Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on July 12, 2024

CCTV: In the statements released on July 11, the US and the EU announced their support for the so-called arbitral award on the South China Sea and attacked China’s positions and propositions. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: China noted the statements by the US and the EU. Let me make the following points:

First, the US selfishly refuses to accede to UNCLOS, and yet often lectures other countries on their implementation of UNCLOS. This is hypocrisy, double standard and selective application of international law.

Second, the US and the EU disregard the history and facts on the South China Sea issue, act against the UN Charter, and misinterpret UNCLOS and other international law. Their position and proposition do not hold water.

Third, the US has gone back on its public commitments of not taking a position on sovereignty issues in the South China Sea. It encouraged the Philippines to launch the arbitration on the South China Sea, and blatantly released a statement to endorse the award. This is political manipulation aimed at using allies to destabilize the South China Sea and the region and advance the nefarious agenda of going after China.

Let me stress that with the concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the South China Sea has been generally stable. China will work with ASEAN countries to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable, and contribute to regional prosperity and development. We urge countries outside the region led by the US to earnestly respect these efforts, refrain from statements and actions that disrupt regional peace and stability, and stop being a trouble maker in the South China Sea.

China-Arab TV: Israel’s military operation in Gaza over the last 24 hours killed 50 and injured 54 people. Over the past nine months, due to Israel’s continuous bombing, there is no safe place in Gaza and more than 38,000 people were killed. What’s your comment? 

Lin Jian: China opposes and condemns all acts that harm civilians and violate international law. The current situation in the Gaza Strip is unsustainable and the most urgent priority is to fully and effectively implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions, achieve an immediate ceasefire, protect civilians, ensure access to humanitarian assistance and realize the early release of all those held captive. We urge Israel to heed the call of the international community, stop its military actions as soon as possible, and do everything possible to avoid innocent civilian casualties.

Xinhua News Agency: On July 11, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized again at the closing press conference of the NATO Summit that China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine. He said that China’s joint military exercise with Belarus fits into the pattern of working together in supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine. He added that China is taking more assertive behaviors in Hong Kong and the South China Sea and, threatening Taiwan and threatening neighbors. China is conducting a huge military build-up with no transparency and investing heavily in new modern missiles and nuclear weapons. How does China respond to these remarks?

Lin Jian: China strongly condemns the irresponsible and provocative remarks made by the NATO Secretary General against China, which are steeped in Cold War mentality and ideological bias, and consist of baseless accusations. In his remarks, the NATO Secretary General attacked China’s system, blatantly interfered in China’s internal affairs, and distorted China’s domestic and diplomatic policies. He sought to shift blames and mislead the international community on Ukraine and pointed fingers at China’s normal military development and relations with relevant countries. We strongly deplore and firmly oppose it.   

China has already made its position clear on the Ukraine issue and the NATO Summit. I would like to emphasize that, for a long time, the NATO Secretary General, in disregard of the facts and China’s protests, repeatedly smeared and hurled attacks at China. He has been playing up the “China threat” narrative and inciting suspicion about China and anti-China sentiments in an apparent attempt to cooperate with certain parties to suppress and contain China. These clumsy stunts have sounded the alarm for many in the world and remind people what risks and challenges NATO, as a vestige of the Cold War and a product of bloc confrontation and bloc politics, will bring to world peace and stability. 

China urges certain Western politician, whose political life is approaching an end, not to fan the flames, make provocations, and shift blames for the sake of trying to leave behind some kind of legacy. China will stick to the path of peaceful development and inject more stability and positive energy into world peace and stability through its own development and international cooperation. China will also firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. To see China as NATO’s imaginary enemy will only backfire on NATO itself.

China News Service: In a recent speech at the Hudson Institute, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said “Beijing is our number-one foreign threat” and Congress will counter China “with every tool at its disposal” before House members stand for re-election. House of Representatives will have the package of China-related legislation signed into law by the end of this year, including those to sanction Chinese military firms that provide material support to Russia and Iran and to restrict US investments in China and China-US trade. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: These comments are a deliberate mischaracterization of facts, a repetition of the false narrative of “China threat” and filled with Cold War thinking and ideological bias. They are meant to find ways to divert attention from domestic issues and further aim at and contain China. China firmly opposes it.

