CCTV: On March 31, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on the website of the State Department, saying that China has refused to afford U.S. diplomats, journalists, and others access to the "Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)" and other Tibetan areas of China, so he is taking steps to impose additional visa restrictions on Chinese officials determined to be substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to "Tibetan Areas," pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018. Does China have any comment on this?
Guo Jiakun: The U.S. move blatantly interferes in Xizang affairs, which are China’s internal affairs. This gravely contravenes international law and the basic norms governing international relations. China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this. Let me stress that Xizang is an open region. We have never issued regulations restricting foreigners from entering Xizang. Every year, Xizang receives a large number of foreign tourists and people from various sectors. In 2024 alone, 320,000 foreign tourists visited Xizang. In light of the region’s special geographical and climatic conditions, the Chinese government has taken some regulatory and protection measures in accordance with laws and regulations regarding foreigners entering the region. This is completely necessary. Foreigners are welcome to visit, travel and do business in China’s Xizang region, but they must abide by China’s laws and relevant regulations. We reject groundless vilification of Xizang’s human rights, and religious and cultural cause, and oppose foreign officials’ interference and sabotage in the name of performing their duties in Xizang.
China urges the U.S. to honor its commitments on issues related to Xizang, stop abetting and supporting “Tibet independence” forces, and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of issues related to Xizang. China will take necessary reciprocal countermeasures against the U.S.’s wrong move.
TVB: The U.S. State Department released the 2025 “Hong Kong Policy Act Report” and announced sanctions against six Chinese officials. What’s China’s comment?
Guo Jiakun: This so-called U.S. “Hong Kong Policy Act Report” is composed of falsehoods and disinformation. It is a vicious attack on China’s One Country, Two Systems, the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The report seeks to smear Hong Kong’s democracy, rule of law, exercise of freedoms, and human rights conditions. It interferes in Hong Kong’s handling of national security cases and mischaracterizes the extraterritorial application of the law. The announced U.S. unilateral sanctions on officials representing the central government in Hong Kong and officials of the Hong Kong SAR government are groundless and unjustified. The sanctions and the report constitute grave interference in China’s internal affairs, including Hong Kong affairs. China firmly rejects and strongly condemns this.
It must be pointed out that since the return of Hong Kong, the Chinese government has fully, faithfully and firmly implemented the principles of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy. The central government adopted and put into force the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and the HKSAR government formulated and implemented the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The aim is to put in place a stronger legal system of upholding national security, better safeguard the rights and freedoms legally enjoyed by Hong Kong residents, and ensure the steady and sustained implementation of One Country, Two Systems. This move also fully reflects the shared aspiration of all Chinese people, including our Hong Kong compatriots. The HKSAR police took measures in accordance with the law against anti-China rioters who have fled Hong Kong, and the HKSAR judicial authorities have handled national security cases in accordance with the law and in an independent and just manner. Such practice is in line with international law and common practice and brooks no interference from the U.S. The U.S. on the one hand keeps overstretching and abusing the concept of national security, stepping up illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, yet on the other hand deliberately smearsand attacks the effort of China’s central government and the HKSAR government in upholding national security in Hong Kong in accordance with the law, and abuses sanctions. This once again exposes the U.S.’s hypocritical double standard and domineering nature.
Let me stress that Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. The Chinese government has unwavering resolve in upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing the principles of One Country, Two Systems, and opposing interference in Hong Kong affairs by any external forces. We urge the U.S. to abide by the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations, and stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs including Hong Kong affairs in any form. We will take resolute countermeasures in response to the U.S.’s erroneous practice.
CCTV: Yesterday, presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty establishing the junction point of the three countries’ borders, marking the final resolution of border issues among the three countries. What’s China’s comment?
Guo Jiakun: China congratulates Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over the signing of the agreement defining the tri-border point of the three countries and the final resolution of their border issues. We commend the three countries’ effort of resolving state border issues through peaceful consultation. This approach echoes the trend of the times for peace and development and is conducive to further promoting regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.
As the three countries’ friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner, China stands ready to take this opportunity to work with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepening practical cooperation in various fields and delivering more benefit for the local people.
The Paper: Recently, many foreign friends have visited China, including some top influencers on social media. They shared what they saw in China by writing and through camera lens. In response, some Internet users overseas said they saw a China that is different from what they had heard about. Did you notice these reports and what’s your comment?
Guo Jiakun: Recent months witnessed a packed agenda in China’s diplomacy and a continuous variety of events of people-to-people exchanges. The one-shot livestreaming by foreign influencers presents China as it is in a panoramic view, one that has not been edited or put in any filter. This again spurs growing enthusiasm for China. This shows that the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries enjoy profound support from the people, and such bonds cannot and will not be severed.
