AFP: It’s reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Delhi on August 18 and meet with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Can the Chinese side confirm this and give any additional details? (Similar questions from Bloomberg and Reuters)

Lin Jian: China and India are maintaining interactions at various levels. We stand ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of our two countries, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, cement political mutual trust, enhance practical cooperation, properly handle differences, and promote the sustained, sound and steady development of China-India ties. On the specific visit, relevant information will be released in due course.

Jiji Press: The Japanese government said that Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China Han Jun canceled his planned visit to Japan. Comments say that this is related to the visit to Japan by head of Taiwan’s so-called foreign affairs department Lin Chia-lung. Why did the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs canceled his trip? How does China see the necessity of engagement between Chinese and Japanese officials? (Similar question from Asahi Shimbun)

Lin Jian: I’d refer you to competent authorities on the specific reason of Minister Han Jun postponing his visit to Japan. China holds an open attitude towards maintaining engagement at various levels with Japan. If Japan has the sincerity of conducting exchanges with China, it should take concrete actions to earnestly abide by the one-China principle, uphold the political foundation of China-Japan relations, and act on the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan as well as Japan’s commitment of comprehensively advancing the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit, instead of saying one thing but doing another.

On Lin Chia-lung’s visit to Japan, let me stress once again that by allowing Lin Chia-lung to pay a “personal trip,” Japan provides a stage for the separatist activities of “Taiwan independence” forces, seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations and principles in the four political documents between China and Japan, and sends out a severely wrong signal. We urge Japan to have a profound reflection on history, learn lessons from history, stay prudent on the Taiwan question, refrain from harming China’s sovereignty in any form, and avoid sending any wrong message to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

Bloomberg: It’s reported that India and China are set to resume direct flight connections as soon as next month. Airlines in India have been asked by the Indian government to prepare flights to China at short notice, with a possible official announcement as soon as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit at the end of August in China. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm and offer more details and comments please? (Similar question from The New York Times)

Lin Jian: We noted relevant reports. The total population of China and India combined is over 2.8 billion. Resuming direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India helps facilitate cross-border travel, exchanges and cooperation. For some time, the Chinese side has been in close communication with India to promote the early resumption of direct flights between the two countries.

Bloomberg: There’s a positive momentum of China-India relations recently, just as India’s ties with the U.S. face challenges. How does China see the bilateral relations with India evolve, and how can the countries work together on the global stage?

Lin Jian: China and India are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South. A cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant as partners helping each other succeed is the right choice for both sides. China stands ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of our two countries, consistently increase political mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation together, properly handle differences while bearing in mind the bigger picture, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on such multilateral platforms as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with a view to promoting the sound and steady development of China-India relations.