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Xi’s overseas trip demonstrates China’s commitment to global growth, governance

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BEIJING – President Xi Jinping returned to China on Saturday evening from a six-day trip, during which he attended the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit and the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and paid a visit to Thailand.

After the successful launch of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China’s major-country diplomacy embarked on a new journey, said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, state councilor and foreign minister of China.

During his six-day trip, Xi participated in more than 30 events, which has sent out a loud voice for promoting global development and leading global governance, demonstrating China’s role as a rational, confident and responsible major country, Wang said.

While addressing multilateral meetings and talking with leaders of other countries, Xi elaborated on the 20th CPC National Congress, Chinese modernization, win-win cooperation between China and the rest of the world, and championed bright prospects of China’s high-quality development and high-standard opening up, sending a strong signal that China will always advance world peace and development and deepen opening up and cooperation with other countries, Wang said.

The G20 summit has brought together world and regional major countries and is also a platform for international economic cooperation, Wang said.

At the summit, Xi called on all countries to embrace the vision of building a human community with a shared future, and to advocate peace, development and win-win cooperation, so as to replace division with unity, confrontation with cooperation and exclusion with inclusiveness, and make global development more inclusive and beneficial to all and more resilient.

Xi noted that modernization is not a privilege reserved for any single country, and frontrunners in development should sincerely help others develop, Wang said.

The Chinese president proposed building a global partnership for economic recovery and the International Cooperation Initiative on Global Food Security, and supported the African Union (AU) in joining the G20, showing that Xi has always cared for developing countries and stayed committed to the vision that “development is real only when all countries develop together” in diplomatic actions, which has received warm responses from developing countries, Wang said.

APEC is the most important platform for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, Wang said.

Wang said that Xi wisely summarized the successful experience of Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, underlining that the Asia-Pacific is no one’s backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest. The Chinese president said no attempt to wage a new Cold War will ever be allowed by the people or by the times.

Wang said Xi called for building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future that is peaceful, stable, clean and beautiful, a region where all are ready to help each other and that brings prosperity for all.

Xi also elaborated on the six points to promote Asia-Pacific cooperation facing new developments, including bolstering the foundation for peaceful development, taking a people-centered development approach, pursuing higher-level opening-up, striving for higher-standard connectivity, building stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and promoting economic upgrading.

Wang said Xi announced that China is considering holding the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation next year to provide fresh impetus for the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and the world.

Xi held face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden in Bali, where they had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on issues of importance in China-US relations and in world peace and development, Wang said, adding that the meeting was constructive and strategic. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of the two countries over the past three years, particularly since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Wang said Xi stressed that China-US relations should be viewed and handled from the perspective of grasping the general trend of the world, abandon the zero-sum mentality of “you lose, I win,” and “you rise and I fall,” and set a tone of exchanges featuring dialogue rather than confrontation and win-win rather than zero-sum relations.

The two sides should uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to jointly ensure that bilateral relations will stay on the right course without deviating, stalling, not to mention colliding, he added.

In response to the erroneous words and deeds made recently by the US side concerning the Taiwan question and to make clear where the red lines are for China-US relations, Xi gave a full account of the origin of the Taiwan question and China’s principled position, stressing that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that can not be crossed in China-US relations.

Wang said that Xi urged the US side to match its words with action, abide by its commitment of “five noes” (i.e., not seek a new Cold War; not seek to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support “Taiwan independence”; not look for conflict with China).

Biden said that a stable and prosperous China is good for the United States and the world. The United States and China have a shared responsibility to show the world that they can manage their differences, and avoid misperceptions or fierce competition from veering into confrontation or conflict, Wang added.

The US side reiterated its “five noes” commitment, and went on to state that the US side does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan,” does not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, and has no intention to seek “de-coupling” from China, to halt China’s economic development, or to contain China.

The trip to Indonesia is Xi’s first overseas visit since the 20th CPC National Congress, reflecting the high-level and special feature of China-Indonesia relations, said Wang.

After a meeting between Xi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the two countries released a joint statement, signed the new five-year Plan of Action for Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Indonesia and forged important consensus on striving towards building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, Wang said.

The two leaders also witnessed the trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which will cut travel time between Jakarta and Bandung to 40 minutes from more than three hours, he added.

During Xi’s visit to Thailand, the first since he became Chinese president, he met with Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, respectively.

The two sides agreed to build a more stable, prosperous and sustainable China-Thailand community with a shared future, adding new dimensions to their family-like relations.

During the 17th G20 Summit and the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Xi met with leaders of various countries and international organizations. In response to their concern about the Ukraine crisis, Xi reiterated “the four points” about what must be done and “the four things” the international community must do together in response to the situation in Ukraine, Wang said.

The Chinese president also shared three important thoughts: First, conflicts and wars produce no winner; second, there is no simple solution to a complex issue; and third, confrontation between major countries must be avoided, he added.

Underlining that China will continue to make objective and fair judgments based on the merits of the issue itself, Xi said China has all along stood on the side of peace and will continue to promote peace talks.

