Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya is invited to visit China on December 25. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will hold foreign ministers’ talks and attend the second meeting of High-Level Consultation Mechanism on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges between China and Japan.

Dragon TV: To follow up on your announcement that Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will visit China. Can you share the background and program of the visit?

Mao Ning: In November this year, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima. They agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and make good use of high-level dialogue mechanisms in the fields of economy and culture. China attaches importance to Foreign Minister Iwaya’s visit. Chinese leader will meet with him. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with him and they will jointly attend the second meeting of the High-Level Consultation Mechanism on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges.

China stands ready to work with Japan to focus on common interests, enhance dialogue and communication, deepen practical cooperation, properly manage and control differences, fully advance the strategic relationship of mutual benefit, and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship fit for the new era.

CCTV: On December 23 local time, US President Joe Biden signed into law the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,” which contains negative content on China. What is China’s comment on this? 

Mao Ning: The US determined to sign into law the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025” containing negative content on China, playing up the “China threat” narrative year after year. It has kept trumpeting for military support to Taiwan, abusing state power to go after Chinese sci-tech and economic development, limiting trade, economic and people-to-people exchanges between China and the US, undermining China’s sovereignty, security and development interests and disrupting efforts of the two sides in stabilizing bilateral relations. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this and has lodged serious protests to the US. 

We urge the US to get rid of its Cold War mentality and ideological bias, view China’s development and China-US relationship objectively and rationally, earnestly observe the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, stop arming Taiwan, stop politicizing and weaponizing sci-tech, economic and trade issues, stop finding pretext for increasing military expenditure and maintaining hegemony, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China. Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.

Kyodo News: It is reported that the Chinese government is considering resuming imports of Japanese aquatic products starting from the first half of 2025. Samples of treated water from TEPCO’s Fukushima power plant have been tested and proved to be safe. What is your comment on this?

Mao Ning: On the issue of the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, what matters the most is Japan’s earnest fulfillment of its own promise. After China participates substantively in the long-term international monitoring and the independent sampling and other monitoring activities are carried out, China will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards. China’s opposition to Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea remains unchanged.

I am not sure whether the test you mentioned is carried out by TEPCO. Let me say that one single test does not prove much. The key is that Japan will fulfill its promise earnestly, and make sure that international monitoring will continue being implemented, and China and all other stakeholders can continuously carry out independent sampling and monitoring.

Global Times: Yesterday, Russia announced the list of BRICS partner states, which received wide international attention. Could you share more details with us?

Mao Ning: Last October, President Xi Jinping attended the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan and reached important consensus with the leaders of other BRICS countries on establishing a partner country mechanism, which is another milestone in the process of BRICS development after the historic membership expansion last year. After the summit, China has actively worked with Russia, the BRICS chair country, and implemented the mechanism with other BRICS countries. A list of BRICS partner countries was finally agreed on, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Uganda.

With the partner countries on board the BRICS family, the BRICS cooperation is elevated to a new height, the BRICS mechanism has greater representation, and BRICS sees its appeal and influence grow more salient, becoming the main platform to promote solidarity and cooperation between the Global South. China stands ready to work with other BRIC members and partner countries to follow the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, expand practical cooperation in various fields, advance the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

RT TV: We see so many Western delegations going to Syria now to meet with the new leadership. Can we expect Chinese authorities to do the same?

Mao Ning: China has long followed a policy of friendship and cooperation towards Syria. We never interfere in Syria’s internal affairs and as always, respect Syrian people’s choice. China is closely following the situation in Syria and maintaining communication with relevant parties. As regard to your specific question, I have no information to offer for the time being.

Reuters: The Hong Kong authorities today issued another round of arrest warrants for six activists living overseas and threatened to revoke the passports of some people. What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning: We support the Hong Kong SAR government in performing duties in accordance with the law. Hong Kong upholds the rule of law. No one has privileges above the law. Any illegal activities will inevitably be punished by law.