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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on May 10, 2018

2018-05-10 22:57

At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Keith Rowley will pay an official visit to China from May 14 to 19.

During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister Keith Rowley. Premier Li Keqiang will hold the welcoming ceremony and welcoming banquet for him. The two prime ministers will hold talks and attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents. Besides Beijing, Prime Minister Keith Rowley will also visit Shanghai and Guangdong.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the relations between China and Trinidad and Tobago have made remarkable headway. China values its relations with Trinidad and Tobago and we are willing to join hands with Trinidad and Tobago to enhance political mutual trust and expand friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various areas for the benefit of the two countries and two peoples. We believe that the visit of Prime Minister Keith Rowley will further deepen our comprehensive cooperative partnership featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development.

Q: There were reports that US cars, logs, fruits and other products are being held up during customs clearance for added inspections. Is this true? And if so, is this retaliation for US trade tariffs?

A: I am not aware of the situation mentioned by you, and I would like to refer you to competent authorities.

In principle, I want to point out that China always adopts the scientific and unbiased method to conduct inspection and quarantine of imports in accordance with laws and regulations.

Q: According to reports, on May 9, the Chinese and Japanese governments reached an agreement on China providing a pair of crested ibises to Japan, and the two sides signed a memorandum. It has been 11 years since China offered crested ibises to Japan last time. What is your comment?

A: Known as "the Diamond of the Orient" of its kind, crested ibises are deeply adored by both the Chinese and Japanese people and they have become a symbol of our friendship.

China and Japan have joined hands to protect crested ibises since the 1980s. China has since then provided 5 crested ibises to Japan and helped it to restore its crested ibis colonies. Japan has supported China's efforts to preserve the crested ibis habitats through official and private programs.

Thanks to long-term endeavors, the number of crested ibises in China has grown from 7 in 1981 to over 3000, and the wild crested ibis colonies have been recovered in Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Henan and other provinces through reintroduction and other measures. In Japan, the number of crested ibises has reached around 500 and the wild crested ibis colonies have also been restored through the reintroduction of artificially reared individuals. The China-Japan win-win cooperation for the preservation of crested ibis has become a successful exemplar in the history of world wildlife protection.

Now, China's offering of two crested ibises for joint breeding study will not only help to increase the genetic diversity of Japanese crested ibis colonies but also further enhance the friendship between the two peoples.

Q: On May 8, the Armenian parliament elected Nikol Pashinyan as the country's new Prime Minister. What is your comment?

A: Armenia is a friendly cooperative partner of China. We respect the choice made by the Armenian people and stand ready to move forward our bilateral relations and advance cooperation across the board.

Q: We have noted that the Joint Statement on the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit was issued at the 7th China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting which was held in Japan yesterday. Do you have more information? What are the other outcomes of this meeting?

A: Indeed, this China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting issued a statement on the Inter-Korean summit, and you may refer to that on the Internet. I would like to point out that against the backdrop of a series of positive changes taking place on the Korean Peninsula recently, it is conducive to the political settlement of the Peninsula issue that the leaders of the three countries exchanged views and uttered the common voice in this regard.

In the meantime, I would like to remind you all that the leaders of the three countries not only discussed the Peninsula issue at the meeting, but also exchanged in-depth views on stepping up the trilateral cooperation and other issues of common interest. The meeting also issued a content-rich Joint Declaration.

In the Joint Declaration, the leaders of China, Japan and the ROK sent out a forceful message to uphold the multilateral trading system, oppose protectionism and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. The three countries agreed to accelerate the negotiations on the China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Area agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. They also agreed to set up a "China-Japan-ROK plus X" cooperation mechanism to leverage their complementary strengths, explore the fourth-party markets, improve their international competitiveness, and spearhead and promote better and faster development of countries in this region.

It has been two and a half years since the leaders of the three countries met last time. This meeting has rebuilt the momentum of China-Japan-ROK cooperation. It is of vital significance to deepening and expanding the trilateral cooperation, promoting regional peace and prosperity, and advancing the building of an open world economy.

China has taken over the chairmanship of China-Japan-ROK cooperation after this leaders' meeting. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Japan-ROK cooperation. China looks forward to working with Japan and the ROK to follow through on the consensus and outcomes of this leaders' meeting and enhance mutual trust for closer cooperation. We will build the cooperation between the three countries into a flagship of East Asian cooperation, an anchor of regional stability and a driving force for global development, thus making new contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity.

Q: According to reports, the incoming Malaysian government has said that it may seek to renegotiate some terms of the agreements with China. What is your comment?

A: China and Malaysia are friendly neighbors. China values its friendly relations with Malaysia. Currently, the China-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership enjoys a sound momentum of growth with fruitful outcomes in mutually beneficial cooperation, which has delivered tangible benefits to the two countries and two peoples. This is worth cherishing and upholding by our two sides.