Shenzhen TV: It’s reported that Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr said he was hoping to achieve a “united front” of Pacific Island countries against China’s recent test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. He said: “From China’s standpoint, they want to let us know that, any one of your islands, we can take out.” Whipps questioned why China test-fired the nuclear-capable missile near Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands rather than the vast open ocean between China and the United States. What’s China’s comment? 

Lin Jian: The Chinese side has stated its position on the test launch. The allegations from the Palau side are groundless, ill-intentioned and not worth further commentary.

Beijing Youth Daily: The 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification opened yesterday in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Themed “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope,” COP17 will discuss issues including the restoration of degraded land, sustainable land management, and drought resilience. How do you view China’s role in global desertification control effort?

Lin Jian: Desertification prevention and control is an endeavor bearing on the sustainable future of humanity. As a party to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), China has earnestly fulfilled its obligations under the Convention and actively advanced international cooperation on desertification control. China advocates that clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as gold and silver. China is the first country in the world to achieve zero net land degradation and reduce both desertification and sandification. China’s forest coverage ratio and forest stock volume have both increased for 40 consecutive years, making important contribution to meeting the global goal of zero net land degradation by 2030. The Secretariat of the UNCCD honored China for its “outstanding contribution to combating desertification,” praising its significant contributions to global desertification control.

China has actively participated in and fully supported the UN’s desertification control effort, sharing its experience in sand prevention and control with the world, promoting technology application, and training professionals, thus injecting strong impetus into green development in the Global South. During this Conference, China will set up a “China Corner” showcasing China’s efforts in desertification control and will hold multiple side events to exchange ideas, technologies, and practices with all parties.

Going forward, China will remain committed to providing China’s solution for global desertification control, deepen ecological and environmental cooperation with all sides, jointly advance the Convention process, and work for more miracles of turning deserts into oases.

Russia Today: The U.S. embassy in the Philippines announced the launch of a center in Palawan designed to help Filipino fishermen report suspected illegal fishing activities. How would you comment on this announcement?

Lin Jian: We noted the reports and will closely watch the situation. China believes that exchanges and cooperation between states should be conducive to mutual understanding and trust between regional countries, as well as regional peace and stability. We do not stand against normal cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines, but relevant cooperation should not target any third party or harm the interests of any third party.

CGTN: According to reports, the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced that incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema has been reelected for a second term in the recent presidential election. Does China have any comment? 

Lin Jian: We congratulate President Hakainde Hichilema on his reelection. China deeply values the relations with Zambia and stands ready to work with the Zambian government to deepen the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and better benefit the people of Zambia and China. 

AFP: South Korea’s foreign ministry announced today that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay a visit to the country from tomorrow. Can the Chinese side confirm this visit? And on a related point, how does China view the statement yesterday by U.S. President Donald Trump that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his request for a conversation?

Lin Jian: To answer your first question, if there is any information, we will release it in a timely manner. 

On your second question, I made clear China’s position during our press conference yesterday.

China News Service: According to The Australian, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong recently asked the Australian National University and the University of Queensland to terminate their collaboration respectively with Shandong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. What’s China’s comment?

Lin Jian: China opposes abusing the concept of national security to restrict and go after normal international cooperation on education and research.

Bloomberg: About the possible visit to South Korea by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, more broadly, can you just give us a sense of where China-South Korea relations lie at the moment? What is your view? What’s the foreign ministry’s view of how these might evolve going forward? 

Lin Jian: As important neighbors, China and the ROK maintain sound relations. The two sides also maintain communication and interactions at various levels. As for the visit you mentioned, we will release information in due course should there be any updates.