Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's regular press conference on February 22, 2021
The high-level meeting of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council will be held from February 22 to 24.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will deliver a speech on the evening of the 22nd on behalf of the Chinese government.
Xinhua News Agency reporter: You just released the news that State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will deliver a video speech at the high-level meeting of the UN Human Rights Council. This is the first time a Chinese government leader has addressed the Human Rights Council. What are China's considerations? What are your expectations for the work of the Human Rights Council?
Wang Wenbin: The promotion and protection of human rights is the common cause of all mankind.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights, adheres to the people-centered concept of human rights, and successfully blazed a path of human rights development in line with China’s national conditions, and achieved world-renowned human rights achievements.
China actively participates in the work of multilateral human rights mechanisms such as the Human Rights Council, and contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global human rights governance.
Last year, China was successfully elected as a member of the Human Rights Council for the period 2021-2023. This is the fifth time China has been elected as a member of the Human Rights Council, which fully proves the international community’s recognition of China’s human rights cause.
In the face of major changes unseen in a century and a major epidemic unseen in a century, how to protect and promote human rights is a question that the international community is thinking about.
State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will share the concept, practice and experience of China's human rights protection at the Human Rights Council, and will put forward important views and propositions on global human rights governance on behalf of China, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
China is willing to work with the international community to promote the Human Rights Council to uphold the principles of fairness, objectivity and non-selectivity, advocate abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, attach equal importance to all kinds of human rights, and oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs and double standards through human rights issues. To jointly promote the healthy development of international human rights.
Reporter from the Japan
Broadcasting Association
: The Burmese authorities shot at the protesting crowd and killed
4 people
.
As a responsible power, will China blame the Myanmar military?
Wang Wenbin: As a friendly neighbor of Myanmar, China is concerned about the current situation in Myanmar and hopes that all parties in Myanmar will proceed from the overall situation of national development and stability, exercise restraint, properly handle differences under the constitution and legal framework, and maintain political and social stability.
Nippon TV reporter: Just ask, do you mean that China affirms the actions of the Myanmar military?
Wang Wenbin: I have clearly introduced China's position.
We hope that all parties in Myanmar will proceed from the overall situation of national development and stability, exercise restraint, properly handle differences within the constitution and legal framework, and maintain political and social stability.
This is our position.
Reuters reporter: At the Munich Security Conference last week, US President Biden said that the Chinese government’s
"economic encroachment and coercion" should be resisted
. This has shaken the foundation of the international economic system. What's China's comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: I think most countries in the world believe that China's development is an opportunity for the world economy, not a threat.
As the second largest economy in the world, China has provided confidence and impetus to world economic growth through comprehensive deepening of reforms, continuous expansion of opening up, and active promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation. It has contributed more than 30% to world economic growth for many years, which is obvious to all. .
At the same time, I also want to point out that China, the United States and Europe are both important forces for maintaining world peace, stability, development and prosperity, and should jointly practice and maintain multilateralism.
The essence of multilateralism is that international affairs should be handled through consultation, rather than ideologically dividing lines to engage in group politics and engage in "small circles" targeting specific countries.
China is willing to continue to work with all parties to uphold the concept of openness and tolerance, adhere to consultation and cooperation, and promote the construction of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.
"Beijing Youth Daily" reporter: According to reports, on the
21st, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Grossi held consultations with Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Chairman Salish in Tehran.
The two sides also issued a joint statement on the 21st, reaching a temporary bilateral technical understanding on the agency's supervision and verification of Iran.
What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran have reached a feasible technical solution to the satisfaction of both parties through dialogue and negotiation.
China welcomes and appreciates this, and we hope that both sides will continue to meet each other halfway and earnestly implement the relevant consensus.
We also call on all parties concerned to play a constructive role in this regard.
China has always believed that the return of the US to the comprehensive agreement is the only correct way to resolve the Iranian nuclear deadlock.
