Q: US Vice President Mike Pence, when delivering a speech at the APEC CEO Summit, made some China-related remarks and claimed that China's assistance to the Pacific Island countries has caused debt burden for the recipient countries. What is your comment?

A: The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting has just been held in Papua New Guinea. President Xi Jinping delivered a series of important speeches at the meeting, elaborating on how China looks at the current world economic situation and putting forth a series of important propositions including enhancing international cooperation, improving global governance and addressing common challenges. What all these boil down to is that whether in international or regional cooperation, we should stay committed to openness, development, inclusiveness, innovation and being rules-based so as to jointly address common challenges and achieve win-win outcomes. These propositions, which are highly endorsed by all the participants at the meeting, correspond with the development trend of the world economy and global economic governance, meet the shared aspirations of the international community and demonstrate the strategic vision and guiding role of the leader of a major country.

We have noted the relevant remarks made by the US side. China believes that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is now at a crucial stage of development. Under such circumstances, all relevant parties should adopt a responsible and constructive attitude, bear in mind the original aspirations of APEC and stay committed to the general direction of the development of APEC. We should follow the rules that were jointly formulated by us to handle international issues and manage differences through consultation and dialogue instead of erecting the man-made barriers, let alone pursue gains at the expense of others' losses. On regional cooperation, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean should all serve as the stages for win-win cooperation rather than the arenas for geopolitical competition or confrontation.

On the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, China has conducted good cooperation with many countries around the world, including the mutually beneficial cooperation with the developing countries under the framework of South-South cooperation. When advancing such cooperation, China has followed the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and pursuing the greater good and shared interests to offer assistance to the economic and social development of the relevant countries as its capacity allows with no political strings attached and by fully respecting the will of the governments and people of the recipient countries. Not a single developing country has been mired in debt difficulties because of its cooperation with China. On the contrary, their cooperation with China has helped them enhance their capacity for self-driven development and improved their people's livelihood. Therefore, the governments and people of the developing countries welcome the cooperation with China. On these issues, the international community, especially the developing countries which engage in mutually beneficial cooperation with China have their fair judgment.

China is an important member of the Asia Pacific region. China supports the positive role played by APEC in promoting regional cooperation and common development. We are willing to work with all relevant parties to strengthen partnership and the awareness for a community with a shared future, build a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation and forge a community with a shared future for mankind so as to promote peace, stability and common development of the Asia Pacific region.

Our advice for the relevant country is that instead of pointing fingers at others, it would be better to match its deeds with its words and truly treat all countries, big or small, as equals, respect the right enjoyed by other countries to choose the development path in light of their national conditions and make substantial contributions to the development of developing countries.