Having been inspired by virtual tours to China online, more and more foreign friends decide to get a first-hand experience of China and take an on-a-whim trip. Take Beijing as an example, since December 17, 2024, the ports at the city have handled over 1.3 million inbound and outbound trips by foreigners, and more than 310,000 of them were made under visa-free policy, an increase of 150 percent year on year compared with before the implementation of the policy was put in place. We will further expand our visa-free “circle of friends” and roll out more facilitation measures for cross-border travel. We welcome more foreign friends to visit China in this beautiful spring.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting: Donald Trump recently threatened Iran. He says he will bomb Iran, which is completely contrary to the Charter of the United Nations. Does China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any comments about it?
Guo Jiakun: Earlier this month, China hosted the Beijing meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue where a joint statement was issued putting forward China’s five-point proposition on properly settling the Iranian nuclear issue. China maintains that resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means is the only right option and that new consensus needs to be reached under the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The implementation of the JCPOA has been disrupted by the U.S.’s practice of insisting on withdrawing from it. The U.S. needs to show political sincerity and resume talks as soon as possible. Slapping sanctions, pressuring, and threatening with the use of force will lead nowhere.
The Iranian nuclear issue is once again at a key crossroads with the risk of escalation and also the important opportunity of reaching political and diplomatic solution through dialogue and negotiation. The current priority is that parties concerned need to have a forward-looking and constructive attitude, expand diplomatic effort and create condition for the resumption of talks.
China will continue to promote talks for peace, work for the early resumption of negotiation, and find a fair, balanced and sustainable solution that accommodates reasonable concerns of all sides, so as to uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
Xinhua News Agency: Today marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and India. How does China characterize the overall development of the bilateral relations? What does China expect of the bilateral relations in the future?
Guo Jiakun: Today marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. President Xi Jinping and Indian President Droupadi Murmu, and Premier Li Qiang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged congratulatory messages respectively.
Both China and India are ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South, and both are in a crucial stage of modernization. The historical course of our bilateral relations shows that being partners of mutual success and a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the right choice for both sides and fully meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples.
Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle the bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective, and take this occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust, step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development.
Bloomberg: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently said that he would provide “credible deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the Taiwan Strait. And then today we had China holding its latest drills around Taiwan. I’m wondering if you wish to comment on this current situation.
Guo Jiakun: The PLA Eastern Theater Command and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council have made announcements on the joint exercises. The drills are a serious warning and an act of containment against “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and a legitimate and necessary move to defend national sovereignty and uphold national unity.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that brook no external interference. The DPP authorities are hellbent on seeking “Taiwan independence,” and attempt to solicit external support for that agenda and divide the country. Such attempt is just futile and doomed to fail. The historical trend that China will and must achieve reunification is unstoppable.
On the remarks made by certain person in the U.S., I’ve made a response yesterday. Let me stress again that military and security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan should not target any third country, or endanger regional peace and development. By calling China a “threat” and using it as a pretext, the U.S. has been instigating ideological antagonism, and stoking division and confrontation. Regional countries need to stay on high alert and guard against such practice. On the Taiwan question, we urge certain people in the U.S. to give up the illusion of “using Taiwan to contain China,” abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués with concrete actions, and honor the commitment made by the U.S. on Taiwan-related issues.
AFP: I just have a couple of other questions on the drills that were announced this morning. I wonder if you could give any more information on them specifically, on whether they will or have included live fire exercises and also how long they will go on for. And then the second question is about the cartoon that was posted by the Eastern Theater Command online that shows Lai Ching-te as an insect being roasted over fire. I wonder how you think that kind of imagery will be interpreted abroad.
Guo Jiakun: I have answered the question about the joint military drill just now. As for the specifics you mentioned, I’d refer you to competent authorities.
PTI: Further to what you said about the 75th anniversary, previously the indication was both countries plan to start a series of events coinciding or probably to celebrate this particular event. Can you just outline probably when these particular events are going to start and if you can just throw some light on that?
Guo Jiakun: As I just said, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. Both sides are willing to further advance the bilateral relations at this important juncture. Last October, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a successful meeting in Kazan, providing strategic guidance for improving and developing China-India relations. You also noticed that recently the two sides have been earnestly implementing the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries and strengthening exchanges at various levels as well as practical cooperation. A series of tangible progress has been made in these areas. Regarding the celebration activities on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, we will release relevant information in due course. Please stay tuned.