Fan Pingming, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Dear colleagues:
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the East Asia Summit, and we are standing at a new historical starting point.
The most urgent and realistic task of this East Asia Summit is to further gather consensus in fighting the epidemic, promote the revival of economic cooperation, and maintain the overall situation of regional peace and development.
--We must provide new impetus to fight the epidemic.
Nothing is more important than controlling the epidemic and saving lives.
Countries should uphold the scientific spirit, oppose the politicization of the epidemic, support the role of the World Health Organization, strengthen health policy communication and anti-epidemic collaboration, and jointly build a human health community.
China has launched the largest emergency humanitarian operation in the history of New China, and has provided much-needed material assistance to more than 150 countries and international organizations.
This action will continue to advance according to the needs of countries.
In the next stage, we are willing to co-organize the East Asia Summit New Coronary Pneumonia Health Seminar with Indonesia and Vietnam to further share experience in diagnosis and treatment and prevention and control.
We will expand the implementation of public health projects and jointly improve our health risk response capabilities.
We will provide support to the ASEAN Anti-epidemic Fund to jointly build a reservoir of emergency medical supplies.
The key to the current fight against the epidemic is the development, production and distribution of vaccines.
China is carrying out all-round vaccine cooperation with countries in the region. After the vaccine is successfully developed, it will be shared with other countries through various channels and methods, and will implement Chairman Jinping’s solemn commitment to make vaccines as a global public product.
Members of the East Asia Summit should complement each other's strengths, form a synergy, promote the accessibility and affordability of vaccines, and jointly build a regional "firewall" against the epidemic.
--We need to introduce new measures for economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund predicts that East Asia is expected to become the only region with positive economic growth this year.
We must work together to make East Asia a source of stable growth for the world economy in the "post-epidemic era".
We must adhere to open development, especially strengthening scientific and technological cooperation and industrial division of labor, and promote the quality and upgrading of the industrial chain and value chain.
We must adhere to free trade, maintain multilateral trade rules, and build a high-level regional free trade network.
We must insist on win-win and multi-win, abandon the zero-sum game, enlarge the cooperation cake, and seek the greatest common interests.
China’s economic growth rate in the second quarter has turned negative to positive, and a new development pattern with domestic and international cycles as the mainstay is being constructed.
China's door to opening up will only open wider and wider, and the huge market advantage and domestic demand potential will continue to be released, providing broader space for countries to cooperate with China, and providing stronger support for regional and world economic growth.
China proposes that this year’s leaders will issue the "Statement on Cooperation to Promote the Stable Economic Growth in the Region" to promote the signing of a regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement within this year, and to enhance the effectiveness of the Chiang Mai Initiative for multilateralization.
China is willing to discuss with countries in the region to formulate economic recovery plans, promote the construction of "fast channel" and "green channel" regional networks, ensure the smooth flow of personnel and materials, and create a better environment for regional economic development.
--We must provide a strong guarantee for regional peace and stability.
East Asia has maintained a good development momentum for a long time, thanks to the establishment of an East Asian cooperation mechanism centered on ASEAN, the promotion of the "ASEAN approach" of consensus, and the realization of benign interactions among major powers in the region.
Not long ago, the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries issued a statement on regional peace and stability, once again reflecting the common aspirations of seeking peace, seeking development, and promoting cooperation.
As a strategic partner and friendly neighbor of ASEAN, China will firmly support ASEAN in playing a leading role in East Asian cooperation, firmly promote the concept of win-win cooperation, and firmly maintain regional peace and stability.
The members of the East Asia Summit should comply with the universal aspirations of the countries in the region, respect the legitimate demands of the countries in the region, adhere to the multilateralism with East Asian characteristics, abide by the basic principles of regional cooperation, and make more positive contributions to ensuring the lasting peace, prosperity and development of East Asia.
Dear colleagues,
In recent years, the South China Sea issue has been mentioned at every East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and every time it is deliberately hyped up and stirred up troubles at the meeting, it is individual countries outside the region.
It is estimated that this time there will be no exception, and there may be even worse.
The latest trend this year is that the United States, out of its own political needs, has blatantly abandoned its commitment to not holding a stand on sovereignty disputes and directly intervened in territorial and maritime disputes in the region.
In the first half of the year alone, the United States dispatched nearly 3,000 military planes and more than 60 sub-warships, including multiple batches of bombers and dual aircraft carrier formations, to constantly show off its force in the South China Sea, strengthen military deployment, and even rampage and recklessly in disputed waters that have nothing to do with it. Pushing up the risk of regional conflicts is becoming the biggest driver of the militarization of the South China Sea.
The U.S. has also pointed at the negotiations on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea", interfered with China and ASEAN countries’ efforts to resolve disputes through consultations, and instigated confrontation between countries in the region. What the U.S. did was to mess up the South China Sea and the region to advance. Its "Indo-Pacific strategy" makes excuses.
However, this is not in the interests of regional countries and goes against the development trend of the times. It is becoming the most dangerous factor to undermine peace in the South China Sea.
In response to the various smears made by the US against China's position, I will only state a few basic facts here.