All parties should strengthen their sense of urgency and work together to implement the consensus reached at the Iranian Nuclear Foreign Ministers' Meeting in December last year and push the comprehensive agreement back on track as soon as possible.
At the same time, we urge all parties concerned to maintain calmness and restraint, avoid actions that may escalate the situation, and leave room for diplomatic efforts.
TASS reporter: Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said on Friday that the leaders of the Group of Seven countries agreed to coordinate actions during the summit to deal with China's treatment of Xinjiang Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities whose population is mostly Muslim. What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: I have just introduced China's position on the human rights issue. I would like to take this opportunity to give you a further introduction.
China is a country that has always protected and promoted the development of human rights.
As the largest developing country in the world, China pursues a people-centered concept, regards the right to survival and development as the primary basic human rights, and strives to promote the comprehensive and coordinated development of economic, social, cultural and civil political rights.
Over the past 70 years since the founding of New China, China’s per capita GDP has increased from less than US$30 to more than US$10,000. More than 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty, and absolute poverty has been eliminated for the first time in the history of the Chinese nation.
Xinjiang, Tibet and other areas inhabited by ethnic minorities are even more examples of human rights progress in China.
Take Xinjiang as an example. In the past 60 years, the total economic volume of Xinjiang has increased by more than 200 times, the per capita GDP has increased by nearly 40 times, and the average life expectancy has increased from 30 to 72 years.
In the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Chinese government spared no effort to protect everyone’s right to life and health, at all costs, to curb the spread of the epidemic as quickly as possible, and to do its utmost to increase the cure rate, reduce the mortality rate, and provide economic and social life The rapid recovery provided guarantee.
At the same time, I would also like to point out that whether a country’s human rights are good or not, the people of this country have the most say, not any other person or organization.
According to surveys conducted by international authoritative organizations for many years, Chinese people’s satisfaction with the Chinese government has exceeded 90% year after year.
We urge Canada and relevant countries to respect facts, discard prejudice, and stop using Xinjiang-related or human rights issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.
I also want to point out one point here.
Recently, Canada has gathered some countries to issue the so-called "declaration against arbitrary detention."
This approach is very hypocritical.
The Canadian detention of Ms. Meng Wanzhou is a typical arbitrary detention.
What's more despicable is that when some countries clearly expressed their disapproval of and did not participate in the joint signing of the so-called "declaration", it went against the wishes of these countries and forcibly included them in the scope of the joint signing of the country.
This kind of fraud and fraud violates the professional ethics of diplomacy, breach of faith, and also violates the norms of international exchanges, and should be condemned.
Reuters reporter:
According to the "Financial Times" report, China International Television Station (
CGTN) has applied for a broadcasting license from France. Obviously this is to circumvent the previous British ban on CGTN broadcasting. What's China's comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: I don't know the specific situation you mentioned.
News organizations are bridges and bonds that promote mutual understanding and friendly exchanges among people of all countries.
CGTN is an international professional media organization with employees from more than 60 countries and regions around the world, with an open and tolerant cultural atmosphere, and always adheres to the principles of objectivity, fairness, truthfulness and accuracy to carry out news reports. Its professionalism is recognized internationally .
Reporter from Beijing Radio and Television: Recently, the international community has been paying more and more attention to the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia's Tigray region after the war. The Ethiopian government stated that it is actively working on the reconstruction of Tizhou and providing humanitarian relief to the people, and hopes that the international community will provide support for this. What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: As a good friend of Ethiopia, China sincerely hopes that all Ethiopians, including Tigray State, will enjoy peace, stability and prosperity, and support the Ethiopian government’s efforts to actively provide assistance to the trapped people in Tizhou and restore local production and life.
In view of the shortage of basic living supplies in Tizhou, China will provide emergency food assistance such as rice and wheat to Ethiopia to help alleviate the current living difficulties faced by the people in Tizhou.
We also call on the international community to increase investment and jointly contribute to the restoration of normal production and life in Tizhou as soon as possible.
