CCTV: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Thailand from January 26 to 29. Can you brief us on the highlights of the visit? What results have been achieved and what common understandings have been reached through the visit?
Wang Wenbin: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi visited Thailand upon invitation from January 26 to 29.
During the visit, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin respectively. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara held annual consultation and jointly met the press.
The Thai side stated that Thailand highly values the Thailand-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and attaches great importance to enhancing its friendly cooperation with China. Thailand firmly upholds the one-China principle and does not conduct any official interaction with Taiwan. Thailand congratulates China on holding a successful Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs and agrees with President Xi Jinping’s proposal of building an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. Thailand stands ready to work with China to jointly build a China-Thailand community with a shared future, strengthen coordination on regional and international issues, carry out substantive cooperation on implementing the three global initiatives, enhance Belt and Road cooperation, uphold multilateralism, oppose decoupling and severing of supply chains, and keep the industrial and supply chains stable and smooth.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China and Thailand are as close as one family. Our two countries are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. We will celebrate the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations next year. China will focus on building a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability, strengthen practical cooperation across the board and add new dimensions to China-Thailand relations. Our two countries are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Enhanced friendship and mutual trust between China and Thailand helps safeguard peace in Asia, maintaining close and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Thailand help energize regional development, and accelerated progress in building a China-Thailand community with a shared future will make humanity’s future more promising.
During the visit, the two sides reached a series of common understandings:
First, enhancing high-level exchanges. The two sides will work together to put into action important common understandings between leaders of our two countries, deepen strategic guidance, continue to render each other support on issues that bear on each other’s core interests and major concerns and jointly plan for events celebrating the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations next year.
Second, focusing on mutually beneficial cooperation. The two sides will actively advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up the construction of the China-Thailand Railway, fully implement the vision of interconnected development of China, Laos and Thailand, and complete the building of the Trans-Asian Railway’s mid-line section at an early date. The two sides will strengthen cooperation in such fields as agricultural trade, NEVs, digital economy and green development to benefit the two peoples with the dividend of building a China-Thailand community with a shared future.
Third, boosting people-to-people and cultural exchanges. One of the highlights of the visit is the signing of the agreement between the two sides on the mutual exemption of visa requirements for holders of ordinary passports. The two countries will usher in a visa-free era. We will jointly enhance the public foundation for the China-Thailand community with a shared future. The bilateral people-to-people exchanges will be brought to a new height. The two sides will strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation and jointly fight transnational crimes including online gambling and telecom fraud for a secure and worry-free environment for the bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
Fourth, strengthening multilateral coordination. The two sides will stay committed to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, firmly oppose zero-sum game and winner-takes-all, practice true multilateralism and open regionalism, build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home for China and ASEAN, accelerate the consultation on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly safeguard ASEAN centrality. China supports Thailand in serving as the co-chair of Lancang-Mekong cooperation and in building a Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future of peace and prosperity.
The two countries signed cooperation documents including a protocol regarding the export of Thai agricultural products to China.
AFP: The working group on China-US counternarcotics cooperation is holding its first meeting today in Beijing. What does China expect to achieve through the meeting?
Wang Wenbin: During the meeting between Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last week, the two sides agreed to launch the China-US counternarcotics cooperation working group in the near future. China has released relevant information. We hope that the US side will show sincerity, work with China in the same direction and continue to carry out practical counternarcotics cooperation based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
On your specific question, you may refer to competent authorities.
Bloomberg: Has China asked the US to reverse its decision to pause approvals for new LNG export projects? Has this decision by the US created any long-term energy security concerns for China, given that some Chinese importers have contracts with the potentially affected American projects?
Wang Wenbin: On the specifics of energy cooperation between China and the US, I’d refer you to competent authorities.
Rudaw Media Network: Due to the Houthis’ attacks in the Red Sea, is there any negative impact on the Chinese trade with Middle Eastern countries? My second question, the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan by Iranian-affiliated groups has complicated the situation in the regions. How does China see these attacks?
