This week is the 34th National Energy Conservation Week under the theme of “green transition, energy-saving endeavors.” Today, May 15, is this year’s national low-carbon day with the theme of “green and low-carbon development for a beautiful China.”
China always upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and we always remember to maintain harmony between humanity and nature when planning our development, and work to accelerate the transition to a model of green development for a green and low-carbon economy and society. I believe you also noticed that today the air conditioner in Lanting is set at a higher temperature and the lighting in some public spaces is off. Everyone can contribute to this common effort, start by making personal contribution and start with small steps in our daily life to actively respond to climate change, lead a green and low-carbon lifestyle, contribute to the harmony between humanity and nature and help build a clean, beautiful world.
One more thing off the top, at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation January Yusuf Makamba will pay an official visit to China from May 16 to 20.
China News Service: Today marks 76 years of the Nakba. The ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza and there is still no sign of deescalation. According to UN statistics, close to 450,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah as Israel ramps up attacks in the southern Gaza city. Do you have any comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: Seventy-six years ago, over half of the Palestinian population fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Many of them and their descendants became refugees in the Gaza Strip. Seventy-six years on, the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people, far from being redressed, has further worsened. Today’s Gaza Strip is left in ruins and rubble. Those wounded and ill cannot receive timely treatment, those hungry cannot obtain basic necessities, and those escaping from the disaster have nowhere to go. People cannot help but ask, for how long will the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drag on and when will the Palestinian people be able to see an end to their suffering?
China firmly opposes the expansion of the fighting to Rafah and opposes collective punishment on the people in Gaza. We support the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 border and with east Jerusalem as its capital. And we support making Palestine a full UN member state as soon as possible. China will continue to work with the international community to promote an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, to end the Nakba once and for all, and to realize peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine as well as harmony between the Arab and Jewish peoples.
AFP: I’d like to ask about the US’s recent tariffs hike on Chinese EVs, chips and other products. You said at yesterday’s press conference that China will take all measures necessary to defend its legitimate rights and interests. Can you elaborate on that?
Wang Wenbin: Competent Chinese authorities have issued a statement on this, which you may refer to. Let me stress that it is yet another mistake for the US to continue politicizing trade issues and further increasing tariffs on Chinese products. This will only significantly drive up the cost of imported goods, inflict more loss on American companies and consumers, and make the US consumers pay even more. As Moody’s estimated, 92 percent of the cost for the tariff hikes falls on American consumers and average US household expenditure increases by 1,300 dollars annually. The US’s protectionist measures will further damage the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains. We noted that several European political leaders have said that as far as tariffs are concerned, it is a bad idea to dismantle global trade.
We urge the US to earnestly observe WTO rules and immediately cancel the additional tariffs on China. China will take all measures necessary to defend our rights and interests.
Global Times: Days ago, China’s Permanent Mission to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna held the Workshop on “AUKUS: A Case Study about the Development of IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards” at the Vienna International Center. Could you share more information with us?
Wang Wenbin: On May 10, China’s Permanent Mission in Vienna held a workshop on AUKUS. Over 100 participants, including those from nearly 50 countries’ permanent missions in Vienna and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Secretariat, and experts from Chinese and foreign think tanks, attended the workshop. All parties had a heated discussion on the safeguards of AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation, which shows the widespread attention and concerns of the global community on AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation.
AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation harms efforts to keep the region peaceful and secure. The US, the UK and Australia formed AUKUS to advance cooperation on nuclear submarines and other cutting-edge military technologies. Their moves exacerbate the arms race, undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, incite bloc confrontation and hurt regional peace and stability. China and relevant countries in the region have expressed more than once serious concerns and firm opposition.
AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation has spawned widespread concern on nuclear proliferation. The three countries’ cooperation involves the transfer of nuclear power reactors and a large amount of weapons-grade HEU. IAEA’s existing safeguards system cannot place effective safeguards on that, and major controversy exists on the interpretation and application of relevant safeguards provisions. If the three countries insist on going through with the nuclear submarine cooperation, it will trigger enormous risks of nuclear proliferation and have a far-reaching negative impact on the resolution of other regional nuclear hotspot issues.
China calls on the international community to take seriously how AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation can impact the authority and effectiveness of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and its negative effect on the IAEA safeguards regime. The international community needs to continue using the IAEA, the NPT review process, and other platforms to have in-depth discussions on the political, legal, and technical issues involved in AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation. Until the international community comes to a clear-cut conclusion on those issues, the US, the UK and Australia should not proceed with their nuclear submarine cooperation.
TV Asahi: It’s reported Russian military used products made by Chinese companies on the battlefield in Ukraine. China has always called for a ceasefire and neutrality. What is your comment on the use of Chinese products and technologies in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine? Besides, after the meeting between the Chinese and French presidents last week, President Mac