Bloomberg: How does China respond to a speech Thursday by US Attorney General William Barr, in which he claimed hackers linked to China have targeted their universities and companies in a bid to steal intellectual property tied to coronavirus treatments? And how does China respond to Barr’s additional comments that the Chinese Communist Party has used public threats of retaliation and barred market access to exert influence over US companies?
Hua Chunying: We keep stressing that China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity. China has long been a major victim of cyber thefts and attacks. Our position on cybersecurity issues is consistent and clear. We firmly oppose and fight all forms of cyber attacks and thefts.
As we’ve repeatedly said, given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, I must underscore the importance to have enough evidence when investigating and identifying cyber-related incidents. Groundless speculations should not be allowed. Certain US politicians are so irresponsible that they will say whatever needs to be said to make China a target. We firmly reject that. I am sure those who have long been following cybersecurity issues have not forgotten the PRISM program. They must have also heard of the Equation Group. Yahoo recently reported on CIA’s secret authorization to conduct cyber attacks. The US and a few followers randomly wage cyber warfare against other countries. They are the biggest threat to peace and security in the global cyber space.
I stress again that cybersecurity is a global issue that bears on the shared interests of all countries and should be jointly guarded by the international community. The confrontational mindset, reminiscent of Cold War, will only poison the atmosphere for cooperation and will not be conducive to peace and security of cyber space.
Some US politicians seem to be alleging that China is waging cyber attacks to steal US research on COVID-19 vaccines. It’s just absurd.
We are already leading the world in vaccine R&D with top researchers. We don’t need to secure an edge by theft. As we speak, Chinese research teams are moving ahead with multiple vaccine tasks through five technical routes. Chinese IP vaccines have entered clinical trial stages. The Beijing Biological Products Institute of CNBG of Sinopharm has already built the world’s largest production facility for COVID-19 vaccines. Relevant authorities including the National Medical Products Administration of China have been working to accelerate progress on vaccine development. Besides, China has also been working actively with relevant countries on vaccine research and development, production and distribution to contribute to the global efforts towards securing an early victory against the virus.
I have also seen reports over the past couple of days on an article by leaders of eight countries including the ROK, Ethiopia and Tunisia, among others. They called on all countries to contribute to a fair and effective vaccine allocation mechanism. None of us is safe until all of us are safe. They also said that “immunization is our best chance of ending the pandemic at home and across the world – but only if all countries get access to the vaccine.” We couldn’t agree more.
As a matter of fact, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged at the 73rd WHA that COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good. This will be China’s contribution to enhancing vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.
China will not act like some countries and seek monopoly or buy out vaccines and anti-epidemic medicines. Instead, we will continue working with relevant countries on vaccine research and development, production and distribution. And we will do our best to contribute to the endeavor to defeat the virus as soon as possible and safeguard people’s lives and health.
You also mentioned US officials’ claim on China’s threats of retaliation against US companies. That is typical distortion of facts and stark hegemony. Have you not seen how the US government spared no efforts to repress Chinese companies including Huawei? Have you not seen how they crossed every line, violated human rights to intimidate and arrest Chinese business executives, and coerced and co-opted its minion to illegally detain Ms. Meng Wanzhou? I wonder if any American business has had the same treatment or experience in China? China will not go so low as the US does. Instead, we will firmly advance all-round opening-up, foster an open economy at a higher level, and create a level playing field for all businesses, Chinese and foreign alike. That said, we will never allow the US to rampantly trample on Chinese companies’ legitimate rights. We have every right to say no to bullying and injustice.
AFP: US Attorney General William Barr said China is engaged in an economic blitzkrieg and an aggressive campaign to seize commanding heights of the global economy and overtake US. He warned that China would take advantage of globalization to spread its political ideology. I wonder if China has any comments or response on this?
Hua Chunying: Recently many US senior officials have been attacking China with groundless criticism. They are merely following a threadbare script to distort facts and deflect attention. The world has seen through their tricks. I won’t go through their allegations one by one. The following will be able to cover all of them.
Lately there has been much attention on China-US relations with many concerned about the prospects of a deteriorating turn. I note the following comment from an academic: the US is pressing the accelerator to trash China-US relations, while China is putting the brakes on it.
Indeed, some in the US, driven by ideological bias, have been sparing no effort to paint China as a rival or even adversary, smear and attack China, and encircle and contain its development. They have been politicizing normal people-to-people and cultural exchange, and weaponizing economic, trade and tech cooperation. Simply put, attacking China is their panacea to deal with every domestic political issue. Galvanized solely by self-interest, they won’t even hesitate to hold domestic public opinion, China-US relations and international order hostage. Possessed by such evil, they are on the brink of losing their mind. Their short-sighted act of drinking poison to quench thirst is causing great harm to the US and the world.
