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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on December 22, 2023

2023-12-22 21:17

The fourth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders’ Meeting will be held via videolink on December 25. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council and the leaders of the five Mekong countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam will attend the meeting. 

CCTV: Premier Li Qiang will attend the fourth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders’ Meeting on December 25. How does China view the current development of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation? What’s China’s expectation for this meeting?

Wang Wenbin: The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) is the first new sub-regional cooperation mechanism focused on building a community with a shared future with wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits of the six Lancang-Mekong countries. In the past seven years since its inception, LMC enjoyed rapid development and put in place an LMC framework guided by leaders and underpinned by all-round cooperation and broad participation. With progress and results delivered daily, monthly and annually, we have created an LMC speed, and fostered an LMC culture featuring equality, sincerity, mutual assistance and kinship. LMC has become a stellar example for countries to develop relations with each other, conduct regional cooperation and pursue South-South cooperation.

Lancang-Mekong countries are at an important stage of speeding up development and achieving modernization. At the eighth LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held earlier this month, parties focused on regional stability and prosperity, highlighted the growth of new development advantages in the region and made full preparation for the upcoming Leaders’ Meeting. We hope that the upcoming Leaders’ Meeting will advocate building a Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future, focus on cooperation in such areas as integrated development, environmental protection, technological innovation, security governance and people-to-people exchanges, have in-depth discussion on advancing the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Economic Development Belt, and contribute to regional countries’ common development and modernization.

NBC: It’s reported that Chinese leader said China will reunify Taiwan with the mainland. While this is a known policy position, does this raising of the Taiwan issue in such a direct manner at the highest level with the United States imply that there is a change in China’s tone or determination on the Taiwan issue, in particular ahead of Taiwan election?

Wang Wenbin: During his meeting with President Biden in San Francisco this November, President Xi Jinping outlined China’s principled position on the Taiwan question. The readout of the meeting was released soon after their discussion. President Xi pointed out that the Taiwan question remains the most important and most sensitive issue in China-US relations. China takes seriously the positive statements made by the United States in the Bali meeting, and the US should match its action with its commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence”, stop arming Taiwan and support China’s peaceful reunification. 

It needs to be pointed out that resolving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. Our position of advancing reunification is consistent, rock-solid and unshakable. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable. 

China Daily: During the summit meeting in San Francisco, China and the United States agreed to establish a working group on counternarcotics cooperation and carry out counternarcotics cooperation. What specific measures has China taken so far?

Wang Wenbin: Carrying out counternarcotics cooperation is one of the important common understandings reached between the two Presidents during their meeting in San Francisco. To deliver on that, the US side has lifted sanctions on relevant Chinese law enforcement institute. Recently, China has been engaged in campaigns against fentanyl and its precursor chemicals, and cracked down on illegal and criminal activities involving the smuggling, illicit manufacturing, trafficking and abuse of fentanyl-related substances. We have carried out a sweeping inspection of key businesses, personnel and equipment. We have been working to clean up information about online sales of fentanyl, and strictly prevent the smuggling and trafficking of relevant chemical substances to protect people’s physical and mental health. The counternarcotics authorities of China and the US are resuming regular communication. The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics. China has responded to US request for verifying clues on certain cases and taken action. The two sides are in close communication on setting up a working group on counternarcotics cooperation.

I need to stress that progress in resuming China-US counternarcotics cooperation has not come easy and needs to be doubly cherished by both sides. 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.

Al Jazeera: Lately, the Israeli authorities have been confiscating occupied territories in the name of urban development, especially the Palestinian-owned land in East Jerusalem. Such practice violates international law and has become a fuse directly causing the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which undermines peace and sabotages the possibility of the two-state solution. What is China’s position on Israel’s acts? As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, what measures can China take to stop these acts of Israel which violate international law?

Wang Wenbin: China opposes Israel building settlements on the occupied Palestinian territory. China opposes unila