CGTN: The 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was successfully held yesterday. This important meeting comes on the 10th anniversary of the first LMC Leaders’ Meeting. Can you share more details?

Guo Jiakun: Yesterday morning, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow co-chaired the 11th LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Beijing. The six LMC countries took stock of the cooperation outcomes and experience gained. They agreed that over the past decade, LMC has grown with strong momentum in all dimensions, at various levels and in multiple areas, and delivered tangible results beneficial to all. Lancang-Mekong countries are becoming more inter-connected, with more robust growth momentum, stronger security safeguards, and closer people-to-people bonds. Such cooperation has delivered tangibly to the people and boosted the modernization of the six countries.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward five proposals for the future development of LMC. First, form new synergy for solidarity and collective strength. The six countries need to carry forward the LMC culture of equality, sincerity, mutual assistance and kinship, and have closer exchanges at all levels and communication on policies. Second, reach new heights of open and win-win cooperation. The six countries need to deepen cooperation along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, promote regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, build the LMC Economic Development Belt, and support more small and smart livelihood programs. Third, foster new driving force through green development and innovation. The six countries need to expand cooperation in emerging areas such as digital economy and artificial intelligence. We welcome more Mekong countries to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. Fourth, enhance security coordination. The six countries need to carry forward the Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness and the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, reject external interference and bloc confrontation, and step up efforts to fight cross-border crimes. Fifth, create new highlights in disaster governance. The six countries need to set up a cross-border cooperation mechanism for disaster warning, and strengthen cooperation in disaster monitoring, early warning and emergency response to improve capability in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that China stands ready to work with Mekong countries in the direction charted by our leaders, take down-to-earth actions to solve problems and improve people’s well-being, and take more effective measures to jointly advance modernization, set LMC as a leading example of regional cooperation and solidarity and collective strength of the Global South, and jointly usher in a new LMC golden decade. 

Phoenix TV: We have noted that a handful of politicians from the U.S. and other Western countries have repeatedly voiced “concern” over the case against Joshua Wong Chi-fung. Today, a Hong Kong court handed down its sentencing decision on the case of Wong’s collusion conspiracy. Do you have any comment?

Guo Jiakun: Hong Kong upholds the rule of law. To abide by the law and bring lawbreakers to justice is a basic principle. Wong Chi-fung is guilty of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security, and the offence has been found to be of a grave nature. In the face of overwhelming facts and evidence, Wong had no grounds to justify his behavior and pleaded guilty. The central government of China firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR in safeguarding national security and punishing in accordance with the law acts that endanger national security. Relevant parties need to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, stop making irresponsible remarks on the SAR’s judicial process, and stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and China’s internal affairs in any form.

Global Times: It is reported that the Japanese government is set to approve the updated three security documents in December. Sources have said that Japan will continue to position China as its “greatest strategic challenge” in the updated documents, and will nearly double its defense spending over the next five years, with a total reaching 70 trillion to 80 trillion yen. It will focus on stepping up offensive military capabilities such as long-range strikes and unmanned combat. What’s China’s comment on this?

Guo Jiakun: Japan’s rapid push to revise the three security documents, boost military expenditure and develop offensive capabilities says a lot about its agenda to speed up remilitarization. The so-called “greatest strategic challenge” is nothing but a pretext for Japan to engage in military expansion in the name of defense. We noted that within Japan there is a growing concern about the distortion of its orientation as a “peace-loving nation” and the severe impact this has had on economy and people’s livelihood.

Historically, the Japanese militarists committed horrendous crimes and inflicted immense suffering on people in the Asia Pacific and beyond. The lessons are still fresh and must not be forgotten. Japan’s reckless remilitarization and repeated breach of its “exclusively defense-oriented” policy seriously threaten regional peace and stability, and challenge the postwar international order. The international community must stay on high alert and jointly push back this dangerous tendency.

Bloomberg: I was just wondering if you could comment on the state of ties between China and the U.S. following the midterm elections, especially given things like upcoming meetings between the two presidents, the trade truce that’s ongoing until January and stuff like that.

Guo Jiakun: We have responded to a similar question. The U.S. midterm elections are a domestic affair. China stands ready to continue working with the U.S. to uphold and deliver on the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, enhance communication, properly manage differences, expand cooperation, and build a constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity.

AFP: A Financial Times report said that China has told Japanese investor SoftBank that it will not allow the acquisition of Swiss-Swedish company ABB’s robotics division to go ahead. Can China confirm this or comment on this?

Guo Jiakun: I would refer you to the competent Chinese authorities.