China FM warns of ‘new Cold War’
CHINESE State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi warned on Sunday of the need to be alert to some US political forces’ efforts to push the US and China toward a “new Cold War”.
He also urged Washington to cooperate with Beijing in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wang, speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing, said it is regrettable that a political virus that loses no chance to attack and smear China is also spreading in the US while innocent lives are being taken away every day in the country now hit hardest by the outbreak.
Some US politicians have fabricated too many lies and plotted too many conspiracies about China regardless of the most basic facts, and the lies have been compiled into a list recently posted on the internet, he said.
“The longer the list … the more stains they will leave in history,” Wang said, adding that the issue of tracing the origin of the virus is one of the lies.
Even though it is a scientific issue that should be studied by scientists and medical specialists, some US politicians have rushed to label the virus, politicise its origin and stigmatise China, he said.
Wang said China is open to international scientific cooperation on identifying the source of the virus, but it should be conducted in a professional, fair and constructive way.
The work to identify its origin should not affect the current top priority of saving lives, should not undermine anti-pandemic cooperation among countries and should not weaken the role of the WHO, he said.
Covid-19 is a common enemy of China and the US, Wang said, and mutual support and assistance are the common aspirations of people in both countries.
He called on the two countries to learn from each other and share their experience to fight the virus, jointly participate in and promote multilateral cooperation and carry out early coordination and communication over macro policies regarding the pandemic’s impact on the economies of both countries and the world.
In response to Washington’s accusations toward the WHO, Wang said the organisation’s inter national standing and its place in history will not be changed just because some country doesn’t like it.
“Those who throw mud at the WHO will only leave a stain on themselves,” he said.
Wang stressed that the WHO, made up of 194 member states, should not serve the interests of only one country, nor can it serve the will of whoever pays the most money.
“Life is the top priority. Supporting the WHO is supporting saving lives, and this is what a country with a conscience should do,” he said.
When asked about the national security legislation for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Wang said Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs, and no external interference will be tolerated.
Non-interference, as a basic norm of international relations, must be observed by all countries, Wang noted.
The central government is responsible for upholding national security, which is the same in any country, he said.
It holds the primary and ultimate responsibility for national security in al l sub-national administrative regions, which is the basic theory and principle underpinning national sovereignty and a common practice in countries around the globe, he said.
Noting that excessive unlawful foreign meddling in Hong Kong affairs has placed China’s national security in serious jeopardy,Wang said establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security has become a pressing priority, and must be done without the slightest delay.
Wang said the draft decision targets a narrow category of acts that seriously jeopardise national security.
“It does not affect the high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong. It does not affect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents. And it does not affect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors in Hong Kong,” said Wang.
The adoption of the decision will start a legislative procedure, which will improve Hong Kong’s legal system, and bring more stability, stronger rule of law, and a better business environment to Hong Kong, Wang said, adding that the basic principle of “one country, two systems” and Hong Kong’s position as a global financial, trading and shipping centre will be protected.