Q: Many countries have extended their helping hands to Africa since the Ebola epidemic broke out. China has also provided several rounds of assistance to Africa, winning applause from African countries. How will you describe actions taken by China?
A: China and Africa are good brothers sharing weal and woe. The Chinese government and people sympathize with the African brothers who are plagued by the Ebola epidemic. As a matter of course we do all that we can to help. China is still a developing country, but we have made every effort. What we have done is widely recognized and lauded by African countries and the international community. There has been continued assistance from China since the very beginning, with the scale and amount of which larger than ever before. The assistance is of the salient features as follows:
First, we take swift actions. The Chinese side provided the affected countries with the most needed cash and supplies upon the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in March. When most countries failed to pay enough attention to the epidemic that aggravated in August, the Chinese side announced the plan for a second round of assistance. It took us only one week to deliver anti-epidemic supplies to the three affected countries by chartered planes. In light of the development of the epidemic and at the request of relevant countries, another batch of assistance was rolled out in September. Just five days after President Xi Jinping's announcement of the plan for the fourth round of assistance on October 24, building materials, medical equipment and construction workers needed for the 100-bed treatment center that we have promised to build for Liberia were all in place. It will take approximately 30 days for the treatment center to come into service. The first group of 160 Chinese medial workers will set off to Liberia on November 9. A follow-up team of 320 medical workers has been formed.
Second, we stick to the front line. Quite a few countries have withdrawn in haste their diplomats, aid workers and companies from the three affected countries after the outbreak of the epidemic. However, there are still thousands of Chinese citizens working in those countries. Chinese ambassadors to the three affected countries and staff of the Chinese embassies there remain at their posts. Chinese peacekeepers in Liberia are still working on the front line. Chinese medical teams sent to the three affected countries carry on with their duties to provide medical services for local residents. The Chinese side has sent more experts and medical workers to the affected areas who devote themselves to disease prevention and control on the ground. Up till now, we have already got over 200 Chinese experts and medical workers on the front line of combating the epidemic.
Third, we value practical results. We keep our words and honor our promises in our assistance to Africa. We strive for practical outcomes and prioritize what the affected areas need. We have provided a great variety of assistance including hard assistance such as anti-epidemic supplies, cash and food, as well as soft assistance such as the deployment of experts and medical workers, medical training and joint study. In Sierra Leone, we build the mobile lab and the observation center, and in Liberia, we are going to build a treatment center. To the affected countries, all this is the most needed and most helpful.
Fourth, our assistance reaches out to many countries. Apart from the three affected countries, China has also provided 10 of their neighboring countries with anti-epidemic supplies, helped African countries set up a network to fight against the epidemic, offered positive support to and fully involved in the UN-proposed international cooperation and coordination mechanism and supported financially and politically international and regional organizations, such as the UN, the World Health Organization and the African Union. In contrast, the assistance of some countries only focuses on a single country or a single aspect.
Fifth, we address both the symptoms and the root causes. In the fourth round of assistance, we not only intensify anti-epidemic aid to the three Ebola-stricken countries, but also endeavor to help the epidemic-afflicted areas and other African countries with the institutional and capacity building in public health security with the "post-Ebola era" in mind, addressing both the symptoms and the root causes.
The Ebola epidemic has become the enemy of all mankind.To help the affected countries combat the epidemic and root it out serves the common interests of people from across the world, including China. China will not call off its assistance as long as there is Ebola in Africa. China will do its best to help countries and people of the affected areas and secure an early victory over the Ebola.
Q: The G20 Summit that will be held in Australia this month is supposed to sign a counter-corruption agreement. However, it is said that China is trying to block it. Can you give us the reason?
A: China's position is quite the opposite of what you said. China takes an active part in the G20 counter-corruption cooperation. We believe that the G20 should step up cooperation in judicial assistance, seizure of fugitives and their illegal proceeds and retrieval of assets. G20 members should not provide safe havens for corrupt officials. A network for counter-corruption cooperation and a sound business environment should be created to facilitate economic growth of all countries and the world as a whole.We hope that all parties will work in concert for consensus in the aforementioned fields, lay down an action plan against corruption and enhance international counter-corruption cooperation during the upcoming G20 Summit.
Q: Is it possible for Chinese and Japanese leaders to meet on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting? Is there any specific arrangement for that?
A: China's position on improving China-Japan relations is consistent and clear. We urge the Japanese side to demonstrate sincerity, make concrete efforts to remove the political obstacles in bilateral relations and create conditions for the improvement of China-Japan relations.
Q: Republicans beat Democrats in the mid-term election of the US Congress. What is China's comment on the result? Will it affect the development of China-US relations?
A: The mid-term election is within America's domestic affairs. I have no comment on that.
With regard to how it will weigh on China-US relations, I want to point out that the 35 years of diplomatic ties between China and the US has told us that a sound bilateral relationship serves the fundamental interests of both peoples and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and beyond. It has increasingly become the mainstream point of view shared by people from all walks of life of China and the US. We are ready to push for the building of a new type of major-country relationship featuring no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation together with the US. We hope that the new US Congress will play a constructive role to that end.
