President Xi Jinping’s special representative, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Guoqing will travel to France from February 9 to 12 for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit at the invitation of the host.

Anadolu Agency: Panama announced it will withdraw from the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China. President José Raúl Mulino said he instructed a 90-day notice for the withdrawal to be submitted to Beijing. What is China’s comment? Do you think the U.S. pressure has affected Panama’s decision?

Lin Jian: China firmly opposes the U.S. smear and sabotage of Belt and Road cooperation through the means of pressuring and coercion, and deeply regrets Panama’s decision to not renew the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI is an economic cooperation initiative with the participation of more than 150 countries, including over 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries, and its outcomes have benefited people of many countries, including Panama. In recent years, China and Panama’s cooperation under the BRI has produced fruitful outcomes and continued to deliver tangibly for the two peoples.

We hope that Panama will bear in mind the overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples, steer clear of external interference and make the right decision.

China Daily: To follow up on your announcement that Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing will attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, can you further brief us on China’s consideration and expectation?

Lin Jian: China is an active advocate and practitioner of Artificial Intelligence (AI) global governance. In October 2023, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Initiative for AI Governance, which proposed China’s solution and contributed China’s wisdom on this profound topic of our times. During President Xi Jinping’s visit to France in May last year, China and France released a joint declaration on AI and global governance, which stated that China is willing to participate in the the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit to be held by France in 2025. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing attending the Summit as President Xi Jinping’s special representative is a step to implement the common understandings between the two presidents, and to demonstrate China’s responsible attitude as a major country in the field of AI and its commitment to advancing the development and security of AI. Through this Summit, China looks forward to enhancing communication and exchanges with all sides, pooling consensus for cooperation and actively advancing the implementation of the U.N. Global Digital Compact. We also welcome countries around the world to participate in the 2025 World AI Conference in China, shape an AI global governance framework based on broad consensus and promote AI for good and for all. 

AFP: Taiwan said that it detected six Chinese balloons off the island today. Is this true and does China have a comment on this? 

Lin Jian: This is not a question about foreign affairs.

Antara: With President Xi Jinping meeting with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra yesterday, was there any specific discussion regarding the Myanmar issue, which affects ASEAN’s credibility as a regional organization?

Lin Jian: Yesterday, President Xi Jinping met with and held talks with Brunei’s Sultan and Thai Prime Minister respectively who are visiting China, and they exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual interests. We’ve released readouts which you may refer to.

On the Myanmar issue, let me reiterate that China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors. China’s position on this issue is clear-cut. We follow the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, support Myanmar’s effort to safeguard independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, support various parties in Myanmar in carrying out friendly consultation toward political reconciliation, and support Myanmar in resuming the political transition process.

Myanmar is an indispensable important member of the ASEAN family. China supports ASEAN in maintaining solidarity, playing a positive and constructive role as the main channel in mediation on the Myanmar issue and implementing ASEAN’s five-point consensus on Myanmar to help stabilize and deescalate the situation in Myanmar.

China News Service: It was reported that Secretary-General of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party Hiroshi Moriyama became Chairman of the cross-party Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Union. What is China’s comment?

Lin Jian: Mr. Hiroshi Moriyama is a veteran politician of Japan, who cares about and supports China-Japan exchanges and cooperation and has led delegations to visit China several times. The Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Union is one of the seven major Japanese organizations dedicated to Japan-China friendship, which has long been committed to promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. We congratulate Mr. Hiroshi Moriyama on becoming the Union’s new chairman, and express our thanks to former chairman Mr. Toshihiro Nikai for his effort and contribution to developing China-Japan relations over the years. We look forward to continued effort for China-Japan friendship from the Union under the leadership of Chairman Moriyama.

Reuters: The Panama President said the decision to exit the Belt and Road agreement with Beijing was made before the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit. What’s China’s comment? 

Lin Jian: On Panama’s President’s remarks on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has made a response. Let me stress that since the establishment of the diplomatic ties between China and Panama, the two countries have seen comprehensive and rapid growth of bilateral relations and achieved fruitful outcomes in the cooperation under the framework of the BRI, which delivered tangibly for the two peoples. 

We hope Panama will bear in mind the overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples, steer clear of external disruption, and make the right decision. 

Bloomberg: TV New Zealand is reporting that the Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will be coming to Beijing today to sign a major agreement with the government of China. Do you have any comment on this? Can you confirm that Mark Brown will be coming? 

Lin Jian: On the visit you mentioned, I have no information to share at the moment.

PTI: You spoke about the visits of the ASEAN leaders as well as China’s stance on Myanmar. About Thai Premier’s visit here, the focus is also on the scam companies operating across the Thailand border, where some of the Chinese companies were accused of being involved in scams under which many people from across the globe are being abducted and being forced to work there. China is equally concerned about this, besides other countries. Has this issue been figured in the talks with these leaders?

Lin Jian: Yesterday, President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress respectively met and had talks with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra who is on an official visit to China. One of the topics is to enhance the fight against online gambling and telecom fraud. The two sides exchanged views and reached important common understandings on this. Readouts were released, which you may refer to.

The recent string of online gambling, telecom fraud and other vicious cases along the Thailand-Myanmar border has threatened the safety of people’s life and property from relevant countries, including China and Thailand, and disrupted the normal exchange and cooperation between regional countries. Cracking down on crimes of online gambling and telecom fraud is a clear demonstration of how we implement the people-centered philosophy, a must choice to safeguard the common interests of regional countries, and is what people all over the world want. China is working with Thailand, Myanmar and neighboring countries to actively conduct bilateral and multilateral cooperation, adopt a series of policies, address symptoms and root causes of the issue, prevent lawbreakers from crossing borders to commit crimes, and end the scourge of online gambling and telecom fraud so as to protect the safety of people’s life and property and keep the exchange and cooperation between regional countries in order.

Bloomberg: Mongolian government spokesperson said yesterday that Mongolian Prime Minister will be coming to Beijing next week on February 13 to sign a deal for expanding a coal rail line between the two countries. Can you confirm this visit and do you have any more comments on your expectations for the visit? 

Lin Jian: China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. The two countries maintain close exchanges at various levels, and both sides are committed to enhancing connectivity and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. As for the specific high-level exchange arrangement and cooperation you mentioned, we will release timely information if anything comes up. Please stay tuned. 

Bloomberg: Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is examining Apple’s policies on their app store and investigating it under possible anti-trust investigation. Do you have any comment on this? Can you confirm that is SAMR investigating Apple for these questions?

Lin Jian: I am not familiar with that. I’d refer you to competent authorities.