"South China Morning Post" reporter: India is the rotating presidency of this year's BRICS summit. What are China's expectations for this year's BRICS cooperation? Will the border conflict between China and India affect BRICS cooperation?
Wang Wenbin: The BRICS are a cooperation mechanism between emerging market countries and developing countries with global influence.
In recent years, the cohesion of the BRICS countries has strengthened, pragmatic cooperation has continued to deepen, and their influence has continued to rise, becoming a positive, stable and constructive force in international affairs.
China attaches great importance to the BRICS cooperation mechanism and has always been committed to deepening the BRICS strategic partnership and consolidating the positive momentum of BRICS solidarity and cooperation.
China supports India’s hosting of this year’s BRICS Conference, and is willing to work with India and other BRICS countries to continue to strengthen communication and cooperation in various fields, consolidate the "three-wheel drive" cooperation framework of economics, politics, and humanities, and expand "BRICS+" cooperation , To promote the continuous deepening of BRICS cooperation, stability and long-term development, and make BRICS contributions to the international community to overcome the new crown pneumonia epidemic, restore the world economy, and improve global governance.
Shenzhen Satellite TV reporter: On the
19th local time
, French President Macron stated in a special video conference of the Munich Security Conference that Europe and the United States should immediately deliver enough new crown vaccines to Africa, otherwise African countries will switch to purchasing vaccines from China and Russia, which will lead to "Western "Power" only exists in the concept.
What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: We welcome and support France and other European and American countries that have expressed their intention to provide vaccines to African countries to help African countries overcome the epidemic.
China’s assistance and provision of vaccines to relevant African countries is a vivid manifestation of the traditional friendship between China and Africa.
As of February 21, China has provided vaccines to Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe in Africa.
In the next step, China will provide vaccine assistance to 19 African countries in need, and will provide assistance to more African countries in the future.
In addition, we also support relevant companies to export vaccines to African countries that urgently need vaccines, recognize Chinese vaccines, and have authorized the emergency use of Chinese vaccines in their own countries.
China's international cooperation on vaccines aims to make vaccines a global public product.
We will continue to provide support and assistance to the African side within our capacity and according to the needs of the African side, and work together to overcome the epidemic.
"Global Times" reporter:
On February 18, the US independent news website "Gray Zone" published an article stating that the US government's statement of "the Chinese government's genocide of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang" was based on research that is full of data abuse and false information. The report is a rumor, and pointed out that the author of the report, Zheng Guoen, worked for a foundation operated by US intelligence agencies and was an extreme rightist.
What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: We have noticed the relevant articles published in the "grey area" of the American independent news website, which uses a large amount of data and facts to point out the abuse of data, misrepresentation of information, fabricated cases, out of context and logical contradictions in Zheng Guoen's report, revealing the true face of Zheng Guoen. , Demonstrated that the so-called "Chinese government's genocide of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang" is a complete lie.
The aforementioned reports in the US media also show that facts speak louder than words and fairness is in the hearts of the people.
For a period of time, Zheng Guoen and some international anti-China forces concocted lies and rumors about Xinjiang for their own ulterior political purposes, attempted to use fake news to gain attention, throw dirty water and label China.
However, no matter how renovated their "deception" is, they are vulnerable to the truth.
One day, Zheng Guoen and others' unscrupulous rumors and slander will be brought to justice.
We also hope that the international community can recognize the true colors of these anti-China forces and not be confused by rumors and lies.
Recently, more and more people of insight in the world have learned about the situation in Xinjiang, understood the Xinjiang-related policies of the Chinese government, and took the initiative to speak up.
I hope that more foreign media will report from an objective and fair perspective.
We hope that some countries and people will face up to the facts of Xinjiang’s stable development, listen to the voices of the 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, and read more objective reports on Xinjiang from the international community.
Let me announce good news to everyone: the new media "big family" of the "Office of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" has added a new member, and the "Faban" Bilibili account was officially opened today.
We hope that the majority of netizens will continue to follow and support China's diplomacy through new media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou, WeChat video account, and Bilibili.
thank you all!