At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli will pay an official visit to China from December 2 to 5.

China Daily: To follow up on your announcement that Nepal’s Prime Minister Oli will pay an official visit to China. Can you brief us on the program of the visit? How does China view the current China-Nepal relations and what’s China’s expectation for the visit?

Mao Ning: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has visited China twice as Nepal’s Prime Minister and made important contributions to advancing the growth of China-Nepal relations. During his upcoming visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with him, and Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji will have talks and meet with him respectively. The two countries’ leaders will have in-depth exchanges of views on deepening our traditional friendship, expanding Belt and Road cooperation and exchanges and cooperation in various fields, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest.

China and Nepal are neighbors with enduring friendship connected by mountains and rivers. Over the past 69 years since China and Nepal established diplomatic relations, despite the changing international and regional landscape, bilateral ties have maintained sound and steady growth, setting a fine example of equality and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. In 2019, President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Nepal and the bilateral relationship has been elevated to the strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. In recent years, the two sides have been earnestly delivering on the important common understandings between leaders of the two countries and achieved fruitful outcomes in our bilateral ties. China stands ready to work with Nepal through Prime Minister Oli’s visit to enhance strategic mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and strive for new progress in China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation.

AFP: Sweden said yesterday that it has sent a formal request to China to cooperate with Swedish authorities as they investigate the severing of two cables in the Baltic Sea after a Chinese ship, the Yi Peng 3, was linked to the incident. Can the Foreign Ministry share any updates on this incident or the investigation?

Mao Ning: China stands ready to work with relevant countries to find out what happened. There is ongoing close communication between China and Sweden on this. 

Shenzhen TV: The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP29, successfully concluded a few days ago and climate governance has become a hot topic. We noted that China is the first country in the world to achieve zero net land degradation and reduce both desertification and sandification. By the end of 2023, China’s forest coverage ratio had exceeded 25 percent with the increase topping the world. How would you comment on China’s achievement in desertification prevention and control and its contribution to the world?

Mao Ning: China is among the countries that suffer most from desertification. The Chinese government attaches great importance to this issue, and has steadily advanced the comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and major ecological conservation projects, such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. We have put 53 percent of treatable sandy land under effective treatment, realized a virtuous cycle of ecological conservation and improvement of people’s life, and contributed to the global effort to combat sandification.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China signing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Over the past three decades, China has taken active effort to implement the convention, carried out international cooperation on combating sandification, and explored mechanisms under Belt and Road cooperation to prevent and control desertification. China has also shared relevant technology and experience and provided training to Central Asian and African countries, which also face the problem of desertification, injecting impetus to the joint pursuit of the Global South for green development.

Next week, COP16 of the UNCCD will be held in Saudi Arabia, and China will send a delegation to the meeting to contribute China’s solutions to global effort to combat desertification and join hands with all parties to make Planet Earth greener. 

Reuters: A Beijing court sentenced Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison today for espionage. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment given the international attention his case has attracted?

Mao Ning: China upholds the rule of law and Chinese judicial authorities handle cases in strict accordance with the law. Those who violate laws will certainly be brought to account in accordance with the law.

TASS: Yesterday, when answering questions from the press in Astana, Russian President Putin said he discussed with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev the possibility of creating new routes for oil and gas pumping to third countries, including to China, over the territory of Kazakhstan. What is China’s comment on this?

Mao Ning: I’d refer you to competent Chinese authorities for this question.

Reuters: Has China directly told the US not to allow Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te to visit Hawaii and Guam while he is on the Pacific tour?

Mao Ning: In the meeting between Chinese and US Presidents in Lima, President Xi Jinping stressed that the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués are the political foundation of China-US relations and they must be observed. Cross-Strait peace and stability and “Taiwan independence” separatist activities are irreconcilable as water and fire. If the US side cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities in seeking “Taiwan independence,” handles the Taiwan question with extra prudence, unequivocally opposes “Taiwan independence,” and supports China’s peaceful reunification.

