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 Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will pay an official visit to China from June 30 to July 1.

CCTV: As the death toll and injuries caused by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela continues to rise, what disaster relief assistance has China provided to the country? (Similar question from Telesur)

Guo Jiakun: China is closely following the severity of the earthquakes in Venezuela. President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathies to acting President Delcy Rodríguez over the disaster. In addition to the cash assistance that China has provided to Venezuela, the Chinese government has decided to provide emergency supplies worth of RMB100 million as donations that will be soon delivered to Venezuela in support of its disaster response and reconstruction effort. China also provided satellite imagery to the quake zones for disaster response operations. Chinese companies and associations of overseas Chinese in Venezuela voluntarily provided urgently needed machinery and medical supplies and set up rescue teams to actively search for survivors. China stands ready to offer more support as the disaster response progresses. 

NHK: China’s Ministry of Commerce announced today that some Japanese entities have been added to the export control list. Previously, the Ministry of Commerce stated that the measure does not affect normal economic and trade exchanges between China and Japan. However, Japanese economic groups said that even in the civilian sector, the rare earth purchases of Japanese enterprises have already been affected. How does the foreign ministry view this measure? How does China assess the impact of this measure on normal economic and trade exchanges between China and Japan?

Guo Jiakun: The competent authority has made an announcement and made China’s position clear. Let me stress that it’s fully justified, legitimate and lawful for China to take these measures which aim to contain Japan’s reckless moves of neo-militarism. We hope Japan will turn back from the wrong path, correct its wrongdoings, do serious soul-searching and go back to the right track. China’s decision to place entities on the list, taken in accordance with the law, targets only a small number of Japanese entities. The relevant measures target only the dual-use items, and will not affect the normal business exchanges between China and Japan. Japanese entities have no need to worry as long as they operate in good faith and in compliance with the law.

AFP: Australia and Vanuatu signed an economic and security agreement today that prohibits the establishment of any foreign military base on the Pacific island nation’s territory. Australian officials have previously expressed concern that China is seeking an expanded security presence in the region, including in Vanuatu. So does the foreign ministry have any comment on this agreement today?

Guo Jiakun: China always upholds the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness in carrying out practical cooperation in various fields with Vanuatu and other Pacific nations. We hope that the cooperation between relevant country and Pacific nations will be truly conducive to the development and stability of the Pacific islands region. The cooperation should not target any third party, still less be used as an excuse for geopolitical contest.

Bloomberg: A follow-up on the Australia-Vanuatu agreement. China and Vanuatu are also slated to sign an agreement, a strategic cooperation pact. Would you know when this will be signed? The prime minister of Vanuatu has said that the text of the deal with China would be released once it is signed in the interest of transparency. Does China agree with releasing the deal text and should the text of the deal with the Solomon Islands also be released?

Guo Jiakun: On your first question, China’s cooperation with Vanuatu is based on mutual respect, equal consultation, mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness. China will, in light of the aspirations and needs of Vanuatu, continue expanding friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields to the benefit of our two countries and peoples.

On your second question, China’s cooperation with Pacific island nations is fair and square. Our cooperation is not imposed on anyone, nor targets any third party, and has been sincerely received by the people in the region. China always handles the documents on bilateral cooperation with Pacific island nations on the basis of friendly consultation.

Bloomberg: Tokyo’s top government spokesman has said that China Coast Guard’s activity in Japan’s exclusive economic zone south of Yonaguni Island and territorial claims on those waters are unacceptable. What is the foreign ministry’s comment?

Guo Jiakun: China has made its position clear on many occasions. Let me reiterate that China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in waters east of China’s Taiwan island. It is fully legitimate, lawful and justified for Chinese authorities to carry out relevant activities in these waters. Japan and the Philippines’ attempt to bypass China and initiate the so-called maritime delimitation talks constitutes a severe violation of UNCLOS and other international laws and basic norms governing international relations. It also seriously infringes on China’s maritime rights and interests. China will not allow this.

Bloomberg: A question on Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s visit. We’re wondering if you have any more information?

Guo Jiakun: President Xi Jinping met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing this morning. We’ve put out a readout which you may refer to.

China and Belarus are all-weather comprehensive strategic partners, enjoying steadfast political mutual trust, fruitful Belt and Road cooperation, solid progress in major cooperation projects and effective coordination on multilateral affairs. Facts prove that deepening all-weather, all-round cooperation between the two sides is consistent with the trend of history and fundamental interests of both peoples. China stands ready to work with Belarus in building a community with a shared future for humanity, act on the four major global initiatives, step up coordination and collaboration under multilateral mechanisms and be a source of stability in this volatile world.