Embassy Spokesperson Answers Questions Regarding Contents Related to China in G7 Summit Communiqué

Question: On 13 June, the G7 Summit in Cornwall issued a communiqué upon conclusion which referred to China in quite a number of places, and criticised and imposed demands on China regarding Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other matters. What is the comment of the Chinese Embassy on this？

Embassy Spokesperson: The communiqué issued fact-distorting content on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other matters, confounding right and wrong. This wanton smearing of China and blatant interference in its internal affairs flagrantly violates the basic norms of international relations and further exposes the ulterior motive of a handful of countries, including the United States. We are gravely concerned and firmly opposed to this.

Right now, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rampage in the world. The global economy remains sluggish and recovery weak. Global challenges such as climate change have become more prominent. Against such a backdrop, what the international community needs is cooperation and solidarity between all its members. However, what the world sees at the summit is a game of "small circle", group politics and power politics, and intentional creation of confrontation and division. This runs counter to the trend of our time and contradicts the will of the people around the world. It is unhelpful to any joint international efforts to address the current problems and challenges.

China is a peace-loving country that advocates cooperation. We are committed to expanding friendly cooperation with other countries and jointly tackling global challenges on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. In the meantime, China is a country that upholds principles and has its bottom line. We will never tolerate interference in China's internal affairs, vilification of China's name or infringement on China's interests. We will always be firm in safeguarding China's national sovereignty, security and development interests, and will fight back resolutely any injustice and trespasses imposed on China.

We urge the United States and other G7 members to respect facts, see the actual situation in perspective, stop slandering China, cease interfering in our internal affairs, stop infringing upon our interests and do more to promote international cooperation instead of creating confrontation and friction.

Question: The G7 communiqué calls on China to respect "human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang". Would you like to comment on this?

Embassy spokesperson: Xinjiang-related issues are China's internal affairs. They are about counter-violence, anti-separatism and de-radicalization, rather than human rights, ethnicity or religion. We firmly oppose the political manipulation of Xinjiang-related issues and the interference in China's internal affairs by the G7.

The Chinese government is committed to seeking happiness for the Chinese people including all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, and protecting their human rights and basic freedom according to law. Thanks to our unremitting efforts, the region currently enjoys social stability and ethnic solidarity, and people there live and work in content. The average life expectancy in Xinjiang has grown from over 30 years six decades ago to 72. For over four years in a row, Xinjiang has not seen a single violent terrorist case. In 2020, Xinjiang realized complete poverty elimination, with all 3 million people living under the poverty line lifted out of poverty. China's policies in relation to Xinjiang enjoy support from people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and the entire population of China.

The so-called evidence used to smear China's policies in relation to Xinjiang is nothing but constant repetition of fake reports by some anti-China scholars and fake news by a few western media. It does not hold water. Lies, rumours and groundless accusations will neither stop Xinjiang's prosperity and progress nor undermine international equality and justice.

Question: The G7 communiqué calls on China to respect "those rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law". What is your comment on this?

Embassy spokesperson: The Chinese Government governs Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Joint Declaration is about China resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. No country should use the Joint Declaration as an excuse to interfere in Hong Kong affairs.

Since Hong Kong's return to China, the policy of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy has been earnestly implemented. The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law have been fully protected. Hong Kong's achievements in its development have won global recognition. For 150-plus years under the colonial rule, Hong Kong residents had been a target of oppression by the British government, with no democracy or human rights to speak of. Had the United States or others paid any attention to Hong Kong's human rights and democracy back then?

The Central Government's relevant measures for Hong Kong to enhance national security and improve the electoral system will strengthen the protection of the legitimate rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents, promote Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, and contribute to the steadfast and successful implementation of One Country, Two Systems. These efforts have won the support of the overwhelming majority of people in Hong Kong.

China is firmly resolved and confident in upholding its national sovereignty, security and development interests and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong. We urge the relevant sides to face up to the reality that Hong Kong returned to China 24 years ago, abide by international law and norms governing international relations and immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs.

