Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's regular press conference on August 13, 2020
Yonhap News Agency reporter: According to reports, Yang Jiechi, Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, will visit South Korea next week. Can you confirm?
Zhao Lijian: China and South Korea are important close neighbors and partners. The two sides maintain close communication on exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including high-level exchanges. If there is news in this regard, we will release it in time.
China Review News Agency reporter: According to reports, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has notified the German Consulate General in Hong Kong and the French Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau respectively on the 12th to suspend the implementation of the Hong Kong-German "Transfer of Fugitive Offenders Agreement" and to shelve the transfer of accused or convicted persons under Hong Kong law. Agreement. May I ask whether this is China's countermeasure to the suspension of the mutual extradition agreement with Hong Kong announced by Germany and France?
Zhao Lijian: Germany unilaterally announced the suspension of the "Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders" with Hong Kong, and France announced the suspension of ratification of the "Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders" with Hong Kong. The practice of Germany and France will politicize Hong Kong's judicial cooperation, interfere in China's internal affairs, and violate international law and the basic norms of international relations. China firmly opposes it.
With the assistance and authorization of the central government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has provided active assistance to Germany under the framework of the "Transfer of Fugitive Offenders Agreement" in accordance with the Basic Law, and has approved the Hong Kong Law "Transfer of Fugitive Offenders Agreement". The wrong actions of Germany and the law have damaged the basis of judicial cooperation between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Germany and the law and deviated from the purpose of judicial cooperation to safeguard justice and the rule of law. China has decided that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will suspend the implementation of the Hong Kong-Germany "Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders" and shelve the "Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders" under Hong Kong law.
China Broadcasting Corporation reporter: According to reports, the 2020 membership survey released by the US-China Business Council on the 11th shows that nearly 70% of the interviewed US companies are optimistic about the business prospects of the Chinese market in the next five years. Based on the " long-term confidence " in the Chinese market , 87% of the interviewed US companies indicated that they do not plan to move their production lines out of China. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: We have also noticed the relevant survey data of the US-China Business Council, which further confirms the international community's firm confidence in the Chinese market, China's business environment and China's economic development prospects.
Since the beginning of this year, the global spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has caused a huge impact on the world economy. The Chinese economy has withstood the test of the epidemic and demonstrated strong resilience and development potential. The Chinese side effectively controlled the epidemic in a timely and effective manner, comprehensively promoted the resumption of work and production, accelerated the restoration of production and living order, and realized China's economic growth from negative to positive in the second quarter, with the recovery of major indicators and the steady recovery of economic operations. China is the first major economy to turn from negative to positive after the epidemic.
At the same time, we continued to expand opening up and actively promoted foreign economic and trade cooperation, which effectively boosted the total world demand and promoted the development of international trade. In the first half of the year, many foreign-funded enterprises continued to expand their investment in China, with 320 large foreign-funded projects with an investment of more than US$100 million. Many authoritative international organizations are optimistic about China's economic development prospects, believing that China will inject confidence and momentum into the recovery of the world economy.
China has a huge market of 1.4 billion people and a complete industrial supporting system. In the next stage, China will continue to unswervingly expand opening up, build an open platform, and optimize the business environment. We believe that China's development will provide more opportunities for companies from all over the world, and the cake of win-win cooperation between China and other countries will definitely grow bigger and bigger.
Xinhua News Agency reporter: According to reports, China and Nepal held the 13th round of diplomatic consultations. Can you brief us on the situation? What are your expectations for the future development of China-Nepal relations?
Zhao Lijian: Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Nepal held the 13th round of China-Nepal diplomatic consultations via video to exchange views on China-Nepal relations and international and regional issues of common concern.
China and Nepal are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. The two heads of state successfully exchanged visits last year, raising bilateral relations to a new level. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The leaders of the two countries exchanged congratulatory messages on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, China and Nepal are in the same boat, watching and helping each other, and mutual trust and friendship have been further enhanced.
China is willing to work with Nepal to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation, high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and deepen cooperation in economic and trade investment, interconnection, development assistance, defense and law enforcement security, and humanities. Promote greater development of bilateral relations.
Shenzhen Satellite TV reporter: According to reports, US Secretary of State Pompeo delivered a speech during his visit to the Czech Republic on the 12th , stating that the Chinese Communist Party’s rule and control methods pose a much greater “ threat ” than Russia . Americans now recognize that the Chinese Communist Party " threats " their values and lifestyle. In addition, Pompeo also criticized China's domestic and foreign policies in anti-epidemic, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and South China Sea policies. What is China's comment?
Zhao Lijian: Out of Cold War mentality and self-interest, Pompeo has repeatedly accused the Communist Party of China and China's domestic and foreign policies for no reason. In this regard, China has repeatedly stated its solemn position.
Wherever Pompeo goes, he takes the "political virus" and false information wherever he goes. The Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic has "disinfected" this in time. It is a waste of everyone's time to refute Pompeo's remarks. I would like to take this opportunity to ask friends in the media to help me ask Pompeo, he is like a chicken blood, repeating the lies that ignore the facts and turn black and white day after day, is he not guilty?
It must be pointed out that Pompeo and his like are trying to tie the international community into an anti-communist and anti-China chariot, so that other countries will "take chestnuts from the fire" for the United States. The international community sees this very clearly and will not buy it, peace-loving people will not agree, and China will not be "paced" by him. The schemes of Pompeo and others are doomed to fail.
To borrow a Czech proverb: People who dig pits for others will fall into the pits themselves.