Chinanews.com, Paris, August 31. On August 30 local time, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech at the French Institute of International Relations and answered questions from the guests. A member of the European Parliament said in a question that China’s words and deeds on climate change seem to be inconsistent; China is a great civilization, but it should not suppress the people; China’s policies on Xinjiang and Hong Kong are not in line with EU values.
Wang Yi said, your question is very sharp, but you do not understand the truth and facts. For example, with regard to climate change, we not only have a clear attitude, but also act resolutely. First of all, we withstood pressure from all parties, stood firmly with France, and jointly contributed to the signing of the landmark document of the Paris Agreement. The second is that China has achieved its commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 two years in advance. The proportion of non-fossil energy in China's total energy consumption has risen to nearly 15%, and the installed capacity of renewable energy has accounted for 30% of the world's total, accounting for 44% of the global increase, and the number of new energy vehicles is more than half of the world. Since 2000, a quarter of the world's new green area has come from China. Third, we have not stopped, we are formulating new plans and studying longer-term goals based on the needs of building an ecologically civilized society. These facts and figures show that we are not only talking, but also doing. The deepest feeling among friends from various countries living in Beijing in recent years is that the air quality in Beijing is getting better and better. This is also a fact.
A great civilization comes from the joint creation of great people. Let me give you some figures from international polling agencies. The Pew Research Center, Harvard University, etc. have conducted independent public opinion surveys on a global scale. The results show that the Chinese people’s support for the Chinese ruling party and the Chinese government ranks first in the world every time, with an average of over 90%, far exceeding the world’s Go to other countries. Let me ask, if it is not effective to protect and promote the human rights of the people, how can it continue to receive the support of the people?
As for the issues of Hong Kong and Xinjiang, first of all I want to emphasize that this is China’s internal affairs and foreign countries have no right to interfere. We never discuss the internal affairs of other countries. Because we believe that governments of all countries will handle their own affairs well and perform their due duties well. I still want to tell you the numbers and facts. Because facts are the most powerful! The rumors will eventually be exposed by the facts.
Since the second half of last year, the world has seen the chaos in Hong Kong, the parliament was beaten and smashed, the subway was paralyzed, innocent people were injured, and the congressmen were stabbed by terrorist attacks. If chaos continues, Hong Kong will have no future, and "one country, two systems" will be difficult to maintain. Why does this happen? An important reason is that after Hong Kong returned to China, it has not completed the legislation to safeguard national security. All countries, including France, must have laws to safeguard national security, and this is the central authority. So you can't just sit back and watch the chaos continue! In accordance with the Constitution and the Hong Kong Basic Law, in accordance with Hong Kong's need to implement "one country, two systems" and a high degree of autonomy, we have formulated a national security law suitable for Hong Kong to fill this major loophole in Hong Kong's legal system. After the National People's Congress of China made this decision, nearly 3 million citizens in Hong Kong signed and supported it, reflecting basic public opinion. After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, nearly 80% of Hong Kong people believe that Hong Kong is safer and more stable.
I would like to tell Madam again that Article 1 of the Hong Kong National Security Law clearly stipulates that "One Country, Two Systems" must be unswervingly and fully and accurately implemented. "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" and "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" stipulate all rights and freedoms. Therefore, the formulation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law will not only effectively safeguard the basic rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents, but will also ensure a more stable and long-term implementation of "One Country, Two Systems". At the same time, all foreigners and foreign enterprises in Hong Kong will gain more complete legal protection.
As for the Xinjiang issue you mentioned. Xinjiang is an autonomous region of China bordering Afghanistan. It used to be a channel for international terrorist forces to enter China. In the past few years, thousands of violent and terrorist incidents occurred in Xinjiang, and hundreds of innocent people, including Uyghurs, were harmed. Of course, the Chinese government must assume the responsibility of protecting people’s lives and resolutely combat terrorism. At the same time, we pay more attention to preventive counter-terrorism and achieve de-radicalization through education. France, the United States and other countries have similar practices such as de-radicalization centers and community correction systems, which are also in response to the requirements of the United Nations to other countries. The human rights of personnel participating in education and training are fully guaranteed, and all personnel have graduated, learned skills, found jobs, and returned to normal social life. In the past three years or so, there have been no violent incidents in Xinjiang. The society is peaceful and harmonious, and the people live and work in peace and contentment.
Let me introduce you some basic facts. In the past 40 years, the Uyghur population in Xinjiang has increased from 5.5 million to 11 million, which has more than doubled. Where did “ethnic cleansing” come from? It is completely a malicious rumor. There are 24,000 mosques in Xinjiang. On average, there is one mosque for every 530 Muslims in Xinjiang. This ratio exceeds that of many Muslim countries. Where can there be any suppression of "religious freedom"? We welcome everyone to visit Xinjiang, seeing is believing. In recent years, we have invited nearly 100 delegations and more than 1,000 people from more than 90 countries to visit Xinjiang. They come from different countries and have different political positions, but they all agree that what they see in Xinjiang is the same as theirs. What I heard before is totally different.
Why does this happen? One reason is that there are very few anti-China activists working to discredit China. They found that the more sensational news they spread, the more they will receive attention, sympathy, and even funding. Therefore, the lie gets bigger and bigger, but it gets further and further away from the truth. No matter how many lies are said, they will eventually be exposed by facts. Of course, if you make a "presumption of guilt" in advance and see China with a bias, you must find or "develope" the so-called evidence. That is another matter, and the people of Xinjiang certainly don't accept it. We welcome everyone to visit China more and see the progress and changes that have taken place in China, which is the fastest changing place in the world today. China has made great progress, and it will surely usher in new and greater progress in the future. (Finish)