Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will hold the “1+10” Dialogue in Beijing on the morning of December 9 with heads of 10 international economic organizations. They are President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, President of the World Bank Ajay Banga, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan, Director-General of the International Labour Organization Gilbert F. Houngbo, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Mathias Cormann, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements Agustín Carstens, Chair of the Financial Stability Board Klaas Knot, and President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun. Under the theme of “Building Consensus on Development to Promote Global Common Prosperity,” participating parties will exchange views on three topics of “Seizing Opportunities in Transformation to Promote World Economic Transition and Growth,” “Upholding Multilateralism in Advancing Reform and Development of the Global Economic Governance System,” and “China’s Endeavor to Further Deepen Reform Comprehensively and Break New Ground in Chinese Modernization.”  

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will co-chair the 16th meeting of the China-Viet Nam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Viet Nam Bui Thanh Son in Beijing on December 10.

CCTV: You just announced that Premier Li Qiang will hold a dialogue with the heads of ten major international economic organizations. Can you brief us on China’s expectation for the dialogue?

Lin Jian: Today’s world is undergoing tremendous changes at an accelerated pace, and entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. The world economic recovery remains weak and there have been mounting global challenges. At the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit last month, President Xi Jinping called on the international community to reinforce international macro policy coordination and foster an open, inclusive, and nondiscriminatory environment for international economic cooperation. 

The aim of China to hold the “1+10” Dialogue at this critical juncture is to enhance policy communication with the heads of major international economic organizations, assess the world economic prospects, and contribute to improving the global economic governance system and driving the common prosperity of the world.

China Review News: It’s reported that the leader of China’s Taiwan region Lai Ching-te has concluded his “stopovers” in Hawaii and Guam of the US. What’s your comment？

Lin Jian: By arranging for the “stopovers” of the leader of China’s Taiwan region Lai Ching-te in Hawaii and Guam, having official interactions with the Taiwan region, helping Taiwan expand so-called “international space,” and providing platforms for “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, the US gravely violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués. The actions it took undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and send a severely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China deplores this and has lodged strong protests to the US side.

The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US relations and a basic norm in international relations. The Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. “Taiwan independence” separatist activities are as incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as fire with water. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on the US leaders’ commitment, including not supporting “Taiwan independence,” stop its official interactions with Taiwan, stop obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, stop abetting and aiding the separatist forces and their activities in any form, and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and contribute to peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Let me stress that attempts to solicit US support for “Taiwan independence” or use the Taiwan question to contain China will lead nowhere. No one should underestimate the firm resolve, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Reuters: I would also like to ask about Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te and his return. Does China plan to stage more war games around the island as a result?

Lin Jian: The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. China remains unwavering in its resolve to defend our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Bloomberg: Just to follow up again on this one. Taiwan leader Lai said on Friday that he was confident of deeper cooperation with the next administration of Donald Trump. This is coming after he had a call earlier with US Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. Can you comment on the confidence of deeper cooperation with the next Donald Trump administration?

Lin Jian: We have made clear our serious position on this more than once. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region, and firmly opposes any form of US moves to aid or abet “Taiwan independence” separatists and their separatist activities. 

We urge the US to fully see the separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, fully understand the grave damage that “Taiwan independence” separatist activities do to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, stop meddling in affairs related to Taiwan, which are China’s internal affairs, and stop aiding and abetting “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. 

Beijing Youth Daily: Last week, the Taklimakan Desert, China’s largest and the world’s second-largest shifting desert, was completely encircled with a sand-blocking green belt of vegetation stretching over 3,000 km. This afforestation project, the largest in the world, is closely watched and viewed by the international community as a “green Great Wall” that helps tackle desertification, greatly contributes to higher global forest coverage, and responds to the challenges of climate change. What’s your comment？

Lin Jian: Thumbs up for the project. It encircles the Taklimakan Desert with a sand-blocking green belt. We salute the many generations of people for their relentless effort to end desertification. 

