Xinhua News Agency: It is reported that China and the Solomon Islands have officially signed a framework agreement on bilateral security cooperation. Can China give us more information?
Wang Wenbin: With the approval of the governments of China and Solomon Islands, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Manele, on behalf of the two governments, formally signed a framework agreement on security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands recently.
The Chinese side has introduced the security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands many times. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize a few more points:
First, the essence of China-Solomons security cooperation is the normal exchanges and cooperation between two sovereign and independent countries, and it is an important part of the comprehensive cooperation between China and Solomon Islands.
Second, the principle of security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands is equality and mutual benefit, and it is premised on respecting the will and actual needs of Solomon Islands.
The two sides will carry out cooperation in maintaining social order, protecting people's lives and property, humanitarian assistance, natural disaster response and other fields, and are committed to helping the Solomon Islands to strengthen capacity building for maintaining national security.
Third, the purpose of China-Solomon Islands security cooperation is to promote social stability and long-term stability in Solomon Islands, which is in the common interests of Solomon Islands and the South Pacific region.
Fourth, the security cooperation method between China and Solomon Islands is open, transparent, open and inclusive. It does not target any third party. It is in parallel with and complements the existing bilateral and multilateral security cooperation mechanisms in Solomon Islands.
China is willing to work with relevant countries to give full play to their respective advantages and form international synergy.
Reuters: It is reported that the Chinese foreign minister visited the Solomon Islands to complete the signing of the China-Solomons Security Framework Agreement.
Can you confirm that the agreement has been fully signed?
Wang Wenbin: I would like to reiterate that the foreign ministers of China and Solomon Islands officially signed the framework agreement on security cooperation between the two governments recently.
I have not heard that the Chinese foreign minister has visited the Solomon Islands.
Shenzhen Satellite TV: Yesterday, the National Bureau of Statistics of China announced the performance of China's economy in the first quarter of this year, with a year-on-year GDP growth of 4.8%.
Overseas media commented that "headwind growth", many indicators exceeded analysts' expectations.
What is the spokesperson's comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: Yesterday, the National Bureau of Statistics of China released the performance of the national economy in the first quarter of 2022, showing that China's national economy continues to recover and develop, and major macro indicators remain within a reasonable range. smooth.
The 4.8% growth of China's national economy in the first quarter is the growth achieved when the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, the growth achieved by minimizing the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development, and the stability of employment, prices, and international payments. The growth in China is also the recent growth under the influence of the complex international environment and the spread of the epidemic in many places in China. It is not easy. It fully shows that the continuous recovery of China's economy has not changed, the long-term positive fundamentals have not changed, and the development potential is great. The characteristics of strong resilience, strong vitality, and wide space have not changed. They are fully capable and qualified to overcome difficulties and challenges and achieve sustainable and healthy economic development.
It is worth mentioning that in the first quarter, China's import and export of goods increased by 10.7% year-on-year, and the actual use of foreign capital increased by 25.6% year-on-year.
The double-digit growth of both foreign trade and foreign investment highlights China's positive contribution to stabilizing the global industrial chain and supply chain and promoting the sustained recovery of the world economy.
Foreign-funded enterprises have cast a vote of confidence in China's economic development prospects.
Recent reports from the German Chamber of Commerce in China and the American Chamber of Commerce in China show that 71% of German-funded companies and over 60% of US-funded companies plan to increase investment in China.
In the first quarter, foreign investment in China's high-tech industries increased by more than 50% year-on-year, and foreign investment in high-tech service industries increased by nearly 60%.
These are the full manifestations of the belief of foreign businessmen that "investing in China is investing in the future".
Facts have and will continue to prove that China has a complete industrial system, a large market space for super-large scales, a lot of dividends from reform and opening up, and strong economic governance capabilities. energy.
Pakistan News Agency: Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif said at the opening ceremony of a bus project yesterday that China has made important contributions to Pakistan's economic development and thanked President Xi Jinping for launching the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.
What's your opinion?
Wang Wenbin: China has noticed that for some time, Prime Minister Shabazz has made positive remarks on China-Pakistan relations and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on many occasions, which fully reflects the Pakistani side's emphasis on China-Pakistan all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation.
China highly appreciates this.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important pilot project of the "Belt and Road" initiative. Since its launch, it has made important contributions to Pakistan's economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, and has been widely praised and recognized by all walks of life.
