CCTV: Bangladesh’s 12th parliamentary election was held on January 7. According to preliminary results announced by the election commission, the Awami League (AL) party won 223 out of 298 directly elected seats. Media say this means that the Awami League won a landslide victory in the election. What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning: China congratulates Bangladesh on holding a smooth general election as scheduled and we congratulate the Awami League on winning the election. As a friend and neighbor, China firmly supports Bangladesh in advancing its post-election political agenda in accordance with the law. We stand ready to work with the new Bangladesh government on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs to carry forward our traditional friendship, deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and strive for new progress in China-Bangladesh strategic partnership of cooperation.

Dragon TV: Following the summit meeting in San Francisco, Chinese and US universities have had some friendly exchanges. The Peking University table tennis team visited the US and the table tennis delegation from the University of Virginia visited China. Would you like to comment on that?

Mao Ning: Very recently, the Peking University table tennis team visited the US at its invitation and took part in the USATT Table Tennis Open Championships and an event held by the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the US to mark the historic ping-pong diplomacy. The team played table tennis and interacted with US friends who were personally involved in ping-pong diplomacy, young students and the local people. The table tennis delegation from the University of Virginia visited China upon invitation and attended the China-US Youth Ping-Pong Exchange at Tsinghua University. The mutual visits added a new chapter to the stories of China-US friendship that began with ping-pong diplomacy and new impetus to people-to-people exchanges.

The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels. Fifty-three years ago, young table tennis players from China and the US kick-started the progress toward normalizing China-US relations in Beijing, hence the much told stories of “the little ball being able to move the big ball.” The more people-to-people exchanges our two countries have, the greater the public support, prospects and dynamism for China-US relations will be. China stands ready to work with the US to deliver the important common understanding reached at the San Francisco summit meeting on promoting people-to-people exchanges, carry forward the spirit of ping-pong diplomacy and write new chapters of friendship between our two peoples. 

AFP: A US Navy service member was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for transmitting sensitive US military information to the Chinese government. Do you have any comment on this case? 

Mao Ning: I do not have specific information on that. But I have noticed that the US intelligence chief declared that progress has been made in rebuilding the US spy networks in China. The US on the one hand keeps spreading disinformation on so-called “Chinese spying”, and on the other hand tells the public about its large-scale intelligence activities targeting China. This in itself is quite revealing. China will take all measures necessary to safeguard national security.

Bloomberg: The shipping company COSCO said that it’s gonna stop making shipments to Israel from next week because of the threat in the Red Sea. This has only been confirmed by Israeli sources so far and the company hasn’t commented. Do you have confirmation of this? And do you have any comment on the inability of COSCO delivering to Israel?

Mao Ning: I do not have specific information on that. You may ask the company concerned directly.

More broadly, we support Chinese companies in having normal business engagement with all countries, including Israel.

Bloomberg: You said that China supports its companies in engaging in normal commercial activities. The Chinese Navy has a fleet, guess it’s operating off Djibouti and into the Red Sea. Will the Chinese Navy start to escort Chinese commercial vessels through the Red Sea so that companies like COSCO can continue to conduct normal commercial operations?

Mao Ning: I’d refer you to competent authorities. China stands ready to work with all parties to keep international shipping lanes safe.

AFP: Elections will be held in the Taiwan region this Saturday. Lai Ching-te just now said that the Chinese mainland is resorting to all means to interfere with this election. What’s your comment?

Mao Ning: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Elections in the Taiwan region are China’s internal affairs. Questions on those elections are not related to China’s foreign affairs. I’d refer you to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council regarding your question.