heavy colonial mentality. They are unwilling to accept the fact that Hong Kong has returned to China and that Hong Kong is already a part of China and a special administrative region of China.

  In addition, the British government has not yet taken its position. It often takes the "Sino-British Joint Declaration" as an example and feels that it has the responsibility and obligation to supervise the Chinese government. We clearly told him that there are 1,137 words, 88 clauses, and 3 appendices in the "Sino-British Joint Declaration". None of the words grants Britain the so-called supervision power and so-called responsibilities for Hong Kong. In part, the return of Hong Kong has been completed, and in the "Sino-British Joint Declaration", the Chinese government stated its policy unilaterally to declare that the promise of one country, two systems has been written into the Basic Law and implemented, and has nothing to do with the "Sino-British Joint Declaration." Britain’s own position is not right, so it keeps using the joint statement to blame China.

Why are articles on Hong Kong’s National Security Law and Huawei’s issues not published by mainstream British media?

First, the so-called freedom of the press as advertised in the West does not exist in Britain. It has the freedom to slander you and the freedom to slander you, but it does not have the freedom to refute and reply. Many accusations and criticisms against China have been published in its newspapers, including those anti-China congressmen, cold fighters, and even some unfriendly foreign envoys. But our articles cannot be published, and occasionally he also leaves a little space, but not in proportion.

Second, the British media still have a lot of prejudice against China, whether it is print media, new media or radio and television stations. Therefore, after many British friends came back from their visit to China, they all reflected that the China they felt and saw in China was very different from the British media reports, and it was not a real China. The British media should take off their colored glasses, report the real China in a comprehensive and objective manner, and be worthy of readers and audiences.

Third, there is still a long way to go to tell the Chinese story well in Western countries and break through the blockade. The General Secretary said that for so many years, we have led the Chinese people to solve the problem of beating and starving, but the problem of scolding has not been completely solved. There is still a long way to go to completely solve the scolding.

Is the "golden age" between China and Britain over?

  The "Golden Era" is a relatively high position, which was put forward by the British leaders. After President Xi's state visit to the UK in 2015, the relationship between the two countries has entered a new stage. British leaders proposed to jointly create a "golden age". This positioning is very good, and it is in the interests of the two countries, and both sides have worked together in this direction.

  This year was a relatively good year. Ambassador Liu said in the first speech of the opening year that this year is the fifth anniversary of the golden age of China-UK relations. We must work together to promote China-UK relations for more golden results, but later A series of problems occurred. The statements of the British government, including those of the leaders, are still relatively positive. They still recognize the golden age and are willing to work together. They also emphasized that they do not agree with the statements of those politicians. They have launched a so-called new Cold War against China and must be fully reset. British relations and so on, willing to develop realistic relations with China. There is a saying in China that we should listen to what it says and watch what it does. We must look at its actions.