Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's comments on Antony Blinken's China Threat statement
Ministry Foreign Affairs, PRC
AFP: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called yesterday for vigorous competition with China to preserve the existing global order. He said that Beijing posed the most serious long-term challenge to the international order. I wonder if you have any comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: In his verbose speech, Secretary Blinken went to great length to spread disinformation, play up the so-called “China threat”, interfere in China’s internal affairs and smear China’s domestic and foreign policy. The sole purpose is to contain and suppress China’s development and maintain the US hegemony. China deplores and rejects this. I’d like to stress the following:
First, humanity is now living in a new era of connectivity, where all countries share a common future and their interests are closely intertwined. The pursuit of peace, development and win-win results is an unstoppable trend of the times. In the face of changes unseen in a century, we must stick together and promote solidarity and cooperation if we want to uphold world peace and stability, meet the challenge of COVID-19 and revitalize the global economy. The US sensationalization of the so-called “China threat” cannot solve its own problems, and will only lead the world to a dangerous abyss.
Second, the US side is completely confusing right and wrong when calling China “the most serious long-term challenge to the international order”. China was, is and will remain a defender of the international order. We uphold the UN-centered international system, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. People with discerning eyes can easily see that the so-called “rules-based international order” claimed by the US is nothing but a set of “house rules” established by the US and a handful of other countries to maintain the so-called “order” led by the US. The US always puts its domestic law above international law, and cherry-picks international rules as it sees fit in a pragmatic way. This is the biggest source of instability in the international order.
Third, peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom are the common values of humanity. Democracy and human rights have historical, specific and practical contexts. Countries can only explore suitable paths in light of national realities and people’s needs. There is no one-size-fits-all model. No country has the right to monopolize the definition of democracy and human rights, to lecture others on those issues, or to meddle in other countries’ internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. The US is running a huge deficit in democracy and human rights with its deplorable track record. Is it in a position to posture as a guardian of democracy and human rights and criticize other countries on these issues?
Fourth, China advocates the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and holds that the future of the world should be decided by all countries together. Countries should build partnerships featuring equal treatment, consultation and mutual understanding. Major countries should take the lead in charting a new course of international engagement of dialogue and partnership rather than confrontation and alliance. Creating “small cliques” is reversing the course of history. Forging “small groups” is against the trend of history. The US creates the so-called “Indo-Pacific strategy” to rope in regional countries to encircle and contain China, and claims to “shape the strategic environment around Beijing”. This move to gang up on China will get no support and is doomed to fail.
Fifth, China’s diplomacy champions and practices the five principles of peaceful coexistence, stays committed to establishing and developing friendly and cooperative relations with all countries, calls for equality of all countries regardless of size, and opposes imposing one’s own will on others. The label of “coercive diplomacy” can by no means be pinned on China. The US is the inventor of and the synonym to “coercive diplomacy”. Those being coerced by the US could be big or small, close or distant, and friend or foe. The US obsession with bullying has brought deep sufferings to the international community. It is high time that the US worked on this bad habit.
Sixth, issues relating to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet are purely China’s internal affairs. Resolving the Taiwan question and achieving complete national reunification is the shared aspiration and firm will of all the Chinese people. There is no room for any compromise. The US said that it does not support “Taiwan independence”, but it is not practicing what it says. The US has violated the political commitment it made to China time and again, trying to hollow out the one-China principle and embolden the “Taiwan independence” forces. It is such moves that attempt to change the status quo and constitute severe threats to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Xinjiang-related issues are essentially about fighting violent terrorism, extremism and separatism. The accusations of “genocide” and “forced labor” have long been proven lies of the century. The US is risking its own credibility by insisting on spreading those lies. Hong Kong is part of China. When implementing the policy of “people of Hong Kong administering Hong Kong”, the guiding document can only be China’s Constitution and the Basic Law of Hong Kong, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration. We urge the US to abide by basic norms governing international relations, stop using the above-mentioned issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs, and stop spreading lies and disinformation. We solemnly warn the US side not to underestimate the strong resolution, will and capability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Seventh, while talking about competition with China, the US is actually overstretching the concept of national security to impose illegal unilateral sanctions, exercise long-arm jurisdiction and seek decoupling and industrial chain breakage, which have gravely undermined the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and deprived other countries of the right to development. This is by no means “responsible competition”, but rather unscrupulous suppression and containment. The key for the China-US relationship to walk out of the predicament is for the US side to abandon its mania for zero-sum games, give up its obsession with encircling and containing China and stop undermining China-US relations.
