Chinese Ambassador: Sino-EU relations must have mutual respect and equal treatment

Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Liang Jianquan answers Neatkarīgā's questions.

On March 17, EU member states agreed to impose sanctions on officials and organizations for human rights abuses, including actions against China's Uighurs. China then announced sanctions against 10 EU officials and four EU institutions in response to the EU's unilateral sanctions. Then, on March 23, the European Parliament canceled a meeting scheduled to revise the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China. How could this affect Sino-EU relations in the future? How to resolve such an increasingly tense relationship? How do you assess the current situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region?

Despite repeated persuasion and strong protests from China, the EU imposed unilateral sanctions on Chinese officials and one organization on the basis of lies and false information about Xinjiang. China was forced to retaliate. In the face of actions that are detrimental to China's sovereignty, security and development interests, China must provide the necessary response. The development of healthy and stable Sino-EU relations requires following the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment. The China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment was concluded by both parties on the basis of these principles and it is mutually beneficial and in the interests of both parties. China is committed to developing relations with the EU and supports the control and settlement of disputes through dialogue. We hope that the EU will meet China halfway and make concrete efforts to promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-EU relations.

For some time, some extreme anti-China forces in the world have fabricated and spread lies about Xinjiang, they fiercely attacked and discredited China's policy of governing Xinjiang. These lies include so-called "genocide", "forced labor" and "forced sterilization". Most members of the international community clearly see this as the use of the so-called human rights issue to interfere in China's internal affairs, undermine China's security and stability and limit China's development.

Xinjiang is one of China's five ethnic minority autonomous regions, where 47 ethnic groups have lived from generation to generation. All ethnic groups are politically equal, have the same rights and the same obligations under the law, including the Uighurs. The best way to talk about the situation in Xinjiang is by using facts. Over the past 40 years, the Uighur population in Xinjiang has grown from 5.55 million to 12 million. The increase is three times greater than the population of Latvia. Between 2010 and 2018, the population of Xinjiang increased by 13.99%, of which the population of ethnic minorities increased by 22.14%, the number of Uighurs by 25.04%, and the number of Han by 2%. The Uighur population growth rate is not only higher than that of the increase of the entire population of Xinjiang, but also exceeds the growth rate of all ethnic minorities, and is much more pronounced than that of the Han ethnic group. If genocide was taking place, would the Uighur population increase by that magnitude? Is there such a genocide in the world? In the last 60 years, Xinjiang's economy has grown more than 200 times, and life expectancy has risen from 30 to 72 years. Last year, the last 3 million poor people in Xinjiang were successfully lifted out of poverty. Is it possible to deny these facts?

At present, Xinjiang is still a relatively underdeveloped region of China. The government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is trying its best to provide training, job creation, encouragement, help and support for all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to become rich and free from poverty. Workers of all ethnic groups voluntarily choose work and receive remuneration. Their employment rights are fully protected by law. The accusations of saying that there is "forced labor" in Xinjiang are deliberate fabrications that do not correspond to the facts.

Xinjiang has suffered from terrorism and religious extremism since the 1990s. There have been thousands of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, which have seriously endangered people's lives. In this context, the Government of Xinjiang Autonomous Region has taken counter-terrorism and counter-radicalization measures in accordance with the law, in order to destroy the soil conducive to terrorism and religious extremism, effectively curbing the frequency of terrorist acts. For four years in a row, no terrorist attacks have taken place in Xinjiang. These measures have maximally guaranteed the fundamental rights of people of all ethnic groups, such as the right to life, the right to health, the right to development, and so on, and are wholeheartedly defended and supported by all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

On December 19, 1984, China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in Beijing, which provided for the restoration of the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China. People do not have a clear understanding of China's obligations to this declaration. Does China have any special obligations or conditions to comply with within 50 years since the handover of Hong Kong? How to explain the obligation that "Hong Kong's existing capitalist system and way of life would be unchanged for 50 years until 2047"? Does the reform of Hong Kong's electoral system in 2021 violate the Sino-British Joint Declaration?

At the heart of the Sino-British Joint Declaration is the restoration of China's sovereignty in Hong Kong. The basic principles and policies of the Joint Declaration are China's unilateral policy declarations, which are fully reflected in the Hong Kong Basic Law formulated by the Chinese National People's Congress. The Chinese declarations are not promises to Britain, nor is there a problem of violating so-called international obligations. Following the handover of Hong Kong, the provisions of the Joint Declaration concerning Great Britain have been fully met. Britain has no sovereignty, no right of rule, no right of supervision over Hong Kong and no responsibility to the people of Hong Kong. No foreign country or organization has the right to intervene in the affairs of Hong Kong or to interfere in China's internal affairs under the pretext of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"One country, two systems", "Hong Kong is governed by Hong Kong people" and a high degree of autonomy are the main government policies pursued by the Chinese government that will not change. The Chinese National People's Congress has discussed and adopted amendments to Annexes I and II of the Hong Kong Basic Law, systematically reviewing and improving the methods of electing the Head of Government and the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which will provide stable institutional guarantees for the comprehensive and accurate implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy and the "Hong Kong is governed by patriots" principle, as well as for the long-term stability of Hong Kong. It will protect the general and fundamental interests of Hong Kong society, promote the stable development of Hong Kong's democratic system, and ensure the stable and long-term development of "one country, two systems." This is in the interests of both China and the international community.

