18/08/2022
On Tuesday, Qin Gang, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. had a joint interview with many U.S. mainstream media organizations, including Reuters, Associated Press, Bloomberg, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The Hill, POLITICO, Axios, Defense One.
Qin answered questions on China-U.S. relations, the Taiwan question, Hong Kong-related issues, and China’s diplomacy.
The New Yorker reporter Evan Osnos asked about Taiwan issues, “In the event of reunification, how does China anticipate the international reaction to unfold? You expect that the international community would embrace this development or reject this development? And are you prepared to handle the consequences? If for instance, the rest of the world isolating China or international businesses respond by withdrawing there?”
In response, Ambassador Qin said, “There’s no such a presumption. In the first place, Taiwan is a part of China. The question of Taiwan is a purely internal affair of China, which brooks no foreign intervention. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, the mainland will pay the utmost efforts in great sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification They use non-peaceful means only under the circumstances that Taiwan declares independence by a handful of separatist forces and the intervention of foreign forces. Whatever happens, this is purely an internal affair.”
Qin added, "There are 181 countries having diplomatic relations with China based on the one-China principle. The overwhelming majority of the international community is supportive and accepts the one-China policy. On Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, more than 170 countries (and international organizations) have voiced support for the one-China principle. They take 80% of the global population. China has followed international law and basic norms governing international relations. Why do countries criticize or isolate China because of an internal affair of China? So I didn’t find any legal and practical basis for that.”
Mary Louise Kell from NPR asked, “There’s been a lot of conversations in Washington over what lessons China is taking from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What are you learning as you watch the war unfolding in Ukraine? Do you see parallels? Do you see differences?”
Ambassador Qin said he didn’t know what lessons that the United States should take from the Ukraine crisis. China has never been a party to the crisis. It’s not between China and Ukraine.
“China is not NATO. Why has this crisis happened? There are historical complexities and realistic considerations. What Russia wants cannot be given by China. China is a force for peace. At the very beginning of the crisis, China calls for peace, for a ceasefire, for a political solution through diplomatic consultations. And we don’t send weapons, or ammunition. What China has sent to Ukraine are sleeping bags, medicine, and humanitarian aid. So if there’s any lesson to be drawn by the United States, by NATO, or by other parties involved, maybe that is how to achieve security,” he added.
For “One China Two Systems”, David Lawler from Axios asked, “You said the overwhelming will of the Chinese people is for reunification. I wonder if you accept that based on the many polls in elections that the overwhelming will of people in Taiwan at present — I know you said you want to change that — but at present is not to be unified by China.”
Ambassador Qin once again emphasized no matter how different the political systems of the mainland and Taiwan are, the historical fact that both sides belong to one and the same China remains unchanged and will never change.
“The fact that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese remains unchanged and will never change. We share the same root, cultural heritage, and national identity. We fully understand Taiwan has been separated from its motherland for decades. We fully understand the (different) political and social systems. We fully understand the sentiments of Chinese people in Taiwan. So that’s why we have designed the policy of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. That is to accommodate the differences and accommodate the realities and people’s sentiments. This is democracy. This is a great invention in the world. Can you imagine that any place in the United States has a different political, social system? Although I do understand the federal and local differences, your overarching system is the same. In Taiwan, we have shown great goodwill and tolerance to usher in peaceful reunification. The current political system can continue (after reunification). ‘Two systems’ is democracy,” Ambassador Qin said.
” ‘One country’ is the premise and basis of the ‘two systems’, and the ‘two systems’ are subordinate to and derived from ‘one country.’ Doubts of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ are short-sighted,” he added.
For Hong Kong-related issues, Bloomberg’s Iain Marlow asked, "If you thought that Hong Kong had a helpful input into how the ‘two systems’ practice in Hong Kong. Do you think the national security law in Hong Kong will be applied to Taiwan as well?”
Ambassador Qin said, “Hong Kong has been ruled by British colonialists for more than 100 years. It’s natural that for people to get used to the new reality that Hong Kong has returned to the motherland, it takes time. Hong Kong returned to China just 25 years ago. And over the past 25 years, you can see that generally speaking, ‘One Country, Two Systems’, the policy is successful. There were ups and downs, twists and turns, like what we saw three years ago in Hong Kong. But we learn, we draw lessons and we improve. What we are doing is improving ‘One Country, Two Systems’, for the benefit of the long-lasting stability and prosperity. If we make a success story of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ in Hong Kong, it will help our compatriots in Taiwan to better understand the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and to better think about the future.”