Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will hold the “1+10” Dialogue in Beijing on the morning of December 9 with heads of 10 international economic organizations. They are President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, President of the World Bank Ajay Banga, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan, Director-General of the International Labour Organization Gilbert F. Houngbo, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Mathias Cormann, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements Agustín Carstens, Chair of the Financial Stability Board Klaas Knot, and President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun. Under the theme of “Building Consensus on Development to Promote Global Common Prosperity,” participating parties will exchange views on three topics of “Seizing Opportunities in Transformation to Promote World Economic Transition and Growth,” “Upholding Multilateralism in Advancing Reform and Development of the Global Economic Governance System,” and “China’s Endeavor to Further Deepen Reform Comprehensively and Break New Ground in Chinese Modernization.”  

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will co-chair the 16th meeting of the China-Viet Nam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Viet Nam Bui Thanh Son in Beijing on December 10.

CCTV: You just announced that Premier Li Qiang will hold a dialogue with the heads of ten major international economic organizations. Can you brief us on China’s expectation for the dialogue?

Lin Jian: Today’s world is undergoing tremendous changes at an accelerated pace, and entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. The world economic recovery remains weak and there have been mounting global challenges. At the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit last month, President Xi Jinping called on the international community to reinforce international macro policy coordination and foster an open, inclusive, and nondiscriminatory environment for international economic cooperation. 

The aim of China to hold the “1+10” Dialogue at this critical juncture is to enhance policy communication with the heads of major international economic organizations, assess the world economic prospects, and contribute to improving the global economic governance system and driving the common prosperity of the world.

China Review News: It’s reported that the leader of China’s Taiwan region Lai Ching-te has concluded his “stopovers” in Hawaii and Guam of the US. What’s your comment？

Lin Jian: By arranging for the “stopovers” of the leader of China’s Taiwan region Lai Ching-te in Hawaii and Guam, having official interactions with the Taiwan region, helping Taiwan expand so-called “international space,” and providing platforms for “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, the US gravely violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués. The actions it took undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and send a severely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China deplores this and has lodged strong protests to the US side.

The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US relations and a basic norm in international relations. The Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. “Taiwan independence” separatist activities are as incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as fire with water. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on the US leaders’ commitment, including not supporting “Taiwan independence,” stop its official interactions with Taiwan, stop obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, stop abetting and aiding the separatist forces and their activities in any form, and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and contribute to peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Let me stress that attempts to solicit US support for “Taiwan independence” or use the Taiwan question to contain China will lead nowhere. No one should underestimate the firm resolve, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Reuters: I would also like to ask about Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te and his return. Does China plan to stage more war games around the island as a result?

Lin Jian: The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. China remains unwavering in its resolve to defend our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Bloomberg: Just to follow up again on this one. Taiwan leader Lai said on Friday that he was confident of deeper cooperation with the next administration of Donald Trump. This is coming after he had a call earlier with US Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. Can you comment on the confidence of deeper cooperation with the next Donald Trump administration?

Lin Jian: We have made clear our serious position on this more than once. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region, and firmly opposes any form of US moves to aid or abet “Taiwan independence” separatists and their separatist activities. 

We urge the US to fully see the separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, fully understand the grave damage that “Taiwan independence” separatist activities do to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, stop meddling in affairs related to Taiwan, which are China’s internal affairs, and stop aiding and abetting “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. 

Beijing Youth Daily: Last week, the Taklimakan Desert, China’s largest and the world’s second-largest shifting desert, was completely encircled with a sand-blocking green belt of vegetation stretching over 3,000 km. This afforestation project, the largest in the world, is closely watched and viewed by the international community as a “green Great Wall” that helps tackle desertification, greatly contributes to higher global forest coverage, and responds to the challenges of climate change. What’s your comment？

Lin Jian: Thumbs up for the project. It encircles the Taklimakan Desert with a sand-blocking green belt. We salute the many generations of people for their relentless effort to end desertification. 

The project is an epitome of China’s desertification prevention and control endeavor. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has rolled out key green projects, such as the Three-North Sh