The Chinese side is willing to work with the Pakistani side to ensure the continuous advancement of the projects under construction and the smooth operation of the completed projects, continue to release the positive effects of the corridor in promoting growth and improving people's livelihood, and make the corridor a demonstration project for high-quality development of the "Belt and Road".
Beijing Youth Daily: According to reports, on April 16 local time, Denver, Colorado Mayor Michael Hancock issued a proclamation formally apologizing to the Chinese community for the anti-Chinese riots that took place there in 1880.
Denver is the fifth city in the United States to apologize for its history of Chinese exclusion, and the first city outside California, according to CBS News.
What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: We have noticed relevant reports, and the relevant practices of Denver are worthy of recognition.
Only by learning from history can the tragedy be avoided from repeating itself.
It should be pointed out that in the past period of time, the discrimination and violence against Chinese Americans in the United States have not only not been corrected, but have intensified, becoming a chronic malaise in American society.
According to data from American research institutions, hate crimes against Asian Americans will soar by 339% in 2021.
The United States is no longer a paradise for the survival and development of immigrants from various countries, but a paradise for racial discrimination and violence.
This phenomenon deserves a wake-up call.
In recent years, individual U.S. politicians and anti-China forces, out of zero-sum game thinking and ideological prejudice, wantonly concocted and spread lies and false information about China, incited racist hatred, and condoned discrimination against Chinese students in the U.S. and other Chinese citizens in the U.S. , China is deeply concerned about this.
The US side should face up to its own problems, take concrete measures to eradicate racial discrimination, and safeguard and protect the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the US.
AFP: The White House said the United States will co-host a global video summit with Germany, Indonesia and other countries on May 12 to discuss how to overcome the new crown pneumonia epidemic and meet future challenges.
Will China attend?
If planned, will Chinese leaders be present?
Wang Wenbin: We have noted the relevant situation.
China welcomes all efforts that will help the international community to fight the epidemic with solidarity and science.
Reuters reporter: You said just now that the China Exchange has signed a framework agreement on security cooperation, that is to say, the security agreement itself has not been fully signed.
Are there parts that haven't been signed yet?
Second question, it is reported that the Solomon Islands Parliament learned today that Chinese officials will visit the Solomon Islands in May to complete the signing process. Is this news accurate?
If accurate, which Chinese official will go to Solomon?
Wang Wenbin: Regarding your first question, I have already answered it.
I don't think your understanding is correct.
As for the second question, I have just made an elaboration.
CCTV: The US State Department recently released the 2022 Arms Control Compliance Report, accusing China of failing to abide by its commitment to moratorium on nuclear tests and missile non-proliferation, and questioning China's implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention.
What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: China has taken note of the relevant report.
The United States concocts the so-called "Arms Control Compliance Report" every year, posing as a judge, pointing fingers at other countries' arms control and non-proliferation policies and practices, and branding itself as a "model".
This is ridiculous.
In fact, what everyone sees is that the United States has a poor record of compliance in the field of arms control and non-proliferation.
In recent years, the U.S. has adopted a pragmatic attitude of “use it if you use it, and discard it if you don’t.” The position on the issue has been repeated.
The United States provides nuclear submarine technology to Australia, a non-nuclear-weapon state, cooperates in the development of hypersonic weapons, and sells Tomahawk cruise missiles that can carry nuclear warheads to other countries, increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation and impacting the international nuclear non-proliferation system.
The United States exclusively blocked the negotiation of the verification protocol of the Biological Weapons Convention, and established biological laboratories and biological military activities around the world.
The United States is also the only party to the Chemical Weapons Convention that has not completed the destruction of stockpiles of chemical weapons.
What the US has done has seriously undermined the global strategic balance and stability, hindered the process of international arms control and disarmament, and has been widely condemned by the international community.
Instead of introspecting, the United States keeps pouring dirty water on other countries. In essence, it is creating an excuse and looking for a scapegoat for itself to get rid of its treaty obligations.
In this regard, the international community, including people of insight in the United States, see it very clearly.
It needs to be pointed out that the accusations made by the US against China are purely based on speculation and non-existent.
China has always acted in a responsible manner, earnestly fulfilled its international obligations and commitments, firmly committed to multilateralism, and always upheld the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law.
In recent years, China has actively participated in the review process of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons, and the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. , submit a position paper on regulating the military application of artificial intelligence to the United Nations, and make important contributions to strengthening and improving the international arms control and non-proliferation system and maintaining world peace and security.
