Q: Islamic State in Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) reportedly announced that it will establish an Islamic state. The leader of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region asked the national assembly of Iraq on Thursday to plan a referendum on Kurdish independence. What is China's comment?
A: China supports Iraq in upholding independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, accelerating political reconstruction and national reconciliation and fighting against terrorism. All factions in Iraq should build up solidarity, form an inclusive government as soon as possible and make concrete efforts for political reconciliation and economic reconstruction.
Q: President Xi Jinping yesterday kicked off his state visit to the ROK. What significance does this visit hold? What is China's expectation for the development of China-ROK relations?
A: President Xi Jinping started his state visit to the ROK yesterday and held talks with President Park Geun-hye. Both sides spoke highly of China-ROK cooperation, summed up experience of the development of bilateral relations in all aspects and laid down the blueprint of bilateral cooperation under the new circumstances, reaching abundant new consensus. The two heads of state agreed to further enrich China-ROK strategic partnership of cooperation and make the two countries partners committed to common development, regional peace, Asian revival and world prosperity.
The two sides achieved a four-point consensus on the Korean nuclear issue. First, denuclearization, peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula serve the common interests of all members to the Six-Party Talks. All parties concerned should resolve the aforementioned major topics through dialogue and consultation. Second, the joint statement issued by members to the Six-Party Talks on September 19, 2005 and relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council should be fully implemented. Third, in a bid to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, all parties should keep promoting the Six-Party Talks and enhance bilateral and multilateral communication and coordination. Fourth, members to the Six-Party Talks should build up consensus and create conditions for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks. Both sides encourage negotiators of the six parties to carry out meaningful dialogues in various forms and work for substantial progress of denuclearization of the Peninsula.
This visit so far has achieved fruitful results. We believe that China-ROK strategic partnership of cooperation will scale new height through this visit.
Q: General Bikram Singh, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian armed forces and Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army who is visiting China, held talks with some Chinese leaders yesterday. Can you brief us on their talks? Have they talked about the Chinese army's entry into disputed border areas between China and India?
A: Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission met with General Bikram Singh, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian armed forces and Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army on July 3. Chief of the General Staff Fang Fenghui held talks with him. Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui met with him as well.
Vice Chairman Fan Changlong pointed out during the meeting that both China and India are major developing countries boasting time-honored civilization. The two countries are each other's important neighbors, whose common interests far outweigh their differences. We believe that China and India have enough wisdom and capacity to properly deal with historical difficulties. Military-to-military relationship is an important component of bilateral relations. Military on both sides should translate consensus reached by leaders of the two countries into concrete results, promote strategic mutual trust, enhance practical cooperation, properly manage differences and build a military-to-military relationship compatible with China-India strategic partnership of cooperation. China is ready to push for new progress of military-to-military relations with India.
General Singh said that the Indian side highly values its relations with China and stands ready to deepen cooperation with China in various fields and increase communication at multiple levels, so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas and further elevate military-to-military relationship.
On the afternoon of July 7 (Monday) at 4 o'clock, Vice Minister of Finance Zhu Guangyao, Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Zheng Zeguang will hold a briefing here on the sixth round of China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogues and the fifth round of China-US High-level Consultation on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges. Welcome to the briefing.
After the press conference, a journalist asked: It is reported that the Chinese side detained one Vietnamese fishing boat and six crew members on board in waters off Sanya, Hainan Island. Please confirm and give us more details.
Hong Lei: Information from the China Coast Guard shows that on the morning of July 3, the Chinese coast guard detained in accordance with law one Vietnamese fishing boat and six crew members on board that were conducting illegal operation in the territorial waters of China seven nautical miles to the south of Sanya of China's Hainan Island. Competent authorities of China are looking into and handling the case according to law. The Chinese side requests once again the Vietnamese side to take necessary measures to tighten up education and management of fishermen and avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.