During Xi’s trip, the Chinese foreign minister said, Professor Peng Liyuan, Xi’s wife, participated in a series of activities together with the spouses of other leaders and representatives attending the G20 summit and the APEC meeting, which has played a unique and positive role in boosting China’s international image.

Xi’s visit has effectively enhanced China’s international influence and discourse, Wang said.

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Talks between Israel, Egyptian delegation over Gaza ceasefire reportedly ‘very good’

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Negotiations over Israel’s upcoming offensive in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah and efforts to achieve a ceasefire deal with Hamas were “very good” between Israeli officials and a high-level Egyptian delegation, media and sources said Friday.

The negotiations were “very good, focused, held in good spirits and progressed in all parameters,” a senior Israeli official told Israeli media Ynet.

“In the background, there are very serious intentions from Israel to move ahead in Rafah,” and the Egyptians are willing to exert pressure on Hamas to achieve a deal, the official was quoted as saying.

According to the Israeli official, Israel made a warning that it would not agree to foot-dragging by Hamas on the hostage deal to delay the military operation in Rafah, and he also mentioned that Israel had deployed reserve soldiers to the Gaza Strip.

According to Channel 12, the official added that Israel is prepared to make more “significant compromises,” such as permitting the evacuation of Gazan civilians in northern Gaza and removing its troops from a crucial corridor that divides Gaza.

Meanwhile, Egypt reportedly sent a high-level delegation, led by senior intelligence official Abbas Kamel, to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza.

Considerable progress has been achieved in bringing the views of the Egyptian and Israeli delegations closer together regarding reaching a truce in Gaza, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News TV reported.

In addition, two high-ranking Egyptian security officials confirmed to Xinhua news agency that the talks discussed Egypt’s “rescue initiative,” which aims to prevent any more escalations in the Strip and avoid the invasion of Rafah.

On Thursday, Israeli media reported that the country is expected to “soon” begin evacuating civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned ground attack.

Earlier Thursday, Israel’s wartime cabinet and security cabinet convened to discuss a possible assault on Rafah, a city previously considered a “safe zone” from the relentless Israeli bombardments, where about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have found refuge.

Source(s): CGTN

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Wang Yi says China supports reconciliation among Palestinian factions

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China supports internal reconciliation among different factions of Palestine through dialogue, in a written interview with Al Jazeera Media Network published on Thursday.

The interview covers questions ranging from the Gaza crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the Taiwan question and China-U.S. relations.

As for the ongoing Gaza conflict, Wang said China will continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with Middle East countries and the whole international community to support the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights.

China also supports Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations at an early date and supports establishing the independent State of Palestine and realizing “the Palestinians governing Palestine,” Wang said.

“We call for a more broad-based, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference to set a timetable and a road map for the two-state solution, to promote comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, and to ultimately realize peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine as well as harmony between the Arab and Jewish peoples,” he said.

Wang also said China is deeply concerned about the rising tensions in the Red Sea. “For quite some time, rising tensions in the Red Sea have affected important interests of regional countries, especially the littoral states. They have also heightened the overall security risk of the region and weighed on the global economic recovery.”

“We stand ready to coordinate more closely with regional countries and work together with the international community to continue with our constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Red Sea at an early date,” Wang added.

In response to the escort mission by the Chinese Navy in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia, Wang said the mission is not related to the Red Sea situation but authorized by the UN Security Council.

Speaking of the Ukraine crisis, Wang said China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent, unequivocal and transparent, while elaborating on China’s efforts to promote a ceasefire and end the fighting.

“We will work with all parties constructively to promote political settlement of the crisis, and contribute more to regional tranquility and security and enduring world peace,” said the Chinese foreign minister.

In the interview, Wang once again said Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times, and the Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair.

“We will strive for peaceful reunification with the utmost effort and greatest sincerity. In the meantime, our bottom line is also clear: we will absolutely not allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China in any way,” Wang said.

Answering questions about how China sees the U.S. election and the prospects of China-U.S. relations, Wang said the U.S. election is an internal affair of the United States, and China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.

“The China-U.S. relationship cannot go back to its past. But it should, and can fully, have a bright future. China is ready to work with the United States to carry out more win-win cooperation, do more that benefits the whole world, and truly fulfill their respective responsibilities to the international community,” Wang said.

Source(s): CGTN

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Macron warns Europe could die of three challenges

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PARIS, April 25 (Xinhua) — Europe could die of three challenges it faces in security, economy and culture, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday in a speech on Europe at Sorbonne University in Paris.

Europe is in a situation of encirclement, pushed by many powers at its borders and sometimes within it, while some “uninhibited, regional powers” are showing their capabilities, he warned in a local live broadcast.

Macron also said that the European economic model as conceived today is no longer sustainable facing competition with the United States and China.

“In our Europe, our values, our culture are threatened,” he added, because Europe is experiencing “the cultural battle, the battle of the imaginary, of narratives, of values, which is increasingly delicate.”

This speech came seven years after his first speech on Europe at the university.

Source(s): Xinhua

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