First, China's sovereignty and sovereign rights over the South China Sea Islands have sufficient historical and legal basis.
According to international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the historic rights of all countries should be respected.
The Chinese government officially announced the South China Sea Discontinuous Line in 1948, further clarifying that the South China Sea Islands are Chinese territory.
In July 2016, China issued a government statement which clearly stated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
China’s proposition has always been consistent and has not changed, nor will it change.
Without expansion, it is impossible to shrink.
Some people claim that China has claimed all the waters within the discontinuous line as internal waters and territorial waters. This is groundless. It is a deliberate confusion of concepts and a distortion of China's position.
Second, China adheres to the neighboring policy of good-neighborliness and friendship, and has always been committed to playing a constructive role in the South China Sea issue.
As early as 2002, China signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" with ASEAN countries, which stipulated that disputes should be settled peacefully through dialogue and consultation between the parties directly involved, and no actions to complicate or amplify the situation should be taken, and no force or threat of force should be used.
China has always honored this common commitment.
In the past few years, China is actively advancing the consultation on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea" as an upgraded version of the "Declaration" and is committed to forming a meaningful and effective rule to lay a stronger support for peace in the South China Sea.
China has the ability and need to independently develop oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. However, we have never drilled an oil well in the disputed waters. Instead, we have tirelessly and persistently advocated "shelving disputes and developing together."
Under this framework, we are willing to attach importance to the energy needs of coastal countries and seek win-win and multi-win results.
The construction of some islands and reefs carried out by China in the past few years is to improve living conditions, provide public goods for the South China Sea, and also out of the need to maintain its own security.
In the face of escalating military pressure from countries outside the region, we certainly have the basic self-protection rights of sovereign states.
Third, China has always been committed to complying with international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
China was the main force that contributed to the conclusion of the "Convention" that year. After the "Convention" came into effect, the scope of maritime rights and interests proposed by various countries overlapped. We maintain that each country should reserve its positions and find solutions through diplomatic channels through dialogue and consultation.
As we all know, the Convention has no jurisdictional function for territorial disputes.
Regarding maritime delimitation disputes, the Chinese government has issued a policy statement in 2006 that excludes compulsory dispute settlement procedures in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.
China’s refusal to accept or participate in arbitration without the consent of the parties has a good reason and legal basis.
Peace and stability is China's greatest strategic interest in the South China Sea, and it is also the common strategic aspiration of China and ASEAN countries.
The South China Sea is not a geopolitical arena, let alone a boxing ring for big powers.
It is hoped that countries outside the region, including the United States, will fully respect the wishes and expectations of countries in the region, instead of just creating tension and seeking personal gain from it.
Dear colleagues,
Cross-border water cooperation is a global problem.
At the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting held not long ago, China proactively announced that it will share the Lancang River’s annual hydrological information with Mekong countries from this year, and will actively carry out cooperation projects such as dam safety and flood warning to improve comprehensive river basin governance. ability.
China is working with the Mekong countries to turn the cross-border water resource problem into a bright spot for transnational cooperation, to benefit the people of the region, and to contribute to global and regional governance.
With regard to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, China has always insisted on achieving denuclearization on the Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula, and resolving issues through dialogue and consultation.
The current situation on the peninsula is generally stable, but the stalemate in the DPRK-US dialogue continues. The crux of the problem is that the US has not responded to the legitimate concerns of the DPRK in terms of security and development.
North Korea and South Korea are the masters of the peninsula, and mutual improvement of relations is crucial.
China supports all words and deeds that are conducive to maintaining the momentum of dialogue and relaxation on the peninsula, and is willing to continue to play a constructive role in politically resolving the peninsula issue and maintaining long-term stability in the region.
On the issue of Rakhine State, China has always advocated dialogue and consultation between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and the process of repatriating people who escaped chaos should be initiated as soon as possible.
We have proposed a three-stage solution to the Rakhine State issue and provided multiple batches of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar and Bangladesh.
It is hoped that both Myanmar and Bangladesh can overcome the impact of the epidemic and make proper arrangements for repatriation as soon as possible.
China is willing to continue to provide constructive assistance.
Dear colleagues,
The East Asia Summit is a strategic forum led by leaders. It is committed to strategic communication and cooperation. It has never been an occasion to intervene in the internal affairs of other countries, let alone attack other countries’ political systems.
Hong Kong and other matters are China’s internal affairs. Non-interference in internal affairs is the basic norm of international relations and an important stipulation of the UN Charter. All countries are obliged to abide by it.
Whether a country’s political and legal system is good or not, the citizens of that country have the most say, not the governments or politicians of other countries.
All international poll results show that the Chinese people's support for the Chinese ruling party and government ranks first in the world.
This fact is the most powerful counterattack against those who slander and attack China.
Dear colleagues,
Maintaining the good situation of East Asian cooperation and advancing the anti-epidemic and development cooperation are our common issues of the times and our due historical responsibility.
China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with all parties and deepen mutual trust and cooperation. It also hopes that the East Asia Summit will play a positive and constructive role in this regard.
thank you all!