RIA Novosti: Yesterday, Russian President Putin said it is wrong for the US to undermine its relations with China on the Taiwan question. Putin also said that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. What’s the foreign ministry’s comment?

Wang Wenbin: We deeply appreciate President Putin’s statement. I would like to stress that the one-China principle is a prevailing consensus in the international community and a widely recognized basic norm in international relations.

Beijing Daily: Lesotho’s new Prime Minister Sam Matekane will be inaugurated on October 28. Do you have any comment? What’s China’s expectation for China-Lesotho relations going forward?

Wang Wenbin: China congratulates Mr. Sam Matekane on his inauguration as Lesotho’s new Prime Minister which will soon take place. We wish Lesotho greater achievement in national development under his leadership. Lesotho is China’s good friend and good partner. China is ready to work with the new government in Lesotho to continue to cement friendship and mutual trust, deepen cooperation across the board and bring our bilateral relations to a new level.

Shenzhen TV: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) recently released a report saying that worsening climate change has significantly increased the risks of natural disasters for Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the total average annual losses from the climate-related hazards are estimated at billions of dollars. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: Climate change is a global challenge. The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are one of the regions most seriously threatened by climate change. China takes very seriously the unique situation and concerns of PICs on climate, and has actively helped PICs mitigate the impact of climate disasters and build response capacity. We have launched the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center. We have signed five project documents with PICs on giving them material assistance on climate change under the framework of South-South cooperation, and trained nearly 100 professionals for PICs specializing in climate response. These are the contribution China has made to PICs’ capacity-building efforts on climate change. In September, China’s special envoy on climate change Xie Zhenhua and diplomatic envoys from PICs in China had an in-depth exchange of views on policies and actions to address climate change, expected outcomes of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and South-South cooperation on climate change. The meeting has produced positive outcomes. China will further enhance dialogue and exchanges with PICs to coordinate positions and expand cooperation in order to uphold the common interest of developing countries.

China is a doer on ecological progress and climate governance. China has voluntarily assumed international responsibilities commensurate with our national conditions, and unswervingly followed a development path that prioritizes ecological conservation and pursues green and low-carbon growth. In the past decade, China accounted for 30% to 50% of global energy conservation, energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy development, and green transportation and construction. The Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) stressed that China will work actively and prudently toward the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and get actively involved in global governance in response to climate change. This demonstrates once again China’s firm determination to pursue green development and promote harmony between humanity and nature.

Protecting the Earth is the shared responsibility of the international community and requires cooperation and a common response. Developed countries need to shoulder their historical responsibility, significantly increase their emission reduction efforts, earnestly honor their commitments, and provide financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing countries. China will continue to deepen South-South cooperation on climate change, and contribute its strength to building a clean and beautiful world.

AFP: The Saudi Foreign Minister and Mr. Wang Yi had an online meeting yesterday. According to video footage from the meeting, the Saudi Foreign Minister said his country is preparing for a visit of President Xi Jinping very soon. Can you confirm such a visit is planned and do you have more details on this?

Wang Wenbin: With regard to your question, I have no information to offer at this moment.

Follow-up: So you don’t deny it? You don’t deny the report?

Wang Wenbin: I already gave my answer.

CCTV: Yesterday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. I have noted that, according to the readout, the two sides exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Can you share more details?

Wang Wenbin: Yesterday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi exchanged views with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Ukraine crisis in a phone conversation. The Russian side said that it is willing to have dialogue and resume negotiations with countries including Ukraine and the US. The Chinese side welcomed this and expressed the hope that parties concerned will step up diplomatic efforts and deescalate the situation as soon as possible and eventually resolve the crisis through negotiations and other political means. The two sides also exchanged views on prohibiting the use of weapons of mass destruction. China underscored the need to avoid further escalation and prevent humanitarian disasters.

TASS: President Vladimir Putin said yesterday at the Valdai International Discussion Club meeting that Russia is largely shifting cooperation to Asian countries. He also stressed that Russia considers China a close friend and Russia can look into helpful cases in China’s development course and put them into practice. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: We highly appreciate the positive remarks by President Putin on China-Russia relations.

Faced with a world of change and disorder, China-Russia relations have maintained the momentum of robust development. As each other’s largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, China and Russia have advanced relations on the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party with a purpose of promoting the development of the two countries and benefiting the two peoples. China will continue to share governance experience and advance exchanges and cooperation with Russia. China and Russia will firmly support each other in pursuing a development path suited to our respective national conditions, and staunchly support each other’s development and revitalization. We will always be each other’s development opportunities and global partners, and contribute more to world peace and development.