Please tell us about China's development goals for 2021-2025. Will increasing China's military budget cause concern in neighboring countries? What will be the impact of Covid-19 on China's development in 2021?

Starting this year, over the next five years, China will enter a new comprehensive phase in the development of a socialist state, following the full establishment of a moderately prosperous society. On March 11, the Chinese National People's Congress voted and adopted "the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035." The outline is an important guideline to promote economic and social development and improve people's lives over the next five to 15 years. According to this document, in the next five years or even longer, China will be guided by new development concepts of "innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development", create a new development paradigm, with domestic circulation as a pillar, while domestic and international movement complement each other and advance the high quality and sustainable development of the Chinese economy.

China cannot develop alone, apart from the world, and China also needs world prosperity. The new development paradigm is not an isolated domestic movement, but an open domestic and international dual movement. During the 14th Five-Year Plan, China will establish a new open and advanced economic system, comprehensively improve its openness to the world, continue to strongly support economic globalization, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and continue to create a market-oriented, legal and international business environment. China has a population of 1.4 billion, a middle-income population of more than 400 million people and is the largest and most promising market in the world. Total imports to China over the next decade are estimated at 22 trillion USD. This will provide countries around the world with greater market and cooperation opportunities, better promote the joint development of the Chinese economy and the world economy, and bring about mutually beneficial cooperation.

China's defense spending is moderate and limited, whether in terms of total volume, GDP per capita or proportion of GDP. For many years, China's defense spending was only 1.3% of GDP, well below the global average of 2.6%. China's defense spending this year will be 1.355343 trillion yuan (about 209 billion USD), up 6.8% from 2020. Overall, China's defense spending is in line with the country's economic development. In order to preserve national sovereignty, protect development interests and fulfill international obligations and commitments, it is necessary to maintain a moderate and steady increase in national defense expenditure. China is pursuing a path of development and defense-oriented national defense policy. Strengthening national defense is not aimed at and does not pose any threat to any country.

Since last year, the Chinese economy has overcome the effects of the pandemic and resumed growth, growing by 3.2%, 4.9% and 6.5% in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, and by 2.3% in 2020 - it was the only major economy in the world to achieve positive economic growth. In the first two months of this year, Chinese foreign direct investment and imports and exports of goods increased by 31.5% and 32.2%, respectively. According to a recent report published by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, 75% of companies surveyed are optimistic about China's market prospects for the next two years, 81% believe that the Chinese market in this sector will achieve positive growth in 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic is still raging around the world, and the global economic situation is difficult and complex, with increasing instability and uncertainty. China's main economic development targets this year are GDP growth of more than 6%, the creation of more than 11 million new jobs in cities, an urban unemployment rate of around 5.5% and an increase in the consumer price index of around 3%. To achieve these goals, China will continue to take into account both pandemic control and socio-economic development through the adoption of effective macroeconomic policies and the deepening of reforms.

Concerning the Covid-19 pandemic, the WHO published a report on March 30 on a study on the origin of Covid-19. China commends the Chinese and international experts who have participated in this joint study for their commitment to science, dedication and professionalism. China has always supported global research into the origin of the virus and its routes of transmission, and has supported the World Health Assembly resolution on Covid-19 and WHO-led cooperation between Member States in research on zoonotic origins. China has twice invited WHO experts to investigate the origin of the virus, despite the difficult task of curbing the spread of the virus in the country. From January 14 to February 10 this year, Chinese and international experts from the WHO and 10 countries formed a team and conducted joint research for 28 days in Wuhan. China provided everything needed for the successful work of the team of experts, thus fully demonstrating openness, transparency and a responsible attitude. Origin research is a scientific task that should be carried out jointly by scientists around the world. Politicizing this issue will only hamper global cooperation on origin research, jeopardize cooperation in the fight against a pandemic and cost even more lives. This would be opposite to the international community's desire to unite in the fight against the pandemic. Origin research is also a global task that needs to be carried out in many countries and in many locations. We believe that a joint WHO-China study will effectively stimulate global cooperation on tracing the origin.

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