Hubei Media Group: UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment on July 24 that “global food systems are broken,” vulnerable people are paying the price and we must change ways of food production and consumption. What’s your comment? How will China safeguard global food security?

Mao Ning: We noted the remarks by Secretary-General António Guterres. In a world facing sluggish economic recovery and interwoven global challenges, the problems of poverty and hunger are far from being resolved. The international community needs to attach high importance to food security and explore effective solutions through cooperation.

As the world’s largest food producer, China grows a quarter of the world’s food with less than 9 percent of the world’s arable land and feeds 1.4 billion people. This in itself is a major contribution to global food security.

China has offered its solution and taken its action on global food security. In the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, food security is listed as one of the eight priority areas of cooperation. China has put forward the cooperation initiative on global food security under the G20 framework. China has provided more funding and experts and undertaken more projects than any other developing country under the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s South-South Cooperation Programme. China has carried out agricultural cooperation with more than 140 countries and regions, and provided more than 1,000 agricultural technologies to other developing countries, driving up local crop yield by 30 to 60 percent on average. China has trained over 14,000 technicians on hybrid rice technology from over 80 developing countries. China has helped launch 13 demonstration villages on agricultural development and poverty reduction in Africa to help fellow developing countries boost their capacity in agricultural production and secure food security. 

Food security is fundamental to human survival. China stands ready to work with the rest of the world to advance the GDI, enhance cooperation in food security and poverty reduction and contribute more to efforts towards a world free of hunger and poverty.

AFP: A Chinese party and political delegation headed by member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Li Hongzhong will start visiting the DPRK on July 26 and attend commemorative activities for the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War. Will he meet with the DPRK leader?

Mao Ning: The CPC International Department has issued an announcement of the vice chairman’s visit to the DPRK. 

China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. Our two parties and the two countries have had a good tradition of friendly exchanges. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War. Having a high-level Chinese delegation visit the DPRK and mark the occasion shows the high importance both sides attach to our bilateral ties. We believe this visit will contribute to the sound and stable growth of bilateral relations, to regional peace and stability, and to creating conditions for the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issues. 

Details about this visit will be released in a timely way in due course. Please check back for updates.

China News Service: During a recent interview with a UK media organization, Japan’s State Minister of Defense Toshiro Ino claimed that if the Chinese mainland takes military action on Taiwan, Japan very possibly will provide Taiwan with some kind of support, not sure though whether it is going to be in the form of defence equipment or logistical support. Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: Taiwan is China’s territory. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair, which brooks no interference by any external force. The remarks of the incumbent high-level official of Japan’s defence department constitute blatant interference in China’s internal affairs in disregard of the basic norms governing international relations and the principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan and have a damaging effect on the political foundation of China-Japan relations. China strongly disapproves of and firmly opposes this and has made serious démarches to Japan.

For half a century, Japan exercised colonial rule over Taiwan and committed notorious crimes against the Chinese people. Given the grave historical responsibilities Japan bears for those crimes, it is all the more important for Japan to act prudently and draw lessons from the history. What makes Japan think it is in a position and has the confidence to make such unwarranted remarks on Taiwan? I want to stress that the complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation and an unstoppable historical trend. No one shall underestimate the strong resolve, will and capability of the Chinese people to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We urge Japan to stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question. Those who play with fire will eventually get burnt.

CCTV: China and the EU put out the Joint Press Release yesterday following the fourth EU-China High Level Environment and Climate Dialogue. Could you share more details with us?

Mao Ning: On July 4, Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang and European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans co-chaired the fourth EU-China High Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate in Beijing and reached extensive common understandings. The latest dialogue is a concrete step to follow up on the important common understandings of the Chinese and EU leaders. It demonstrated both sides’ readiness to step up practical cooperation, outlined key next-steps, added new dimensions to the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and sent a positive signal of China and the EU working together on climate change, biodiversity loss and other global challenges. We stand ready to enhance communication and coordination with the EU, deepen cooperation in key areas and make green the most distinctive color of China-EU cooperation.

RIA Novosti: According to Italian media reports, Italy intends to withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative and will not renew the MOU. What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning:  For China and Italy, Belt and Road cooperation began as a new platform for practical cooperation. It has achieved mutually beneficial results in a range of areas. It is in both sides’ interests to further tap into the potential of our Belt and Road cooperation.