At the invitation of the Chinese government, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand will visit China from April 3 to 6.
Q: Air raids against the Houthis carried out by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states in Yemen led to deaths and injuries. How does China comment on this?
A: Yesterday I have briefed you on our principled position. China maintains that all hot-spot issues must be politically resolved. China calls for an early settlement of the crisis and restoration of normal and lawful order to Yemen following the UN Security Council resolutions and GCC initiatives.
The Chinese government gives top priority to the security of Chinese citizens and institutions in Yemen. We will take prompt actions to ensure the security of relevant Chinese personnel in light of the development of situation in Yemen.
Q: First, which Chinese leader will attend the funeral of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew? Second, will the Chinese side delegate any official to attend the negotiation on the Iranian nuclear issue to be held in Switzerland this weekend?
A: On your first question, to my knowledge, Vice President Li Yuanchao will attend the funeral of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on behalf of China. The official information will be released soon.
On your second question, the negotiation on a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland this coming weekend. The Chinese side attaches great importance to it. We believe that relevant negotiation has come to a critical point where breakthroughs are expected to be made. All parties should keep forging ahead toward the shared goal with a firm political will and make political decisions at an early date. The Chinese side hopes that the P5+1 and Iran will soon reach a political understanding on a comprehensive agreement or a framework agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation. Foreign Minister Wang Yi once compared the negotiation to a marathon. He said that we are one mile away from the finishing line. The Chinese side will work in concert with all parties as it always does to complete the running. As for who will the Chinese side send to attend the talks in Switzerland, we will release the information in due course.
Q: What is China's comment on ROK's decision of applying for the membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)?
A: The ROK officially announced its application for the prospective founding membership of the AIIB and filed a confirmation letter to China on March 27. The Chinese side welcomes the decision by the ROK. As the chairman of the chief negotiators' meeting on the establishment of the AIIB, China is soliciting opinions from the prospective members in accordance with multilateral procedures. If everything goes well, the ROK will become an official prospective founding member of the AIIB on April 11.
