Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the opening ceremony of the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, Hunan from June 10 to 12.

China News Service: You just announced that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the opening ceremony of the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. Could you give us more information?

Lin Jian: Last September, the Beijing Summit of FOCAC was successfully held. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the summit and delivered a keynote speech. China and Africa reached extensive common understandings on joining hands to advance modernization and building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. The China-Africa relationship has been at its best in history. Since then, the two sides have been working closely together to actively implement the common understandings reached by the leaders and the outcomes of the summit. The two sides have made important progress and achieved many early harvests.  

As agreed by China and Africa, the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of FOCAC will be held in Changsha, Hunan from June 10 to 12. The Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo will also be held back-to-back. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the 54 African members of the FOCAC will attend the event. China will enhance coordination with Africa with a focus on implementing the six-point proposition of jointly advancing modernization and the 10 partnership actions put forward by President Xi, so that people in China and Africa will benefit more from the outcomes of the FOCAC summit. The two sides will work together to create more great stories about China-Africa cooperation for high-quality development and send a strong message of solidarity and collaboration among members of the Global South. 

EFE: It was reported that when meeting with Lai Ching-te in Taipei, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said that he intends to take the ties between Guatemala and Taiwan “to the next level.” What is China’s comment?

Lin Jian: There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is a prevailing consensus in the international community, which brooks no challenge. The DPP authorities use so-called “diplomatic allies” to seek political gains. This is self-deceiving and will not stop the inevitable reunification of China. 

The fact that 183 countries in the world have established diplomatic relations with China fully proves that upholding the one-China principle is the right thing to do, and it is where the public opinion trends and the arc of history bends. Recognizing the one-China principle, developing relations with China, and sharing opportunities for development are what truly serve the fundamental interests of Guatemala and its people. We urge the government of relevant country to see the ultimate trend, meet its people’s aspirations, and make the right choice at an early date.

AFP: Regarding the phone call yesterday between the Chinese and U.S. presidents, Donald Trump wrote that there should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of rare earth products, but the Chinese side’s readout did not mention this topic. So can the Foreign Ministry provide more details about what was discussed between the leaders in the call specifically with regard to rare earth?

Lin Jian: China has repeatedly made clear its position on relevant issue. I’d refer you to competent authorities for anything specific.

RIA Novosti: There has been a public row between U.S. President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk. What is China’s comment? Does China expect this will affect China-U.S. relations?

Lin Jian: This is a domestic affair of the United States.

Reuters: This is also to do with President Xi and President Trump’s phone call last night. Trump said after the phone call that there should no longer be any questions about rare earth. Does this mean China is now going to speed up its approvals process for rare earth and related products’ export licenses, especially to the U.S.?

Lin Jian: I just answered this question.

Shenzhen TV: We noted that amid the severe international economic environment, China’s trade and economic ties with the rest of the world remain robust. In the first five months of this year, China opened 101 international air cargo routes in total, and over 195 weekly round-trip flights were added. From January to April, China’s port cargo throughput was 5.755 billion tonnes, up 3.7 percent year on year, and port container throughput exceeded 110 million TEUs, up 7.9 percent year on year. What’s your comment? 

Lin Jian: I noted the reports. In the first four months of this year, China’s trade in goods grew by 2.4 percent year on year. Trade growth in April was 4.3 percentage points higher than that in the first quarter. China’s economy continues to unleash its vitality, and resilience in trade continues to strengthen. It fully shows that whatever challenge may appear in the external environment, China’s manufacturing remains needed by the world, and the Chinese market will always be a magnet for foreign investment. Unilateralism and protectionism are unsustainable. Walls and barriers created by some will not stop China from engaging in open cooperation with other countries for shared development.