The China-US relationship is now at an important crossroads. Antagonism and confrontation or dialogue and cooperation? Mutual benefit and win-win cooperation or zero-sum game? The US side should make the right choices bearing in mind the common interests of people in both countries and the world. It needs to act on President Biden’s remarks that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support “Taiwan independence”; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. We have noted that Secretary Blinken said in his speech that the US is not looking for conflict or a new Cold War with China; it doesn’t seek to block China from its role as a major power, nor to stop China from growing its economy; and it wants to coexist peacefully with China. We are watching what the US will do.
China Daily: Recently, some people in certain Western countries have been accusing China of “hoarding grains” in the international market. They demand more actions from China for global food security. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: The Chinese government always attaches great importance to the issue of food security. We follow a vision on food security that is centered on “self-sufficiency in grain supply and absolute security of staple grains”. The year 2021 marks the seventh consecutive year that China secured an annual grain production of over 1.3 trillion jin (650 million tonnes). China stands as the world’s largest grain producer and third largest grain exporter. We have the capability and confidence of being self-reliant in securing our own food supply. It is unnecessary for China to “hoard grains” in the international market.
China has managed to feed one fifth of the world’s population with a quarter of the world’s total food production on less than 9% of the world’s arable land. This achievement is in itself a significant contribution to world food security. In the meantime, China has shown its responsibility as a major country and made positive contributions to ensuring global food security. Under the Global Development Initiative put forward by China, food security is one of the eight priority areas of cooperation. We will mobilize efforts from all parties across the globe to draw on each other’s advantages, and pool the strength for achieving all sustainable development goals including food security. China has always been an important strategic partner of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in South-South cooperation. In recent years, we have donated a total of $130 million to the FAO’s South-South Cooperation Programme. China has sent a large number of experts and technical personnel to countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and to Pacific Island Countries. China has donated the largest amount of fund, sent the most experts, and undertaken the most projects under the framework of the FAO’s South-South Cooperation Programme among all developing countries. Since the start of COVID-19, China has responded actively to the appeal of the UN and other international organizations by providing emergency food assistance to many countries. China’s contribution to stabilizing world food production and supply has been widely praised by the international community.
Besides, China actively advocates reducing food loss and food waste. If the world can reduce food loss by one percentage point, we can save up to 28 million tonnes of food that is enough to feed 70 million people. President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of food conservation on many occasions. In 2021, China held the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste, which received warm response from the international community including G20 member states.
We are sad to see that in many developing countries with food shortage, people don’t have enough to eat while in some developed countries, food often goes uneaten and gets dumped in the trash can. The amount of food wasted in developed countries each year is nearly as much as the sum of food produced in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the US Department of Agriculture, food waste is estimated at between 30-40% of the food supply in the US. In 2018, food waste in the US totaled 103 million tons, with an approximate value of $161 billion.
We urge relevant countries to reduce food waste, fulfill their due international obligations and shoulder more international responsibilities. Instead of racking their brains to make an issue of other countries, they should do their own homework well, take earnest efforts to save food, maintain the steady operation of international trade in agricultural products and help developing countries improve the capacity of food production in order to uphold global food security.
The more difficult the situation is, the more important it is for us to enhance solidarity. At a time when the international food supply chain is coming under impact, we call on all countries to shoulder common responsibility. We should increase food supply by stabilizing production, reducing food loss and ensuring smooth supply, and at the same time reduce food loss and food waste and make earnest efforts in food conservation in order to safeguard global food security.
Kyodo News: According to reports, cargo trains carrying medical supplies entered the DPRK from Dandong, China on Thursday night. Can you confirm this?
Wang Wenbin: I am not aware of the information you mentioned.
Bloomberg: Just on the speech by Antony Blinken. You mentioned that Blinken was spreading disinformation. I wonder if you could elaborate a little bit about that in terms of specific examples or what exactly you were referring to when you mentioned spreading disinformation. And also secondly, you said that China is watching what the US will do. Could you give some specific examples in terms of Taiwan, for example? What will you be looking at? What sort of areas will you be looking at?
Wang Wenbin: Let me start with your first question. You asked me to give you an example of what Secretary Blinken said was disinformation. Here is a typical example. Secretary Blinken said that China poses “the most serious long-term challenge to the international order”. This is a classic piece of disinformation.
International rules and order have been clearly defined. China has always maintained that all countries should firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, international order underpinned by international law, and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China has always been a staunch defender of the international order. Secretary Blinken said that China poses “the most serious long-term challenge to the international order”. What will you call it if not disinformation?
We urge the US side to follow China’s example and make a clear statement that it firmly upholds the international system with the UN at its core, international order underpinned by international law, and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, instead of smearing and attacking others.
As to your second question, I made clear China’s position just now. We urge the US to bear in mind the common interests of people in both countries and the world. It should act on President Biden’s remarks that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support “Taiwan independence”; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. The US should work with China to find a way for our two major countries to get along with peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.