The project is an epitome of China’s desertification prevention and control endeavor. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has rolled out key green projects, such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the program to turn marginal farmland into forest and grassland, and the Beijing Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control Project. Over 35 million hectares of desertified land are protected in a science-based way, over 7.8 million hectares of desertified land are turned less barren effectively and the net decrease of desertified land reaches over 4.3 million hectares. With the forest coverage rate rising to 24.02 percent, China has the fastest growth and biggest rise in terms of forest resources and tops the world in afforestation areas. The barren land in Saihanba is turned into forest. The “sea of death” in the Kubuqi desert is turned into an oasis. The Taklimakan Desert is encircled by a sand-blocking green belt. China has made renowned achievements in the fight against desertification. The Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has also twice honored China for its “outstanding contribution to combating desertification.” The Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program has been recognized in the Global 500 Roll of Honor for Environmental Achievement by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Desertification is a global challenge and requires a global response. As we speak, the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD is being held in Saudi Arabia. The China Pavilion is open at the conference where China showcases for the first time its achievements in desertification prevention and control and the progress of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. We will continue to faithfully fulfill our responsibility and obligations in the UNCCD, share China’s solutions and know-how, and contribute to achieving zero net land degradation by 2030 and the visionary goal of the G20 Global Land Initiative, keeping desertification in check and making the planet a greener and better place to live. 

AFP: Paraguay’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that they have canceled the visa of a Chinese diplomat and given him 24 hours to leave the country due to what they called “interference in internal affairs.” Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on this?

Lin Jian: The delegation of the Chinese government has been in Paraguay upon invitation to attend the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. The relevant department of Paraguay—a member state of the UN and UNESCO and the host country of the 19th session meeting—made unfounded and unjustified accusation and demand against a relevant member of the Chinese delegation. This is seriously inconsistent with international practice. China is firmly opposed to it.

Let me stress that there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The one-China principle is what has been affirmed in Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly and is a basic norm governing international relations and a prevailing consensus among the international community. It is right and just to defend and uphold the one-China principle, no matter where we are. There’s no so-called “interference in internal affairs.”

Xinhua News Agency: To follow up on your announcement that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair the 16th meeting of the China-Viet Nam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, can you brief us on the program and China’s expectation for the meeting? How does China view the current China-Viet Nam relations?

Lin Jian: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Viet Nam Bui Thanh Son will co-chair the 16th Meeting of the China-Viet Nam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation in Beijing on December 10. The two sides will exchange views on delivering on the common understandings between the top leaders of the two parties and countries, and on deepening the building of a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future. Advancing cooperation in such areas as connectivity, trade and investment, digital economy and green development will top the agenda of the discussion. During the meeting, the two sides will attend the commemorating event for the 25th anniversary of the demarcation of the land boundary between China and Viet Nam and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents.

China and Viet Nam are both socialist countries and neighbors with time-honored friendship. General Secretary and President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Viet Nam at the end of last year and ushered the relations between the two parties and the two countries into a new era of building a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. In August this year, General Secretary and then State President To Lam paid a successful visit to China. The two sides reached extensive common understandings on keeping in mind our common mission, continuing our time-honored friendship and deepening strategic cooperation, and set the direction of advancing the building of a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future. Next year will be the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and Viet Nam and the “China-Viet Nam People-to-People Exchange Year.” We believe that under the strategic guidance from the top level of our two parties and two countries, the China-Viet Nam comprehensive strategic cooperation will achieve deeper and more substantive progress, bring more benefit to the two peoples and make important contribution to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

TASS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with an American media outlet that Russia does not believe that the solution to the Ukrainian crisis is the fate of Moscow and Washington alone, and that Russia prefers the manner of resolving the issue multilaterally. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent. We believe that dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way to resolve the crisis. The international community needs to create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue between the two parties. Only when all major countries play a positive role, can this conflict see an early prospect of ceasefire. 

AFP: US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that former senator David Purdue has accepted an appointment to serve as the next US ambassador to China. Purdue is a close political ally of Trump. He has previously worked in Hong Kong. How does the Foreign Ministry view this appointment?

Lin Jian: I noted the reports.

China News Service: We noted that this year, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation has made important progress, receiving much attention from the international community. US economist Jeffrey Sachs said in an interview this week that he is “a very big supporter of the Belt and Road Initiative” and that “China is promoting infrastructure around the world.” What is your comment? Can you share what the cooperation has achieved this year?

Lin Jian: The high-quality Belt and Road Initiative has achieved tangible and fruitful outcomes over the past year. China signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with countries including Egypt, Timor-Leste, Peru and Brazil, established the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and set up over 30 multilateral cooperation platforms in special areas of energy, taxation and disaster relief. In the first ten months of this year, trade in goods between China and partner countries reached RMB16.94 trillion, up by 6.2 percent; and Chinese companies signed new project contracts worth over RMB1 trillion in partner countries, up by 17.1 percent. The China-Europe Trans-Caspian Express was officially launched, and the China-Europe Railway Express has run over 100,000 trips in total, shipping over 11 million TEUs of goods worth more than USD420 billion. Over 800,000 TEUs of goods were shipped this year through the new western land-sea corridor train service, which links 542 ports in 125 countries and regions around the world.

