CCTV: In recent days, leaders of many countries and international organizations have sent messages and letters to Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to express congratulations on the opening of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. Do you have any comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: As you said, in recent days, leaders of many countries and international organizations have sent messages and letters to President Xi Jinping, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to extend congratulations on the opening of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. They noted that the 20th National Congress will be a new milestone in China’s cause of socialist construction and expressed confidence that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will successfully realize its national rejuvenation. They underscored the importance they attach to relations with China and underlined China’s role as an advocate of world peace, security, multilateralism and a fair and equitable international order and an important engine for the world economy. They commended China’s efforts to boost win-win cooperation among countries through the Belt and Road Initiative and expressed readiness to further consolidate and deepen friendship and partnership with China.

Those committed to the welfare of the world can always find friends the world over. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has steadfastly pursued peaceful development, called for the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity and justice, and win-win cooperation and advanced the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China has always been a force for world peace, a contributor to global development and defender of the international order. China has provided its insights and solutions to addressing major global issues and helped build consensus and synergy for advancing human development and progress. All this has been widely recognized across the world. Multiple international polls show that China’s role is welcomed by much of the world, especially the developing countries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has hailed China as an indispensable and trustworthy vital force in promoting world peace and development.

On the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, the CPC will stay true to its founding mission of realizing people’s happiness, national rejuvenation and human progress with unwavering conviction, and will lead the Chinese people in this great endeavor of rejuvenation united as one. In the meantime, we will always see China’s development as part of human development, share development opportunities with other countries, and continue to work together with the rest of the world to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and make new, greater contributions to world peace and common development. 

China News Service: Today marks the 30th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty worldwide and the ninth National Poverty Alleviation Day in China. In a report delivered to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that the past decade marked three major events of great immediate impact and profound historical significance for the cause of the Party and the people, including the historic feat of eradicating absolute poverty and finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. What does China’s success in eradicating absolute poverty mean to the country and the world?

Wang Wenbin: Poverty eradication has been a long-cherished dream of the Chinese people, and a centuries-old pursuit of humanity.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have won the largest battle against poverty in human history and, once and for all, resolved the problem of absolute poverty in China. China has achieved the Sustainable Development Goal of ending poverty ten years ahead of schedule and notably lowered the global poverty rate, making significant contributions to the cause of global poverty reduction.

China is not only a model and a pioneer in global poverty reduction, but also an advocate of and participant in global poverty reduction cooperation. The World Bank projected that the Belt and Road cooperation will lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty in relevant countries by 2030. China has put forth the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and is committed to a development-first and people-centered approach. China has released its first project list covering such areas as poverty reduction and food security, launched an International NGOs Network for Poverty Reduction Cooperation, and established the Global Alliance for Poverty Reduction and Development. All the measures are aimed at promoting poverty reduction experience sharing and advocating global poverty reduction cooperation.

On the way to pursuing happiness, no country or nation should be left behind. China will continue to put the people front and center and uphold the common interests of humanity. We will actively advance and participate in the global poverty reduction and development cooperation, and work with the international community to contribute insights and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Bloomberg: Politico has reported that Chinese officials are stonewalling US efforts to set the agenda for a face-to-face meeting between President Xi and President Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Does the foreign ministry have any comments?

Wang Wenbin: I believe you may have noted that the US already said the story is false. 

The Paper: It is reported that on October 17, the Japanese leader and some political dignitaries sent ritual offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine on the occasion of the shrine’s autumn festival, and certain Cabinet members paid visits to the shrine. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: China firmly rejects Japan’s negative moves concerning the Yasukuni Shrine and has lodged solemn démarches to the Japanese side. We urge the Japanese side to earnestly own up to its statements and commitments on facing squarely and reflecting on its history of aggression, make a clean break with militarism and win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the larger international community through concrete actions. 

Reuters: South Pacific defence ministers will meet in Tonga on Tuesday, with Australia seeking a closer military relationship with the three island nations that have defence forces in order to counter China’s security push in the region. What’s the Chinese foreign ministry’s comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: We hope that military cooperation between relevant countries is conducive to regional peace and stability and will not target any third party.

CCTV: The 20th National Congress of the CPC is being held. More than 2,000 delegates from all walks of life are fulfilling their duties. Some comments say the election of the delegates has demonstrated how democracy is fully practiced. What is your comment? 

Wang Wenbin: The election of the delegates to the 20th National Congress of the CPC is an important part of the preparation for the 20th CPC National Congress. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the preparation went ahead in a thoughtful and meticulous way. A total of 2,296 high-caliber delegates were elected by 38 electoral units across the country. Their composition is well structured, and they come from a broad spectrum. They epitomize the good qualities that CPC members stand for in the new era. For the first time ever, the 20th CPC National Congress openly solicited opinions on the work related to the National Congress from the entire Party and society. More than 8.5 million suggestions and comments in various areas were collected, laying an important foundation for the success of the congress.

The preparation for the National Congress is an excellent example of combining the need to follow the Party’s leadership and the practice of democracy, illustrating how the Party gives full play to democracy within itself and follows the mass line. The international community has great expectations for the 20th CPC National Congress and speaks highly of the preparation. Experts and scholars from countries including Tanzania, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan shared the view that the CPC is keenly aware of the importance of serving the people and its policy-making is based on knowing what the public thinks, and evaluates a policy by looking at whether it serves the interest of the people and the country’s development and progress. They view China’s governance system as an achievement of democratic centralism that has led China to unprecedented accomplishment.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that people’s democracy is the life of socialism and what fully building a modern socialist country is all about. China’s democracy has come a long way, from “bean voting” in the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region during the Yan’an Period to the smooth preparation for the 20th CPC National Congress. We believe that the fine delegates to the National Congress representing the more than 96 million CPC members, who have gone through a rigorous election process, will pool together the will of the Party, live up to the expectation of the people, and make new, important contributions to fully building a modern socialist country and fully realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Bloomberg: The Financial Times reported that a paper prepared by the EU’s foreign service advises members to diversify supply chains away from China. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? 

Wang Wenbin: The global industrial and supply chains, as they currently exist, are the result of the combined force of the market and the choices of businesses. Arbitrarily placing curbs for political purposes disrupts international cooperation and destabilizes industrial and supply chains. It is not conducive to the development of industries and serves no country’s interest. 

China and the EU are partners, not rivals. Our economies are closely linked and highly complementary. Our cooperation far outweighs competition. As noted by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the other day, Chinese goods have done much better and much more to contain inflation than all the Central Banks together. We hope the EU side will view China-EU cooperation in an objective manner, expand common interests and contribute to the stability of global industrial and supply chains.