China has the right to normal trade and economic cooperation with other countries, and opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that lack basis in international law and UN Security Council mandate. We ask the US to get rid of the zero-sum approach, and refrain from remarks and moves that harm China’s interests. China will take resolute measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.

China Review News: It’s reported that the Defense of Japan 2024 white paper adopted at Japan’s Cabinet meeting today stressed that Japan finds itself in the most severe security environment of the post-war era. According to the white paper, China has been intensifying its activities, North Korea has been advancing its nuclear and missile development, and Russia has been observed engaging in joint activities with China—those are Japan’s great concerns in its defense policy, and Japan must enhance its defense capability against ballistic missiles and other standoff weapons. The white paper also mentions the possibility of an escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: The Defense of Japan 2024 white paper gravely interferes in China’s internal affairs, again seeks to play up the “China threat” narrative, and hypes up regional tensions. We deplore and reject this.

China is committed to the path of peaceful development and a defense policy that is defensive in nature. China’s defense development and military activities are legitimate and justified. Our joint patrols with other countries are consistent with international law and customary international practice. Taiwan is an alienable part of China’s territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that brooks no external interference. In recent years, the root cause of the cross-Strait tensions has been “Taiwan independence” separatists’ reckless activities emboldened and supported by external forces. Japan invaded and exercised colonial rule over Taiwan and bears serious historical responsibilities for the suffering it imposed on the Chinese people. Japan is in no position to point its fingers on the Taiwan question.

Given Japan’s history of militarist aggression during the last century, Japan’s military and security moves have been closely watched by its Asian neighbors and the international community. In recent years, Japan has been drastically readjusting defense policy, increasing defense spending annually, easing restrictions of weapon exports, and seeking military breakthrough. It has triggered strong concerns from the world. We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its history of aggression, champion peaceful development, stop finding pretexts for its own military buildup, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the wider international community through concrete actions.

Shenzhen TV: On July 12, the Philippines released the Statement on the Eighth Anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea. What’s your comment? 

Lin Jian: The arbitration case was initiated by the Philippines unilaterally in breach of the Philippines’ own commitment to China. The matters raised in the case were beyond the scope of jurisdiction of the arbitral  set up temporarily at the unilateral request of the Philippines. The tribunal, however, took the case anyway and delivered a ruling which is illegal, null and void. The Philippines breached the common understandings it had reached with China on resolving the disputes in the South China Sea through bilateral consultation and negotiation. The Philippines violated the article of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) which states that the disputes should be resolved by peaceful means through consultations and negotiations by sovereign States directly concerned. The Philippines abused the UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanism, ignored China’s declaration which, according to UNCLOS, excludes maritime delimitation from compulsory dispute settlement procedures, and insisted on initiating the arbitration. China has never accepted or taken part in the case. The arbitral tribunal violated the principle of state consent, and acted against UNCLOS and general international law. The award it rendered is illegal, null and void, and non-binding. China does not accept or recognize it, and will never accept any claim or action based on the award. China’s sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea are under no circumstances affected by the award.

The South China Sea arbitration is essentially political circus dressed up as legal action. The Philippines let itself fall into the trap set by the US and some Western countries, be fettered, and become certain countries’ tool to gang up on China—all at the cost of the Philippines’ relations with China. The Philippines views the arbitral award and UNCLOS as the two cornerstones of its policy and action in the South China Sea. Yet the award is very much a deviation from UNCLOS, which means the Philippines has adopted a self-contradictory position. To cling to this position and the arbitral award will only get the Philippines farther and farther away from the right path. 

For a long period of time, in the interest of our overall bilateral ties with the Philippines and the peace and stability of the region, China has been committed to resolving relevant disputes with the Philippines through direct negotiation and friendly consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law. We hope the Philippine side will honor its commitments, stop citing and hyping up the illegal award and get back onto the right track of bilateral negotiation for the disputes at an early date.

Beijing Daily: The Second High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development was held in Beijing on July 12. Could you share more about this?

Lin Jian: This morning, the Second High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development hosted by China International Development Cooperation Agency was held in Beijing. The theme of this year’s forum is “Promoting Sustainable Development: Continuous Actions for a Better Future.” The forum aims at further forging a global consensus on development, promoting joint global action and joining hands to create a better future. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi attended the forum and gave a keynote speech. The forum attracted representatives from more than 110 countries and over 30 international organizations.

