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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on October 15, 2021
2021-10-15 19:50

CCTV: The Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations said the United States is the only one of the five nuclear-weapon states that refuses to ratify the Protocols to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty. The Kiribati President also is especially concerned about Australia developing nuclear-powered submarines, noting that his country is one of the Pacific islands and its people were victims of the nuclear tests of the UK and the US. He added "with anything to do with nuclear, we thought it would be a courtesy to raise it, to discuss it with your neighbours." Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: The concerns of Samoa and Kiribati are justified and legitimate. Facts have proved that the US-UK-Australia submarine cooperation is very unpopular and has caused alarm and rejection among regional countries and the international community. The latest move of the three countries have blatantly instigated confrontation and division in the region, accelerated arms race, and undermined regional peace and stability. It also violates the spirit of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and impairs the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty. The practices of the three countries prove again that for geopolitical and military confrontation purposes, they will go as far as to discard the basic norms of international relations that countries, big and small, are all equals, and wantonly run against the will of regional countries and trample upon their rights and interests.

Pacific island countries are highly sensitive about the nuclear issue largely because of their bitter memory of nuclear tests conducted by the US and the UK in the region. According to open resources, the US conducted 67 nuclear tests on the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958. In 1957 and 1958, the UK conducted 9 nuclear tests in its former colony of what is called Kiribati today. Between 1946 and 1982, the US, the UK and other countries dumped large amount of radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. The US even shipped 130 tons of nuclear contaminated soil from nuclear testing grounds in Nevada all the way to the Marshall Islands. Australia is also a perpetrator. It once actively sought to acquire and develop nuclear weapons, and allowed the UK to conduct nuclear tests on the Montebello Islands off Western Australia, and Emu Field and Maralinga in South Australia between 1952 and 1963. These nuclear tests and waste have gravely undermined local ecological environment, harmed the safety and health of local residents, and caused severe disasters to countries and people in the region.

The remarks of the Samoan representative reminds us once again that in 1996 the US signed the three protocols to South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty, or the Treaty of Rarotonga, but has not ratified any of them, making itself the only one that has not ratified the protocols among the five nuclear-weapon states. The US should listen to the appeals of regional countries, ratify the protocols to the Treaty at an early date, earnestly fulfill its obligations under the protocols, and refrain from deploying nuclear weapons in the region or spreading nuclear weapons to regional countries.

For years, the US, the UK and Australia have been calling themselves leaders of international non-proliferation efforts, but the fact is quite the opposite. China again urges the three countries to heed the call from the international community, abandon outdated zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical concepts, revoke the wrong decision, faithfully fulfill international non-proliferation obligations and do more that benefits regional peace and stability.

Hubei Media Group: The Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship will be launched in the early hours of tomorrow. Do you have any comment? What is its significance to international cooperation and exchange in manned missions?

Zhao Lijian: Less than a month ago, we just welcomed the successful return of Shenzhou-12. Early tomorrow morning, we will witness the launch of Shenzhou-13 into space with excitement again. This demonstrates the spirit of China's manned space program, which features relentless hard work and dedication under extreme and arduous conditions to solve critical problems and achieve successes. It also epitomizes Chinese people's spirit of scientific exploration that features ambition, courage and perseverance in pursuing the space dreams.

At yesterday's press conference on the launch of China's manned Shenzhou-13 spacecraft at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the spokesman of the China Manned Space Program gave a briefing. The Shenzhou 13 manned mission is the sixth mission in the key technology verification phase of China's space station. It will mark a decisive end of this phase and a crucial juncture for the future construction of the space station in orbit, which demonstrates China's new endeavor and contribution to humanity's manned space mission. We will continue to engage in international cooperation and exchanges at wider scope and deeper level, and make positive contributions to the exploration of the mysteries of the universe, the peaceful use of outer space and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

We noticed the differences in crew assignments between the Shenzhou-13 mission and the Shenzhou-12 mission. For example, it will be the first time that a Chinese female astronaut has visited China's space station and carried out extravehicular activities. It will be the first time that Chinese astronauts have stayed in orbit for six months. And it will be the first time that Chinese people have celebrated the Spring Festival in space. We look forward to receiving best wishes from our compatriots in space as we bid farewell to the past year on the eve of the lunar new year.

Let us all wish them a successful launch of the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship!

Xinhua News Agency: We have noted that the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference opened in Beijing yesterday. Can you give us more details?

Zhao Lijian: The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference is being held in Beijing from October 14 to 16 in an online and offline manner. President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech via videoconference at the opening ceremony, which was participated by representatives from 171 countries. The presidents of Russia, Turkmenistan, Ethiopia, Panama and other countries, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and the UN Secretary-General addressed the ceremony via video link.

As pointed out by President Xi Jinping in his remarks, transport is the artery of the economy and a bond between civilizations. Since the founding of New China, generation after generation of the Chinese people have worked in the spirit of opening roads through mountains and putting bridges over rivers, and turned China into a country with vast transport infrastructure. Today, we are redoubling our efforts to build a country with great transport strength. China has become the economy best connected to the global shipping network and with the highest volume of trade in goods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the China-Europe Railway Express and ocean-going cargo vessels have been running day and night to keep global industrial and supply chains stable, showcasing China's sense of responsibility in the global community. President Xi also announced that China will set up a Global Innovation and Knowledge Center for Sustainable Transport, as a contribution to global transport development.

China will continue to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen infrastructure connectivity with other countries, develop a green Silk Road and a digital Silk Road at a faster pace, and provide concrete solutions for realizing sustainable transportation around the world.

AFP: LinkedIn, the career