Q: At the "2+2" Committee meeting held on October 8 in Tokyo, the US and Japan released the interim report on the revision of the Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation. Some media believed that parts of the report are targeted at the Diaoyu Islands. What is China's comment on that?
A: The alliance between the US and Japan is a bilateral arrangement forged under particular historical conditions. Therefore, it should not step outside bilateral scope nor undermine the interests of a third party, including China. We will follow closely the development of the amendment of the Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation.
I would like to reiterate that the Diaoyu Islands and the affiliated islands are China's inherent territory, and our resolution and determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity will not be shaken by any external force. We urge relevant parties to be prudent with their actions and play a constructive role in upholding regional peace and stability.
Q: Recently, officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said that China topped the list of countries undertaking cyber-espionage activities against the US, causing the US firms great losses. What is China's response to that?
A: The Chinese law prohibits hacker attack and other behaviors that undermine cyber security. The Chinese government firmly cracks down on relevant criminal activities. Such facts are undeniable.
We once again urge the US to stop the senseless actions of fabricating facts and intentionally smearing China's image, and halt the large-scale, systemic cyber-attack activities it launched against other countries. The US wants to play the trick of a thief crying "Stop thief" so as to divert public attention. Such an attempt will come to no avail.
Q: Some western media call on China to participate in the US-led anti-terrorist operations against the Islamic State. Turkey recently expressed its view that the current airstrikes are not enough. There should be ground operations and a buffer zone should be established in the border area between Turkey and Syria. What is China's comment on that?
A: China consistently supports international cooperation on fighting terrorism and resolutely opposes all forms of terrorism. At the same time, we maintain that in the global fight against terrorism, the principles and purposes of the Charter of the UN and the basic norms guiding international relations, as well as the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of relevant countries should be respected. Comprehensive measures should be taken to address both the symptoms and the root causes.
