CCTV: On September 3, President Xi Jinping, upon invitation, attended and addressed via video link the opening ceremony of the plenary session of the sixth Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok of Russia. What's the significance of this under current circumstances?
Wang Wenbin: The Eastern Economic Forum was launched in 2015 at the initiative of President Putin. After several years, it has grown into an important multilateral platform for economic cooperation and dialogue in Northeast Asia. President Xi's attendance speaks volumes about China's commitment to overcoming difficulties and seeking development together with regional parties. It also demonstrates the high-level strategic coordination between China and Russia. President Xi's address at the opening ceremony offers strategic guidance for concerted efforts to combat COVID-19, seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and safeguard regional peace and stability, receiving positive feedback at the forum.
At present, the world is faced with profound shifts in the global landscape, flare-ups of a pandemic that is yet to be vanquished, and a struggling economic recovery. The more turmoil in the world, the more should China-Russia cooperation forge ahead with firm conviction. We are convinced that with solid progress in our all-round practical cooperation and deepening strategic coordination in international and regional affairs, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era will surely contribute more to world peace, stability and development.
NHK: Britain's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier made a port call in Japan. Japan's Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said today that the UK held a joint military exercise with Japan, the US, India and the ROK, a move believed to check China's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: I already stated China's position on this last week. You may refer to that.
The Paper: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the other day that "there are few countries that wanted us to stay in Afghanistan more than China and Russia, because it would have tied up our own resources". What's China's comment on this?
Wang Wenbin: The relevant US remarks exposed how they presume others' behavior based on their own experience. Such attempts to find excuses for the US own failure also serve to reveal once again its hegemonic nature of pursuing power politics in the world.
As the culprit of the Afghan issue, the US has inflicted enormous loss and suffering on the Afghan people in the two-decade-long war. The negative impact will linger on for years to come. The US should undertake its due responsibility for Afghanistan to realize peace and reconstruction, instead of just walking out and shifting the responsibility to Afghanistan's neighbors and the international community.
Moreover, the US should reflect on its mistakes, draw hard lessons, stop wanton military intervention in other countries, stop imposing its own ideology and values on others, and avoid repeating the mistakes it made in Afghanistan.
RIA Novosti: A report citing a source in the Taliban says that the movement invited Turkey, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar to an event dedicated to the announcement of the composition of new Afghan government. I wonder if you could confirm this, if China received invitation to this event, and who will represent China there?
Wang Wenbin: China's position on the Afghan issue is clear and consistent. We always respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and support the Afghan people in independently choosing a development path suited to their national conditions. We also support Afghanistan in forming an open, inclusive and broadly representative government, pursuing moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely fighting against all kinds of terrorist forces and developing friendly relations with other countries, especially neighboring countries.
As for your specific question, I have nothing to offer you at present.
China Review News: According to reports, Jeffrey Sachs, who heads the Lancet COVID-19 Commission, said on September 5 that "the global response to the pandemic has been wholly inadequate and one of the main geopolitical problems might have been the failure of the United States to work with China for global solutions". He also said that "China has done an excellent job of suppressing the pandemic, and the world could and should have learned a lot more from China's response". "The United States should learn some good manners to work cooperatively with China, rather than trying to impose its will on that nation", added Sachs. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: I noted relevant reports. Christian Althaus, a Swiss epidemiologist, also said recently that China bought the rest of the world one to two months to prepare for the epidemic with its correct response.
Since the very beginning of the epidemic, China has always upheld the principle of openness, transparency, science and cooperation. We reported the epidemic to WHO at the earliest time possible, and shared prevention and control information and diagnosis and treatment experiences with other countries without reservation. We held the crucial line of defense in this global war against the virus and bought precious time for other countries to ramp up response. China has received two WHO expert missions for study of origins. The China-WHO joint report reached scientific and authoritative conclusions, which laid the foundation for global origins study in the next phase.
COVID-19 response and origins study both call for solidarity, cooperation and the spirit of science. Unfortunately, some in the US have time and again tried to politicize efforts on both fronts to deflect the blame for their own botched response. Such irresponsible behavior has not only cost the American people dearly, but a