CCTV: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region. What’s your comment on the progress of Xizang over the past 60 years? How will Xizang continue to develop in the future?

Guo Jiakun: Last week, General Secretary Xi Jinping led a delegation of the CPC Central Committee to attend the events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region. He had an in-depth exchange of views with officials and people of all ethnic groups and from various sectors and delivered important remarks, providing strong impetus and charting the course for building a modern socialist new Xizang.

General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that over the past six decades since the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the vigorous support of the people of the whole nation, the CPC Xizang regional committee and the regional government have brought together and led people of all ethnic groups in the region to strive forward and break new ground. They have upheld and improved the regional ethnic autonomy system, fought secessionism, and made remarkable achievements in economic and social development. The plateau region has experienced profound changes, completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled together with other regions of the country, and embarked on a new journey of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects.

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that Xizang needs to fully implement the party’s policy on Xizang’s governance in the new era, uphold the basic principle of making steady progress in relevant work, fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, steadily advance high-quality development, make solid efforts on the four main tasks of ensuring stability, facilitating development, protecting the eco-environment, and strengthening the borders, and strive to build a modern socialist new Xizang that is united, prosperous, civilized, harmonious and beautiful.

We welcome more foreign friends to visit Xizang to experience its prosperity and progress, and see for themselves the breathtaking landscape and the happy life of people of all ethnic groups in the region.

AFP: Nigeria’s police said on Sunday that it had extradited a Chinese gang leader who is wanted in China for organized violent crime, in an operation conducted with Interpol. Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on this?

Guo Jiakun: On international cooperation on law enforcement, I’d refer you to competent authorities.

Bloomberg: Viet Nam has sharply accelerated its island-building efforts this year in the contested islands in the South China Sea. This is according to a report from a U.S. think tank CSIS. The latest expansion covers eight reefs that were previously not part of the reclamation efforts of Viet Nam, which started in 2021. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on Viet Nam’s activities in the South China Sea regarding island-building efforts?

Guo Jiakun: Nansha Qundao has always been China’s territory. China firmly opposes relevant countries’ construction activities on islands and reefs they illegally occupy. We will do what is necessary to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

DPA: It’s reported by Germany-based Die Welt that diplomatic representatives from EU countries said that China expressed its willingness to participate in a potential international peacekeeping force in Ukraine. What’s the Ministry’s comment or can you confirm it?

Guo Jiakun: The report is not true. China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear.

Hubei Media Group: It was reported that the commander of the U.S. Southern Command said when attending the South America Defense Conference in Argentina recently that China “continues its methodical incursion in the region” and seeks to “extract precious resources” from countries in the Western Hemisphere. What is China’s comment?

Guo Jiakun: These remarks just repeated the same old false narrative inconsistent with facts, and once again revealed the deep-seated Cold-War and confrontational mindset of some in the U.S. Over the years, China has carried out practical cooperation in various fields with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in the spirit of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. Such cooperation meets the needs and serves the common interests of both sides. It has given a strong boost to local economic and social development and is warmly welcomed by countries and people in the region. The U.S., by contrast, has tried every means to interfere in and exert control over the region for years. The hegemonic and bullying nature of its behaviors is for all to see.

The LAC region is no one’s backyard. China-LAC cooperation does not target any third party, and should not be disrupted by any third party. Regional countries have the right to independently choose development paths and cooperative partners. The U.S. should stop sowing discord and making trouble. Rather, it should do something tangible for the development of LAC countries.