Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the Closing Ceremony of the Ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin on February 14, and hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for foreign leaders attending the Closing Ceremony.
CCTV: Recently, many global financial institutions indicated in their 2025 economic outlooks that China’s high-quality development is gradually yielding fruits, and they expect higher proportions for consumption and the service sector. During the recent Spring Festival holiday, the average daily sales revenue of China’s consumption-related industries increased by 10.8 percent year-on-year, in which goods consumption and service consumption grew by 9.9 percent and 12.3 percent year-on-year respectively and the overall orders for cross-border travel saw a 30-percent growth year-on-year. Citigroup noted in a report that “China had a solid start to the Year of the Snake.” What’s your comment?
Guo Jiakun: During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake, China witnessed a burgeoning consumption market with record-setting sales revenues in “Guochao,” or trendy merchandise inspired by traditional Chinese culture, intangible cultural heritage experience, ice and snow economy, and consumer goods trade-in programs. New consumption models kept emerging driven by digital transition and technological development. China’s consumption market is going through profound transformation from quantitative growth to qualitative progress. We saw strong supply and demand of imported products for the Spring Festival. More Chinese people went abroad and more foreign travelers visited China. China’s supersized consumption market provides enormous cooperation opportunities for countries around the world.
The booming and thriving consumption market in China reflects not just the rebound of demand, but also greater confidence of all sectors in the Chinese economy. It speaks to the defining feature of the Chinese economy characterized by continued structural improvement, greater internal driving force and stronger resilience for development. With a package of incremental policies being rolled out and implemented, China will inject stronger confidence and impetus to global economic growth through its high-quality development and high-standard opening up.
Dragon TV: We’ve learned that Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands will attend the Closing Ceremony of the Asian Winter Games. Could you share more details with us?
Guo Jiakun: At the invitation of China, Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands will attend the Closing Ceremony of the Asian Winter Games in Harbin from February 10 to 16. Premier Li Qiang will meet with him in Harbin. Prime Minister Brown and his delegation visited Shanghai and Shandong.
The Cook Islands is China’s cooperation partner in the South Pacific. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have respected each other, treated each other as equals, and sought common development. In 2018, our relationship was elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership. Our friendly cooperation is rooted in profound public support and delivers tangibly to the two peoples. Through Prime Minister Brown’s visit, China stands ready to have an in-depth exchange of views with the Cook Islands on our relations and work for new progress in bilateral relations.
Beijing Youth Daily: We’ve learned that Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai will attend the Closing Ceremony of the Asian Winter Games. Can you further brief us on that?
Guo Jiakun: At China’s invitation, Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai will attend the Closing Ceremony of the Asian Winter Games in Harbin from February 13 to 15. Premier Li Qiang will meet with the visiting Mongolian Prime Minister in Harbin.
China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. Our current bilateral relationship maintains a good momentum of development with close high-level interactions, deepening friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation, and real benefits for the two peoples. We believe that Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai attending the upcoming events in China will help deepen our political mutual trust, add new dimensions to the China-Mongolia comprehensive strategic partnership, and promote the building of a China-Mongolia community with a shared future.
Anadolu Agency: U.S. President Donald Trump said he agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. What is China’s comment?
Guo Jiakun: We noted the reports. Both Russia and the U.S. are major countries with influence. China is glad to see enhanced communication and dialogue between Russia and the U.S. on a number of international issues.
On the Ukraine crisis, China believes that dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way out of the crisis and has been committed to promoting talks for peace. One day after the outbreak of the conflict, President Xi Jinping proposed finding a political settlement through dialogue. China supports all effort conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis, and will maintain communication with relevant parties and play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis.
AFP: Australia today accused a Chinese fighter jet of unsafe conduct in the South China Sea. They said that the Chinese jet dropped flares near an Australian air force plane. Does the Ministry have a response to this?
Guo Jiakun: The Australian military airplane deliberately intruded into China’s airspace over Xisha Qundao without China’s permission. Such move violated China’s sovereignty and undermined China’s national security. The Chinese side took legitimate, lawful, professional and restrained measures to expel the airplane. China has lodged serious protests with Australia and urged it to stop infringing on China’s sovereignty and making provocations and stop disrupting peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Reuters: According to a Wall Street Journal report, Chinese officials have floated a proposal to hold a summit between Russia’s Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump as part of peacekeeping efforts to end the war in Ukraine. We would like to invite the Ministry to respond to the Wall Street Journal report. Is China playing a role in the planned meeting between Trump and Putin and will China consider hosting that in Beijing?
Guo Jiakun: I have nothing to share on that.
AFP: A Swiss government report released yesterday said that Tibetans and Uyghurs in Switzerland faced transnational repression by China. Is the Ministry aware of this report? Does it have a response?
Guo Jiakun: China noted the report. Issues related to Xizang and Xinjiang are purely China’s internal affairs, which brook no interference by any external forces. Political manipulation on issues related to Xizang and Xinjiang and vilification and smears against China that are inconsistent with facts violate the fundamental principle of mutual respect in China-Switzerland relations, and contravene the robust development of bilateral ties. We hope Switzerland will see clearly the importance and sensitivity of issues related to Xizang and Xinjiang, earnestly respect China’s core interests and major concerns, stop sending wrong messages to the world, and take concrete actions to uphold the overall bilateral relations.
Reuters: U.S. Defense Secretary has said it is not realistic for Ukraine to ask for a return to pre-2014 borders. What is China’s position on this?
Guo Jiakun: Under the current circumstances, all parties need to remain calm, exercise restraint, and avoid any move that might expand or complicate the crisis. We call on relevant parties to build a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture through dialogue and consultation, and find a solution truly conducive to lasting security in Europe.
Bloomberg: This week, all of the state and provincial leaders in Canada visited Washington D.C. to deliver a message that they can help the U.S. compete with China. Does the Ministry have a response to this?
Guo Jiakun: China always believes that state-to-state relations should not target any third party, and should contribute to the friendly cooperation between countries.
Anadolu Agency: There are some concerns in Europe about negotiations between the U.S. and Russia on Ukraine as reiterated by Germany and Spain. These countries said exclusion of Ukraine and Europeans will hurt the prospect of a real peace process. What is China’s position on that?
Guo Jiakun: I just shared China’s position on the Ukraine crisis. China always supports all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis and stands ready to maintain communication with relevant parties and play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis.
Anadolu Agency: President Trump has been expressing his intention to acquire Greenland for a while. He claims the U.S. has to own the Arctic territory “to protect free world.” How do you think this claim might affect prospective trade routes in the region, and China’s Polar Silk Road project and Arctic cooperation with Russia?
Guo Jiakun: On U.S. remarks on Greenland, China always believes that relations between countries should be handled in accordance with the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter.
On Arctic affairs, China is an important stakeholder. We always follow the basic principles of respect, cooperation, win-win result and sustainability in engaging in Arctic affairs and enhancing cooperation with various parties, and are committed to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development of the Arctic.