Director Wang Yi pointed out that over the past three years since President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative(GDI), cooperation under the initiative has continued to deepen, with improving cooperation mechanisms and increasingly fruitful cooperation results. More than 80 countries have now joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. The China-Africa-United Nations Tripartite Cooperation Demonstration Center was established. There are more than 1,000 projects in Global Development Project Pool, with more than 500 projects completed or under construction. Special funds for global development have continued to expand, and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has been upgraded. The Chinese government has also trained more than 40,000 people for developing countries in various fields.

Director Wang Yi stressed that, in this world of turbulence and transformation,a lot can be achieved by implementing the GDI. China will focus on the long-term goal of global development, bear in mind the real needs of the people of all countries and share the experience of Chinese modernization for realizing the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and pooling development consensus. China will deepen South-South cooperation, promote North-South dialogue, prioritize development, form synergy among development strategies of all parties, and foster new development drivers, so as to improve the forum and promote the building of a global community of development.

In 2022, President Xi Jinping announced 32 major initiatives to implement the GDI. Organizing the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development is one of them. Last year, the first high-level meeting of the forum was successfully held, and the Beijing Statement was issued to set up the Global Development Project Pool and Global Development Capital Pool, and mobilize US$12 billion in special funds from Chinese and foreign financial institutions for the implementation of the GDI. This year’s meeting will bring more fruits, deeper cooperation and benefits for all peoples. China will leverage the GDI, GSI and GCI to work with all parties for a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.

TASS: Russia’s President Putin yesterday put forward the idea of a BRICS parliamentary organization. What’s the Foreign Ministry’s comment?  

Lin Jian: I do not have information on that.

CCTV: On July 10, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the 2024 NATO Public Forum that “we are making the investments in ourselves at home to make sure that we’re approaching China from a position of domestic strength.” But as the US re-energizes its alliances and partnerships with NATO, the EU and major European countries, it is abundantly clear that they have more convergence now when it comes to how to approach China. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: The US has vowed time and again to deal with China from the so-called “position of strength.” The phrase reflects how arrogant and domineering the US is. In our world, no country is superior to another, and no one has the right to bully others. Any country who thinks they can bully others by strengthening their “position of strength” will be acting against the trend of the times. And they will certainly not be supported by the international community. 

Exchange and cooperation between countries should contribute to the mutual understanding and trust between other countries, and should not be about forming exclusive clubs that target or harm third party’s interests. The US made a commitment of not asking other countries to pick sides—it should act accordingly instead of ganging up and hurting other countries’ interests.

China views and handles its relations with the US based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. We hope the US will work with China in the same direction, form the right perception of China, stop zero-sum game and major-country competition, and contribute to the stable, sound and sustainable growth of bilateral relations, instead of doing the opposite.

RIA Novosti: The Telegraph newspaper reported yesterday that China is constructing a secret military base in Tajikistan not far from the border of Afghanistan. Could you please comment on this report?

Lin Jian: I am not aware of what you mentioned, but I can tell you with full confidence that China is committed to an independent foreign policy of peace and has no military base in Central Asia.

Beijing Youth Daily: According to reports, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol on July 10. Both sides hope that Japan and the ROK can maintain close cooperation with NATO member states and allies, and sent signals that North Atlantic security cannot be separated with Northeast Asian security. Prime Minister Kishida said the Washington Summit will deepen the cooperation between NATO and the IP4. We also noted that US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the US hopes to institutionalize cooperation between NATO and the IP4, namely Japan, the ROK, Australia and New Zealand. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: The US-led NATO, as a Cold War vestige and the world’s largest military bloc, claims to be a regional defensive alliance but keeps hyping up regional tensions, inciting bloc confrontation, and creating pretexts to engage Asia-Pacific countries. This has sounded the alarm for regional countries.

Northeast Asia was once ravaged by war, and suffered from military and bloc confrontation. It cherishes peaceful coexistence, solidarity, and mutually beneficial cooperation. The peace, cooperation, stability and prosperity we see today in the Asia-Pacific, including Northeast Asia, is a result of the joint efforts of regional countries. The Asia-Pacific does not need military blocs, still less major-country confrontation or clubs of countries pushing for a new Cold War. We hope regional countries will stay committed to the path of Asia-Pacific cooperation, and play a constructive role in upholding and promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and around the globe, rather than spearheading NATO’s extension into the Asia-Pacific.