At the invitation of the government of the Federated States of Micronesia, President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Wesley W. Simina to be held on July 26 in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Reuters: A building of the Chinese consulate in Odessa was damaged by a Russian missile and drone attack yesterday. Does this mean that China will now condemn the attack on the Ukrainian city? Also has China launched any complaint at all with the Russian side about the attack?

Mao Ning: We have given information on the explosion near China’s Consulate-General in Odessa. We will stay in communication with the parties concerned and take all measures necessary to keep Chinese institutions and nationals in Ukraine safe.

Global Times: It was reported that recently a Japanese scholar found Unit 731-related official documents from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for the first time, including the name list of members of Unit 731 that launched bacterial warfare against the Chinese people. These documents contain details of the Unit structure and its members’ names and titles, including information on Shiro Ishii, the Japanese bacterial warfare culprit and Unit 731’s first head. What is your comment on that?

Mao Ning: During WWII, in blatant violation of international law, the Japanese army launched horrendous bacterial warfare against the Chinese. They conducted barbaric in vivo experiments on humans, and committed heinous crimes against humanity during their aggression against China. The official documents disclosed by the Japanese scholar are yet another solid proof of the bacterial warfare launched by Japanese militarists. There’s no room for denial. We appreciate the courage of people with vision in Japan to reveal and face the historical facts. Japan needs to heed the just call—both domestically and internationally—and earnestly face up to and reflect on its history of militarist aggression. Japan needs to root out the toxic legacy of militarism, and not let history repeat itself.

Reuters: With the Chinese consulate in Odessa being damaged by Russian attack, if there is no criticism over Russian damage of the building, is non-criticism now the policy for any future similar cases should Chinese missions abroad be damaged or hit in any way during an attack of some sort?

Mao Ning: On the Ukraine crisis, our position is consistent and clear. We will continue to facilitate the political settlement of the crisis. We are closely following relevant developments and staying in communication with the parties concerned. We will take all measures necessary to keep Chinese institutions and nationals in Ukraine and anywhere else in the world safe.

Reuters: According to The Wall Street Journal, Chinese hackers infiltrated the emails of hundreds of thousands of US officials, including those of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink. Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: My colleague has answered relevant questions. I’m not going to repeat the answer.