At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, King Felipe VI of Spain will pay a state visit to China from November 10 to 13. 

The eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. Leaders from other countries, including Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Serbian Prime Minister Duro Macut, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria Abbas Tajudeen, and President of the National Council of Slovenia Marko Lotrič, will attend the opening ceremony of the CIIE and related events upon invitation. 

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna will visit China from November 4 to 6. 

CCTV: A follow-up on King Felipe VI’s visit to China, could you share with us the arrangement? How does China view its current relations with Spain and what does China expect to achieve through the visit?

Mao Ning: This is King Felipe VI’s first state visit to China after his enthronement and another visit by a Spanish king to China in 18 years. The visit is of great significance. During the visit, President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Zhao Leji will meet with him respectively. They will exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Spain is a major country in the EU and China’s important strategic partner in Europe. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, in recent years, bilateral relations have maintained robust development. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership. Through King Felipe VI’s visit, China stands ready to work with Spain to cement traditional friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, have closer people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strengthen coordination on multilateral affairs, and score more progress in the comprehensive strategic partnership so as to deliver more tangibly for the two peoples and inject more stability and positive energy into a turbulent international landscape.

Shenzhen TV: China recently announced that it would host next year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen. Can you brief us on the consideration of the decision on the host city and what’s China’s expectation for its APEC chairmanship in 2026?

Mao Ning: As the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting draws to a close, APEC will soon enter the “China Year.” President Xi Jinping announced that China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen in November next year. It will be the third time for China to host APEC. From Shanghai to Beijing and to Shenzhen, China’s role and contribution on the APEC stage has continued to strengthen, which shows China’s effort in spearheading Asia-Pacific cooperation, commitment to multilateralism and support for regional economic integration.

Shenzhen is a pilot ground for China’s reform and opening up. It is a miracle created by the Chinese people in the world history of development. It is also an important window for China’s mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. We believe that Shenzhen will present a splendid APEC meeting for the world and look forward to welcoming all parties to Shenzhen next year.

Global Times: To follow up on Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna’s visit to China, how does China view its current relations with Estonia and what’s China’s expectation of the visit?

Mao Ning: China welcomes Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna to visit China. The two countries enjoy traditional friendship. In recent years, bilateral relations have generally maintained steady development. China attaches importance to developing its friendly and cooperative ties with Estonia. Through the visit, China stands ready to work with Estonia to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and expand cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and equality and move forward bilateral ties on a sustained and steady track.

China News Service: Last week, President Xi Jinping met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Gyeongju, the ROK. This is President Xi’s first meeting in eight years with Canadian leader. What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning: On the afternoon of October 31, President Xi Jinping met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, the ROK. They reached important common understandings and made strategic guidance on further improving bilateral relations. Through this meeting, China stands ready to work with Canada to resume or restart exchanges and cooperation in various fields, move forward in solving the specific economic and trade issues of mutual concern, bring bilateral relations back to the right track of sound, stable and sustainable development at an early date and deliver more benefits to the two peoples.

AFP: Donald Trump yesterday claimed that China conducts secret nuclear weapons tests. Does the Foreign Ministry have any response to this?

Mao Ning: As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible nuclear-weapon state, China is committed to peaceful development, follows a policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, and adheres to its nuclear testing moratorium. We stand ready to work with all parties to jointly uphold the authority of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

It’s hoped that the U.S. will earnestly abide by its obligations under the Treaty and its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing, and take concrete actions to uphold the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as global strategic balance and stability. 

Hubei Media Group: China’s unilateral visa-free policy to some countries will expire at the end of this year. Will the policy be extended?

Mao Ning: To implement the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, expand high-standard opening up, and continue to facilitate cross-border travel, China has decided to extend visa-free policy to France and other countries to December 31, 2026. China has added Sweden to the visa-free scheme effective from November 10, 2025 to December 31, 2026. For more specifics, please follow the information released by the Department of Consular Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates.

Ukrinform News Agency: Last week, the group of Friends for Peace, which includes China, Brazil and several other Global South countries, made another call for a ceasefire. The Ukrainian side many times stated its readiness to cease fire. I’d like to ask whether China, Brazil and the group of Friends for Peace have appealed directly to Russia to stop the conflict?

Mao Ning: The group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis is exactly aimed at creating a ceasefire, promoting talks for peace, and fostering an atmosphere and accumulating conditions for peace. Since its establishment, the group has played a constructive role for the political settlement of the crisis and will continue to make effort to that end.

Beijing Youth Daily: We’ve learned that China has agreed to resume group tours of Chinese nationals to Canada. What is your comment?

Mao Ning: By taking into account Chinese tourists’ travel demand, local traveling environment and other factors, China has decided to resume group tours of Chinese nationals to Canada operated by tourist agencies. We believe this will further promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. We stand ready to work with Canada to make cross-border travel easier and hope that Canada will work with China and provide a safe and enjoyable environment for Chinese tourists.

The Paper: It’s reported that the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan killed around 2,000 civilians in el-Fasher, capital of north Darfur. The UN, the Arab League and the African Union, among other organizations, are closely following the humanitarian situation there and have condemned acts of violence against civilians. What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning: China closely follows the situation in Sudan and condemns acts against civilians. We hope Sudan will end the conflict as soon as possible, ease the humanitarian crisis, resume the political process at an early date, restore peace and stability, and achieve reconstruction and development.

AFP: Scott Bessent said yesterday that the U.S. could raise tariffs on China if it continues to block rare earth exports. Does China have a response to this?

Mao Ning: On China’s policy of rare earth export control, competent authorities have made clear our position more than once. The outcomes of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur fully demonstrate that dialogue and cooperation is the right way forward, and threatening and pressuring does not solve any issue. The two sides need to earnestly deliver on the important common understandings reached by the two presidents in Busan and inject more certainty and stability into China-U.S. trade and economic cooperation and the world economy.

Ukrinform News Agency: The Philippines and Canada signed a pact on Sunday for their armed forces to train on each other’s soil, one of the goals of which is to counter China’s military activity in the South China Sea. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: China always believes that countries’ defense and security cooperation should not target any third party or harm their interests. To flex muscle and stoke confrontation is not conducive to regional peace and stability.