CCTV: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger recently accused China of using “United Front work” to infiltrate other countries. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: Pompeo and Pottinger’s remarks, filled with distortion of facts, are malicious slander against China.
The CPC-led United Front endeavors to bring together various political parties and people from all walks of life, ethnic groups and organizations. Simply put, it aims to promote cooperation between the CPC and people who are not members of it. When it comes to exchanges with foreign countries, the CPC and the Chinese government always believe that different civilizations should respect and learn from each other with an open mind and countries should strive for harmonious coexistence, win-win cooperation and peaceful development. By uniting overseas Chinese nationals including students, the Chinese side helps give full play to their role as a bridge linking China with the rest of the world to promote people-to-people exchange and nurture friendship. Its work is transparent, above-board and beyond reproach.
By making an issue out of China’s United Front work, Pompeo and Pottinger are trying to discredit China’s political system and disrupt normal exchange and cooperation between China and the United States. The world has already seen through their calculations. They will get nowhere standing on the wrong side of history.
AFP: The US said charges have been filed against eight people involved in an illegal Chinese law-enforcement operation known as “Fox Hunt”. Five were arrested on Wednesday. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on the arrests and charges?
Wang Wenbin: Fighting cross-border crimes, repatriating corrupt fugitives and recovering illegal proceeds are a just cause widely recognized by the international community. When conducting law enforcement cooperation with other countries, the Chinese law enforcement authorities strictly observe international law, fully respect foreign laws and judicial sovereignty, and guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of criminal suspects. Their operations are beyond reproach. Driven by ulterior motives, the United States turns a blind eye to basic facts and smears Chinese efforts to repatriate corrupt fugitives and recover illegal proceeds. China firmly opposes this.
We urge the United States to correct its mistakes at once, faithfully fulfill its obligations under the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, the UN Convention against Corruption and other international treaties, shoulder its due international responsibilities, and avoid degenerating into a safe haven for criminals.
China News Service: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at the BRICS Business Forum that against the backdrop of crises in the economy, “we are witnessing attempts to make a political issue out of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that this is the worst thing to do at a time when we need to work together to fend off today’s threats.” Does China have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: China applauds Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s remarks.
Faced with the common challenge posed by COVID-19, it is a universal consensus that solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon. Not long ago, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on COVID-19 by a vote of 169 to 2, stressing that international cooperation and multilateralism is the only viable approach to effectively handle the pandemic. The UN Security Council also adopted a resolution calling for international solidarity and cooperation against the virus.
As the pandemic continues to spread across the world, pinning labels to the virus and politicizing the pandemic only undercuts the international community’s collective resources and impedes efforts to save lives and defeat the virus. We hope all countries can work together for the final victory, which we hope will come as early as possible.
Shenzhen TV: An online signing ceremony was held on October 28 in the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand for Contract 2.3 of the first stage of the China-Thailand railway project. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul attended the event. It represents another major development since the project started in 2017. What is your comment?
Wang Wenbin: The China-Thailand railway is a flagship project between the two countries to pursue high-quality BRI cooperation. It will give a strong boost to Thailand’s infrastructure building and socioeconomic development. China is pleased to see new substantive progress in the project and hopes that the two sides will continue to work closely to speed up construction, strive to connect the China-Thailand railway with the China-Laos railway at an early date, promote regional connectivity and development, and achieve greater mutual benefit and win-win results.
The Paper: In a press statement U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Department of State designated the National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification (NACPU) as a foreign mission and would discontinue participation in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People’s Republic of China Concerning the Establishment of the U.S.-China Governors Forum to Promote Sub-National Cooperation (MOU) because the Chinese Peoples’ Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) has sought to influence state and local leaders. Does China have a response?
Wang Wenbin: Pompeo’s statement and the measures taken by the U.S. side are political manipulation driven by ideological bias. Such pursuit of Neo-McCarthyism runs counter to the Chinese and American people’s wish for more dialogue and exchange.
I’d like to stress the following basic facts: First, the NACPU is a locally-registered social organization founded by Chinese in the United States that is committed to realizing peaceful unification of the motherland and promoting friendship between the people of China and the United States. It is completely unjustified for the U.S. side to impose discriminatory restrictions on it.
Second, the CPAFFC is a civil organization dedicated to enhancing friendly exchange and cooperation between China and the rest of the world, the United States included. Its efforts in deepening mutual understanding and friendship across the world have been well received in many countries. The U.S. attack on this organization is based on its own presumption and only reveals the sinister thinking and malign intent of the likes of Pompeo.
Third, the MOU signed by the two sides was proposed by the United States back in 2011. The China-U.S. Governors Forum, an important platform for institutional exchange at subnational levels, has brought together five times subnational governments from both countries, yielding fruitful outcomes and bringing enormous tangible benefits to both peoples. By unilaterally discontinuing participation in this MOU, the United States is undermining and demolishing the bridge linking the two peoples. Such regressive behavior is bound to be rejected by both peoples and history.
We urge Pompeo and his like to stop concocting lies to undermine China-US relations and stop going further down the wrong path.
Xinhua News Agency: As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the world, the international effort to eradicate poverty is facing severe challenges, and more and more in developing countries are being pushed back into poverty. Many developing countries hope China will share its experience in poverty reduction with them. What role can China play in promoting international poverty reduction in the years to come?
Wang Wenbin: Indeed recently I’ve seen a lot of reports on this, including by international media. By the end of this year, all the impoverished rural population according to the current poverty standard will be out of poverty and China will achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending poverty ten years ahead of schedule. China’s experience has proven that poverty is not an inescapable fate for any country or nation. If we can make it, so can other developing countries.
The ideal of “no hunger on earth” has always been the pursuit of the Chinese nation. China is committed to contributing its wisdom to the global cause of poverty reduction and taking concrete actions to help developing countries achieve the goal of poverty eradication. China has built 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa, benefiting more than 500,000 local people. According to a World Bank report, BRI cooperation projects on transport infrastructure have the potential to lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty. On the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, we are ready to enhance exchange of experience in poverty alleviation with other countries. Our experience can be summed up as follows: formulate science-based strategies based on national realities and establish a system with clearly-defined responsibilities that can amplify synergy; focus on development, which serves as the master key to unlock the door to poverty alleviation; adopt a people-centered approach and help build confidence and capacity to foster internal drive to shake off poverty; take targeted and practical actions, seek tailored-made solutions, and optimize output with intensive and efficient input; pursue open and win-win cooperation and actively participate in global development cooperation.
Poverty eradication is a challenging task for us all. China will implement to the letter the measures announced by President Xi Jinping at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly and make new contributions to the global cause of poverty reduction and development. We also call on the international community to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and uphold multilateralism to make sure no country is left behind as we move forward on poverty reduction. Let’s work together for a shared future with common development where no one lives in poverty and no one goes hungry.