AFP: Hong Kong’s High Court today sentenced 45 people to jail over subversion, which has quickly drawn international condemnation, including from the United States and Australia. What is the Foreign Ministry’s comment on the sentencing as well as the international reaction?

Lin Jian: Hong Kong is a society under the rule of law. To abide by the law and bring lawbreakers to justice is a basic principle. No one should be allowed to use “democracy” as a pretext to engage in unlawful activities and escape justice. Certain Western countries while forgetting the fact that they uphold their own national security through relevant judicial procedures, have made unwarranted criticisms over the fair enforcement of the national security law by Hong Kong’s court. This severely violates and tramples on the spirit of the rule of law. The Central Government firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR in safeguarding national security and punishing all acts that undermine national security in accordance with the law, and firmly opposes the interference of certain Western countries in China’s internal affairs and their attempt to smear and undermine Hong Kong’s rule of law by using relevant case. 

CCTV: The 19th G20 Summit is underway in Rio de Janeiro. The theme of the Summit “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet” and that of Session I “Fight Against Hunger and Poverty” show that “development” remains at the top of the G20 Summit agenda. The international community looks forward to China, the largest developing country, putting forth new approaches and propositions to solve global development challenges. Could you share more on this?

Lin Jian: Development, as the key to realizing happiness for the people, matters to every country. China stays committed to calling on the international community to pay attention to development. President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative, charting the course for the international development cause and cooperation. China stands for placing development at the center of G20 cooperation, prioritizing the attainment of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, building a global partnership for sustainable development, and making global development more inclusive, beneficial to all and more resilient. At the Rio de Janeiro Summit, President Xi Jinping delivered important remarks on “Fight Against Hunger and Poverty” at Session I, sharing with the world China’s experience of poverty reduction and calling for building a just world of common development.

President Xi Jinping said China’s development is an important part of the common development of the world. We have lifted 800 million people out of poverty, and met the poverty reduction target of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. China’s story is proof that developing countries can eliminate poverty, and that a weaker bird can start early and fly high, when there is the endurance, perseverance, and striving spirit that enables water drops to penetrate rocks over time and turns blueprints into reality. If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too. This is what China’s battle against poverty says to the world.

President Xi Jinping stressed that China will always be a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development. We stand ready to go hand in hand with fellow developing countries toward modernization.

At the summit, President Xi Jinping outlined China’s eight actions for global development, namely pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, implementing the Global Development Initiative, supporting development in Africa, supporting international cooperation on poverty reduction and food security, proposing an Initiative on International Cooperation in Open Science, supporting the G20 in carrying out practical cooperation for the benefit of the Global South,  implementing the G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan, and unilaterally opening our doors wider to the least developed countries. China is ready to take steps together with all parties to build a just world of common development, leave poverty in the past, and turn our vision into reality.

AFP: A follow-up on the Hong Kong court sentencing. Taiwan has also condemned the sentencing. What is the Foreign Ministry’s response?

Lin Jian: Taiwan is a province of China and what you asked about is not a matter related to foreign affairs. 

PTI: Foreign ministers of India and China today met in Rio de Janerio. Can you please provide the details? What exactly are the details of the discussion?

Lin Jian: We’ve released a readout on the meeting. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a successful meeting in Kazan not long ago. China-India relations are now at a new starting point. This serves the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries, meets the expectations of Global South countries and is in line with the trend of history. The two sides need to deliver on the important common understandings of the leaders, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, cement mutual trust through dialogue and communication, properly settle differences with sincerity and good faith, and bring the bilateral relations back to the track of stable and healthy development as soon as possible.

Kyodo News: It is reported that the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) will be held in Laos this week, during which the defense ministers of China and the US may meet with each other. Can you brief us on the importance of mil-to-mil talks between China and the US before President-elect Trump takes office in January next year?

Lin Jian: On China-US mil-to-mil exchanges, I’d refer you to competent Chinese authorities.

China News Service: We noted that at Session II of the 19th G20 Summit, President Xi Jinping delivered important remarks on the reform of the institutions of global governance. Can you further brief us on that? 

Lin Jian: The G20, since its inception, has always faced global challenges head-on and championed international cooperation in the spirit of equal consultation and mutual benefit. At Session II of the 19th G20 Summit, President Xi Jinping noted that the G20 needs to continue to act as a force to improve global governance and move history forward, build greater international consensus in the economic, financial, trade, digital and eco-environmental fields, among others, and build a world economy characterized by cooperation, stability, openness, innovation and eco-friendliness.

To this end, we should strengthen global economic partnerships, and foster an open, inclusive, and nondiscriminatory environment for international economic cooperation. We should increase the voice and representation of developing countries, and keep the international financial market stable. We should oppose protectionism and work together to build industrial and supply chain partnerships that are more equal, inclusive and constructive. We should step up international governance and cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), to make sure that AI is for good and for all. We should replace traditional energy with clean energy in a stable and well-ordered way, as we expedite the green and low-carbon transition of the world economy.

China looks forward to working with other G20 members to make a fresh start from Rio de Janeiro, carry forward partnership, practice true multilateralism, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

PTI: Following up on what you already said about the meeting of the foreign ministers of India and China. The reports from India say that both ministers have discussed disengagement of the troops because this is the first meeting after the disengagement process has been initiated and also the next steps for the restoration of bilateral ties. Can you please provide any details on this?

Lin Jian: We’ve released a readout of the meeting between the two foreign ministers, which you may refer to. I also shared relevant information just now. 

Reuters: Follow up on the G20 meeting. The summit adopted the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration urging parties to commit to substantial amount of new climate finance. Do you think this will help create a momentum for a deal at COP29? And is China optimistic that the world can avoid a Copenhagen-like result at COP29?

Lin Jian: Climate change is a common challenge faced by all humanity. Climate finance is crucial to supporting climate actions for emission reduction and adaptation goals. A shortage of funds is one of the challenges faced by developing countries in implementing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). On who provides the fund, the Paris Agreement has made it clear that developed country Parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties and other Parties are encouraged to provide such support voluntarily. We call on developed countries to see squarely their historic responsibilities, provide adequate, predictable and sustainable financial support for developing countries to help them realize just transition and provide confidence and safeguards for global climate action going forward.

Reuters: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russia’s Natural Resources Minister on Monday while Russian army’s Military Academy of the General Staff also arrived in Pyongyang yesterday. Were these matters discussed in Minister Wang Yi’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at G20? Could you share more of what was discussed in the meeting?

Lin Jian: Regarding Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, we’ve released a readout, which you may refer to.

RT TV: Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any comments on the recent talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin? 

Lin Jian: China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We support all efforts conducive to deescalation and political settlement of the crisis, and stand ready to continue playing a constructive role to this end.