When addressing the fourth symposium on the development of the BRI this week, President Xi Jinping noted that Belt and Road cooperation has been expanded with a greater scope, higher cooperation level and stronger international appeal, influence and cohesiveness. Belt and Road cooperation has produced significant achievements, making China’s contribution to cementing friendship with partner countries and advancing socioeconomic development in partner countries. Over the years, the BRI has built a cross-sea bridge in the Maldives and electrified railway in Africa and revived the Piraeus Port in Greece. The Chancay Port in Peru has become South America’s first smart and green port, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has ushered Indonesia into the era of high-speed railway, and the China-Laos Railway has fulfilled Laos’ railway dream. Livelihood projects, such as the Luban Workshop, programs on Juncao technology, the renovation of water purification systems, and solar power stations have greatly improved local people’s living standards.

The aim of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation is to enable partner countries to realize and benefit from connectivity with the world and bring the hope of development and prosperity to the Global South. China stands ready to work with all parties to continue upholding the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit, advance both big infrastructure projects and small and smart projects, and emphasize both broad strokes and refined details, so as to build the BRI into a source of happiness that benefits the world and a dream maker that helps countries jointly realize modernization.

CCTV: We noted that from this week, China officially started to give zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to LDCs. This decision received extensive welcome from Africa, which has the biggest number of countries benefiting from the policy. They noted that this measure meets the need of the Global South for development and will increase trade between Africa and China. What is your comment?

Lin Jian: President Xi Jinping announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) this year that China will give all LDCs having diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines. This gives quality products from African countries more convenient and faster access to the big market of China, and will further boost Africa’s industrial development, and help Africa improve employment and accelerate poverty alleviation. China is the first major developing country and major economy in the world to roll out this policy, and this demonstrates China’s commitment to high-standard opening up.

China upholds the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in developing friendly ties and enhancing cooperation with Africa. Aside from the zero-tariff treatment, China has also opened and expanded the “green lanes” for African agricultural products, provided facilitation for African companies’ participation in major expos, including the China International Import Expo and the China International Supply Chain Expo, built bridges for unique products from Africa to enter the global market, deepened cooperation with Africa on vocational training and human resources, and helped African countries improve capacity building in trade. 

There is always vast space for African brothers in China’s endeavor to expand high-standard opening up; and China will never be absent from Africa’s pursuit of development and revitalization. At this year’s FOCAC Summit in Beijing, President Xi Jinping put forward six features of the modernization that China and Africa should jointly advance and ten partnership actions for modernization, and the two sides adopted the Beijing Declaration and the Action Plan. China will work with African countries to earnestly deliver on the outcomes of the summit, pursue modernization together and in this process, drive modernization of the Global South, and enrich the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

China-Arab TV: Yesterday the Syrian capital was attacked by drones and gunshots were heard. The Chinese Embassy in Syria has advised the Chinese nationals in Syria to return to China or leave the country as soon as possible. As tensions run high in Syria, how does China view the situation there? Will China continue to urge its nationals to leave Syria as soon as possible?

Lin Jian: China is closely following the developments in Syria and hopes that stability will be restored in the country at an early date. 

Given the current security situation there, the Chinese Embassy in Syria has issued a security alert to advise Chinese nationals not to travel to Syria at the moment. Chinese nationals and institutions already there need to stay on high alert, take extra safety precautions, prepare for emergencies, and return to China or leave Syria as soon as possible via commercial flights or through land ports of exit. We urge them to immediately contact the embassy for assistance if they encounter any emergency. We will do all we can to assist our nationals including those who need to move to safety.

AFP: I just wanted to return to follow up quickly on Taiwan. And there were some specific comments from Lai Ching-te. He said today while in Palau that Taiwan and China were “not subordinates to each other.” Do you have any specific response to these comments?

Lin Jian: The biggest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the separatist activities of “Taiwan independence” forces and those external forces who aid and abet those separatists. Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities have been engaging in separatist activities for “Taiwan independence” under various pretexts. No matter what they say or do, they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of China, nor can they stop the overriding historical trend toward China’s reunification. To try to achieve “Taiwan independence” by seeking foreign support will surely end in failure.