RIA Novosti: Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia supports the accession of Saudi Arabia to BRICS. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: As the BRICS Chair this year, China actively supports the process of BRICS expansion. At the 14th BRICS Summit on June 23, BRICS leaders reached an important consensus on BRICS expansion and expressed support for the discussion on the standards and procedures of the expansion. After the meeting, many countries expressed the desire to join BRICS cooperation. China will work with other BRICS members to jointly advance the expansion process so that more partners will join the BRICS family.

Dragon TV: On October 27 local time, the US Department of Defense released the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: We noted that the US 2022 Nuclear Posture Review hypes up major-power competition and bloc confrontation and smacks heavily of Cold War and zero-sum mentality. It uses nuclear weapons as tools to advance its geopolitical agenda. This is clearly against the world’s desire to prevent a nuclear war or nuclear arms race.

I need to highlight the fact that the US has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, and continues to upgrade its “nuclear triad” and selectively advances the international nuclear arms control process only when doing so serves to suppress the countries it sees as rivals. What’s behind the US policy is its hegemonic logic of seeking absolute military superiority, which could stoke a nuclear arms race.

The US claims it would use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear or non-nuclear strategic attack and seek to develop or forward-deploy non-strategic nuclear weapons. The US has placed more importance on the role of nuclear weapons in national security policy and lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, which has gradually become a source of risks for nuclear conflict.

The US has been hyping up the so-called nuclear threat from certain countries, “tailoring” nuclear deterrence strategies targeting these countries and calling for “nuclear sharing” that violates the NPT. It has also tried to reinforce its extended deterrence commitments to its allies in the Asia Pacific. The US moves have undermined mutual trust between major countries, stoked nuclear arms race and confrontation, stimulated nuclear proliferation, and seriously harmed regional and international peace and stability.

I need to stress that in this latest NPR, the US has made irresponsible remarks and accusations as well as groundless speculations on China’s normal modernization of its nuclear forces. The US has brazenly “tailored” a nuclear deterrence strategy against China. China is seriously concerned about and firmly opposed to such a move. Let me make it clear that we have the capability and confidence to safeguard our national security interests. The US’s nuclear blackmail will not work on China.

China urges the US to abandon the Cold War mentality and the logic of hegemonism, pursue a rational and responsible nuclear policy, fulfill its special and primary responsibility in nuclear disarmament, and play its due role in maintaining global strategic stability and world peace and security.

AFP: Elon Musk took control of Twitter and fired its top executives today. As many Chinese diplomats and the foreign ministry use Twitter, how do you see the move?

Wang Wenbin: We know that it’s not just Chinese diplomats who use Twitter. We have no comment on the business activity.

CCTV: According to a poll conducted recently by CGTN’s think tank among 4,700 young people under 30 worldwide, 84.7% of respondents agreed that countries’ development path should be suited to their national conditions, and they believed that no modernization model should be regarded as the only model, nor is there a single standard for modernization that fits all. The surveyed young people in the world appreciate the Chinese path to modernization. What is China’s comment?

Wang Wenbin: The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China announced that we will advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Chinese modernization greatly enriched the theories of modernization and expanded its practice. It is a major breakthrough in both theory and practice made by Chinese Communists, and an important contribution of the Chinese nation that enriches the human civilization.

Chinese modernization will provide a strong source of support for world peace and stability. China does not tread the old path of war, colonization, and plunder taken by some countries, and instead pursues the path of peaceful development. We stand firmly on the right side of history, pursue our own development as we strive to safeguard world peace and development, and make greater contributions to world peace and development through our own development. China’s development strengthens the world’s force for peace. No matter what stage of development we reach, we will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism.

Comment:  China is talking about the U.S. & British Empire:  China does not tread the old path of war, colonization, and plunder taken by some countries, and instead pursues the path of peaceful development.

Chinese modernization will create a broad space for promoting progress of human civilization. Modernization enjoyed by over 1.4 billion people will provide an unprecedented driving force for the development of the world. Our modernization is achieved by following a development path suited to Chinese conditions, which means there is more than one path to modernization. For any of the vast developing countries, it is entirely possible to find a development path suited to their national conditions as well. Modernization should not be a privilege of a few countries, but an equal right that all nations can earn through hard work.

Chinese modernization will make important contributions to global sustainable development. China is fully committed to sustainability and harmony between humanity and nature. China believes that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and has acted on it. We will continue to pursue a model of sound development featuring improved production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems. We will take an active part in global climate governance and contribute more to building a beautiful China and a beautiful world.

Under the leadership of the CPC, we will firmly stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strive for Chinese modernization and great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, build a human community with a shared future, and create a new form of human advancement.