Question: The G7 leaders said in the communiqué of their Carbis Bay Summit that they "underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" and "encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues". What is your comment?

Embassy spokesperson: There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair that bears on China's core interests, and brooks no external interference.

The root cause of the current tension in the cross-strait relations is that the DPP authorities in Taiwan refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus embodying the one-China principle and, in collusion with external forces, constantly make provocations in pursuit of "independence". China must and will be reunified. We are willing to do our best to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any space for any kind of separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence".

We urge the relevant countries to take China's concern seriously, abide by the one-China principle, honour to their commitment made when establishing diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, immediately stop all kinds of words and actions that emboldens the separatists seeking "Taiwan independence", stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits through concrete actions.

Question: The G7, in its Carbis Bay Summit communiqué, criticises China of "non-market policies and practices". Would you share your comment on this?

Embassy spokesperson: The G7 allegation against China on economic and trade issues is neither true nor reasonable. The Chinese side expresses its strong opposition.

China is committed to developing the socialist market economy in all aspects where the market plays the decisive role in resource allocation and the government improves its role in a market economy environment. China is fostering a new development paradigm, which means that it will, on the one hand, keep tapping the potential of the domestic market and form a stable support for economic growth and employment, and on the other hand, further open up the market that has a population of 1.4 billion and continue to make it an important destination for foreign investment and a big market for the world.

China is committed to opening up, improving the market-based, law-based and open business environment, and advancing the reforms to delegate power, streamline administration and optimize government services, so as to ensure a level playing field for both domestic and foreign enterprises. Meanwhile, China is working vigorously to promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, with a view to building an open world economy.

China has been the major stabilizer and powerhouse for world economic growth, contributing over 30 percent to global growth annually for many years in a row. China's overall tariffs were cut down to 7.5 percent in November 2018 and have kept dropping since then. In the first quarter of this year, China's economy grew by 18.2 percent year-on-year, and trade in goods increased by 29.2 percent year-on-year. The fundamentals sustaining China's sound and steady economic growth remain unchanged. China is making important contribution to world economic recovery through its growth.

By contrast, a few countries including the United States have time and again stretched the concept of national security, abused national power to suppress certain Chinese companies, and deliberately set up obstacles for cooperation between businesses. These actions are non-market policies and practices in every sense of the words. They violate WTO principles and market rules, and amount to trade bullying. We urge the relevant countries to reflect on their own policies and practices, right their wrongs, and take concrete measures to contribute to the sound development of economic and trade relations between countries and to the building of an open world economy.

Question: The G7 Summit communiqué calls for a "timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 COVID-19 Origins study including in China". What is your comment on this?

Embassy Spokesperson: The origin-tracing is a scientific issue on which China has been open and transparent. China is the first to cooperate with the WHO on origin-tracing, having invited two WHO missions to visit China for study, scored important phased results and contributed positively to the international efforts on origin-tracing. The joint study mission of China and the WHO has been conducting its research and writing the report independently, following WHO procedures and adopting a science-based approach, thus the report is authoritative and scientific.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still rampaging in the world. Origin-tracing should be conducted by scientists worldwide in collaboration, rather than be politicized. A few politicians from a handful of countries including the United States brazenly questioned and denied the conclusions of the joint-study report and made groundless accusation against China, ignoring all the facts and scientific evidence. This is a complete deviation from the spirit of science and typical political manipulation. Some country even ordered the intelligence agency to carry out origin-tracing, which has completely laid bare their political purpose. Such action would only hinder the international cooperation on origin-tracing and go against the shared wishes of the international community to work together against Covid-19.

China will continue to play an active part in international cooperation on origin-tracing which should be a global endeavour involving multiple countries and regions. We hope that relevant countries will stop the political manipulation immediately and, instead, work with the WHO just like what China has been doing to promote origin-tracing on the basis of scientific, objective and just principles.