Let me reiterate that China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region, firmly opposes any visit by the leader of the Taiwan authorities to the US in any name or under whatever pretext, and firmly opposes any form of US connivance and support for “Taiwan independence” separatists and their separatist activities. We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on its leaders’ commitments, including not supporting “Taiwan independence,” stop any official interactions with the Taiwan region, and stop sending wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China remains resolutely determined to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and oppose interference in our internal affairs by external forces. 

Global Times: It’s reported that, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued three executive orders recently, which ask for preventing China’s “police service stations” overseas and “Operation Fox Hunt” from targeting dissidents, prohibiting Texas state agencies and all public higher education institutions from entering into new contracts with companies controlled by the Chinese government, and protecting critical infrastructure in Texas from being “attacked” by China. Greg Abbott also sent a letter to Texas state agencies, prohibiting them from making any new investments of state funds in China and asking them to divest at the first available opportunity. What’s the Foreign Ministry’s comment? 

Mao Ning: There is no so-called Chinese police service stations overseas at all. China’s law enforcement agencies carry out cooperation in international law enforcement in strict accordance with international law, fully respects other countries’ laws and judicial sovereignty and safeguard the lawful rights and interests of the suspects.

The economic ties and trade between China and the US are win-win in nature. Over the years, Chinese companies’ investments have made important contributions to boosting employment and economic growth in the US. To politicize the issue of trade and investment and overstretch the concept of security runs contrary to the principle of market economy and international trade rules, undermines international confidence in the US market and does no good to the US’s economic growth. Relevant people in the US should stop smearing and making groundless accusations against China. Instead, they need to do more to facilitate cooperation between China and the US.  

Reuters: CPTPP members met in Vancouver this week to consider applications to join the free trade agreement. According to reports, the meeting agreed to set up a working group to consider Costa Rica’s entry. Are you able to tell us whether a working group to consider China’s bid to join was also set up?

Mao Ning: China’s position on the CPTPP is consistent and clear. China firmly champions trade liberalization and facilitation and actively participates in the regional cooperation and economic integration of the Asia-Pacific. We have taken the initiative to align with high-standard international trade rules, taken proactive steps to expand opening up, and advanced the process of joining the CPTPP. We are in contact, communication and consultation with all parties on this.

Reuters: A BBC report quoted the boss of global fashion chain Uniqlo as saying the brand does not use cotton from Xinjiang. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment on these remarks? 

Mao Ning: Cotton from the Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. We hope relevant company will overcome political pressure and malign disruption, and independently make business decisions that serve its own interests. 

Reuters: Could you confirm whether today’s joint air patrols between China and Russia took place in international or Chinese or Russian airspace?

Mao Ning: I’d refer you to competent Chinese authorities for this question.

AFP: Russia’s defense minister has arrived in North Korea today according to Russian state media, citing a military statement. Recent months have seen these two countries strengthen their military ties. North Korea has been accused of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine. China is a country with close ties to both Russia and North Korea. How does China view this visit and Russia and North Korea’s recent military cooperation?

Mao Ning: Russia and the DPRK are independent sovereign states. Their bilateral exchange is a matter for themselves and we are not familiar with the specifics. China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People’s Government of Hainan Province will hold the event of “presenting Hainan Free Trade Port to the world” themed “Local Practices of Chinese Modernization—Hainan Free Trade Port: New Era, New Mission, New Opportunities” on the afternoon of December 4 at Lanting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will attend and address the event. Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee Feng Fei and Governor of Hainan Province Liu Xiaoming will deliver remarks and presentations respectively. Representatives of the diplomatic corps in China will deliver remarks. 

The event will comprehensively showcase the unique strengths, early harvests and development prospects of Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as the cooperation opportunities it offers to the world. The event will demonstrate China’s firm resolve in promoting reform through opening up and in building a new open economic system at a higher level. You are welcome to cover the event. 

There will be no regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 4. The press conference will resume on December 5. During the recess, questions can be submitted to the Spokesperson’s Office via fax, e-mail or WeChat.