Wang Wenbin: On your first question, the Red Sea is an important international trade route for goods and energy. We do not hope to see tensions in the region, call for a halt to the harassment and attacks on civilian ships, advocate respecting the sovereignty of Yemen and other coastal countries of the Red Sea, and are committed to working actively with all parties to alleviate tensions there. The root cause for the escalation of the situation in the Red Sea lies in the spillover effect of the Gaza conflict. A speedy end of the conflict in Gaza will help ease the situation in the Red Sea. We urge parties to the conflict in Gaza to earnestly implement the UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and realize an immediate ceasefire. The international community needs to take coordinated actions for this end.
On your second question, we noted the report that an attack on a US base caused casualties, and also noted that Iran said it has nothing to do with the attack. The current situation in the Middle East is highly complex and sensitive. We hope relevant parties will remain calm and exercise restraint, step up dialogue and communication, avoid getting into a vicious cycle of revenge, and prevent further escalation of tensions in the region.
China News Service: The Chinese Embassy in Nauru held the reopening ceremony on January 29. Can you share more details with us?
Wang Wenbin: The Chinese Embassy in Nauru held the reopening ceremony on January 29. Representative of the Chinese government and Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency Luo Zhaohui, head of the team responsible for re-establishing the Chinese Embassy in Nauru Wang Xuguang, Nauru’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea, and Minister for Infrastructure Development Jesse Jeremiah jointly unveiled the plaque of the Embassy. Speaker of the Nauru Parliament Marcus Stephen, government officials, members of the Nauru Parliament, and representatives from Chinese companies and the Chinese community in Nauru attended the ceremony.
At the ceremony, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea, on behalf of Nauru, congratulated China on the reopening of the Embassy, reiterated that Nauru is firmly committed to the one-China principle and regards the one-China principle as a fundamental foreign policy, and noted that after the resumption of diplomatic ties, the China-Nauru relations have developed fast and are warmly received in Nauru, and that Nauru looks forward to what the two countries can do together.
After officially resuming diplomatic relations on January 24, China and Nauru agreed to open embassies in each other’s country at an early date. With the concerted efforts of both sides, only five days on, the Five-Starred Red Flag is once again flying high over Nauru, a sign that the China-Nauru relations are embarking on a fast track of growth. It also shows that the historical trend of commitment to the one-China principle will not be stopped, and the world’s big family committed to the one-China principle will become even bigger. China stands ready to work with Nauru for equal-footed engagement, close communication, sincere cooperation and common development, to steadily advance the bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.
RIA Novosti: Russian Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina said that Russia is discussing with other BRICS countries the interaction of national financial message transmission systems, an alternative to SWIFT. What’s China’s comments?
Wang Wenbin: Ensuring global financial stability and improving global economic governance is a crucial part of international economic and financial cooperation, which bears on the common interests of all countries. Emerging markets and developing countries improving international settlement options gives a boost to each other’s trade and investment, and global financial stability. China supports efforts in the relevant mechanism and stands ready to contribute to improving global economic governance.
The Paper: It’s reported that Pakistani foreign ministry in a press conference on January 25 accused India’s intelligence personnel of involvement in the killings of Pakistani citizens in Pakistan. It’s said that the assassination was conducted in the same way as the killing of Sikh activists by India in Canada and the US. Pakistan also accused India of recruiting, financing and supporting criminals and terrorists overseas to play defined roles in these assassinations. What’s China’s comment?
Wang Wenbin: China noted the reports and recent diplomatic disputes between relevant countries. The information released by Pakistan is worth our attention.
I want to stress that terrorism is humanity’s common enemy. China firmly opposes double standards on counterterrorism, which benefits no one and will only backfire. China stands for strengthening counterterrorism cooperation among all countries to jointly fight all forms of terrorism.
Kyodo News: The Munich Security Conference will be held in Germany in mid-February. Will Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend the conference?
Wang Wenbin: We will release relevant information in due course on the Chinese side’s participation in the Munich Security Conference. Please stay tuned.