In terms of compliance with arms control treaties, the international community has its own public opinion on whether China and the United States have performed better or worse.
Bloomberg reporter: Is the China-SZSE bilateral security cooperation framework agreement effective immediately?
Can you provide more details about the agreement?
Wang Wenbin: I have just made clear China's relevant position and the relevant situation. I have no other information to add.
China Daily: According to reports, on April 18, US Vice President Harris announced during his visit to the Vanderbilt Outer Space Force Base that the US would stop conducting helicopter tests of anti-satellite weapons and seek to push the international community to establish a negative Code of Conduct in Responsible Outer Space.
The White House website issued a statement on the same day emphasizing that the prohibition of helicopter anti-satellite tests should become an "international norm", and the statement also accused China and Russia of previous anti-satellite tests.
what opinions do the Chinese have on this issue?
Wang Wenbin: We have noticed relevant reports.
The United States has long pursued a strategy of leading outer space, openly defining outer space as a "combat domain", and vigorously developing and deploying a variety of offensive outer space weapons such as directed energy and "anti-satellite communication systems" to this end, and comprehensively promote the construction and development of outer space forces. Prepare for battle.
The United States is the first country to carry out helicopter anti-satellite tests, and it is also the country that has carried out the largest number of such tests.
This time, the US announced to stop the test of ground-based helicopter anti-satellite weapons. What we want to ask is, why does the US not announce that it will not use such weapons at the same time?
Why didn't the US announce the cessation of anti-satellite tests such as space-based and common-orbit, and the anti-missile tests with an anti-satellite nature?
Why doesn't the US promise to prohibit the use of force against outer space objects?
China has always advocated the peaceful use of outer space, opposed the weaponization and arms race in outer space, and actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in outer space.
As early as 2008, China and Russia jointly proposed a draft treaty on outer space control to the CD, which explicitly prohibits the placement of weapons in outer space and the use or threat of use of force against outer space objects.
The draft treaty aims to eliminate threats to outer space security in a package through legally binding means, including kinetic energy anti-satellite tests, and fundamentally maintain the peace and security of outer space.
However, this initiative has been opposed by the United States for a long time.
We hope that the U.S. side can truly shoulder its due responsibilities as a major country, comprehensively review its own series of negative actions in the outer space field, stop the hypocritical practice of expanding unilateral military advantages under the pretext of arms control, stop blocking the negotiation process of legal documents on outer space control, and protect foreign countries. lasting peace and security in the space should play its due role.
Reuters reporter: Do you think that the Solomon Islands side's statement today that senior Chinese officials will visit the Solomon Islands and sign the agreement next month is false and wrong?
Wang Wenbin: We have always maintained smooth communication at all levels.
Regarding the exchanges and mutual visits between the Chinese institutes, if there is any news, we will release it in a timely manner.
Reuters: The United States plans to send senior officials to the Solomon Islands in the next few days to discuss China-related issues.
What is China's comment?
Wang Wenbin: We have pointed out many times that the security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands is a manifestation and achievement of the continuous deepening of China-Solomony relations, the continuous enhancement of mutual trust between the two countries, and the continuous expansion of bilateral cooperation. It is conducive to promoting the common interests and well-being of the Solomon Islands people and their citizens in Solomon Islands, and has won the understanding and support of Solomon Islands and other Pacific island countries.
I have also noticed that there are reports that the US embassy in the Solomon Islands has been closed for 29 years and that the last time the US Secretary of State visited Fiji was 37 years ago.
After many years, senior U.S. officials suddenly visited the Pacific island countries. Are they concerned about the island countries or have other plans?
Everyone is very interested in this question.
Pacific island countries are not someone's "backyard", let alone a "chess piece" for geopolitical confrontation.
The island has the actual need for diversification of foreign cooperation, and also has the right to independently choose partners.
Deliberately exaggerating tension and inciting camp confrontation has no market in island countries, and attempts to interfere and obstruct island countries' cooperation with China are doomed to be futile.
China has always been a builder of peace and a promoter of stability in the South Pacific region.
While smearing China for no reason, certain countries such as the United States forged a so-called trilateral security partnership, introducing the risk of nuclear proliferation and Cold War mentality into the South Pacific region, seriously threatening regional security and stability.
It is more appropriate for them to wear the hat of "compromising regional security".
Reuters reporter: In view of the security agreement signed by China and the Solomon Islands, does China want to build a military base in Solomon in the future?
Wang Wenbin: We have answered this question many times, you can refer to it.