With its most advanced and cutting-edge medical technology and resources, the US still managed to make itself the most seriously hit country in the world by COVID-19 with the highest number of infected and fatal cases. Just the other day four former US CDC directors spoke up against the unprecedented politicization of science issues in the country. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading expert and director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been targeted by blame-shifting. A real-life House of Cards is on in Washington, with people’s lives and social cohesion at stake. This is the American people’s misfortune.
China never intends to challenge or replace the US, or have full confrontation with it. What we care most about is to improve the livelihood of our people. What we deem as the most important is to realize the renewal of the Chinese nation. And what we hope for most is to maintain peace and stability of the world. The US has underestimated China’s noble aspirations. Those claiming that China seeks to “surpass the United States as the world’s preeminent superpower” and to “overthrow the rules-based international system” are judging us based on their own pattern. That’s serious misjudgment of China’s strategic intentions.
China’s foreign policy on the US remains unchanged. We are willing to grow China-US relations with goodwill and sincerity. A stable China-US relationship not only serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but is also necessary for upholding world peace and stability. It is also our due responsibility as the world’s top and second largest economies and UN Security Council permanent members.
To achieve that goal, China and the US must work in the same direction, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, follow international law and international rules, and engage in equal-footed dialogue and consultation. As an independent country, China has every right to uphold its sovereignty, security and development interests, safeguard the achievements that the Chinese people have made through hard work, reject any bullying and injustice imposed on it, and counter malicious slandering and vilifying attacks by the US.
State Councilor Wang Yi, when addressing the China-US Think Tanks Media Forum, made three propositions on how to set things right and get China-US relations back on the right track: to activate and open all the channels of dialogue; to review and agree on the lists of interactions; and to focus and cooperate on COVID-19 response. We hope the US can return to rationality, adopt a more objective and cool-headed perspective towards China, formulate more rational and practical China policies, and act like a responsible major country to live up to its people’s mandate and stand the test of history.
In response to the recent smears and criticism against China by Pompeo and other US politicians, the following lines from a poem by Su Shi came to my mind: “Defying the rain hitting the leaves through the woods, I sing and walk ahead at my own pace.”
Xinhua News: Some media say that although China’s economy was deeply impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic, its national economy has shown a growing trend of recovery in the first half of this year. China’s GDP grew by 3.2 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. They believe that it is a sign that China has successfully brought the epidemic under control and the Chinese economy is going to rebound more strongly in the next six months this year. Do you have any comment?
Hua Chunying: You may have all noted that the National Bureau of Statistics yesterday released the data about China’s economic performance in the first six months and the Information Office of the State Council recently held a press conference on that. I noticed it caught a lot of attention from foreign media too.
The Chinese economy in the second quarter has returned to positive territory after reporting negative growth. Main indicators have resumed growth, the economy is steadily recovering and the market expectations are generally positive. These hard-won outcomes are the results of our endeavor to bring the epidemic under control timely and effectively, coordinate epidemic prevention efforts and socio-economic development. They manifest the effectiveness of the implementation of macroeconomic policy in a comprehensive manner and the strong resilience and potential of China’s economy. Facts have shown that the Chinese economy has stood the test of the epidemic and the fundamentals sustaining sound and steady economic growth remain unchanged.
The resumption of steady growth in China’s economy is good news to world economy. Since COVID-19 broke out, we have actively conducted anti-epidemic international cooperation by offering aid including money and goods to over 150 countries and international organizations as strong support to their epidemic response. We have fully advanced resumption of work and production and accelerated the recovery of regular life and work, making positive contributions to stabilizing global industrial and supply chains. We have continued to expand opening-up and promoted external trade and cooperation. In June, China’s total trade in goods registered a 5.1% growth year on year, with imports up by 6.2%, which has boosted the total demand of the world and promoted international development. Some authoritative international institutions are optimistic about the prospect of China’s economy and they predict that China may be the only major economy able to maintain positive growth for this year and will inject confidence and driving force into the recovery of global economy.
The pandemic is still spreading around the world with its impact on world economy still unfolding. China’s economy remains to be under enormous challenges. We stand ready to work with all parties to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, step up cooperation on epidemic prevention and resumption of work and production, jointly build an open world economy and make unremitting efforts to help world economy surmount from recession and achieve steady recovery.
Kyodo News: It is reported that the US administration will put in force the National Defense Authorization Act from August 13, prohibiting the US government from purchasing products or services from any company that uses the products of five Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE. What is China’s comment?
Hua Chunying: I have just made clear China’s view on the recent statements and actions of the US government. On the issue of Huawei, the US has not a single piece of evidence that Huawei poses a threat to its national security. Huawei is a Chinese company, more advanced than its US peers in 5G sector, and that’s where the US believes it has got wrong. The US cannot tolerate anything better than it, so it has abused its state power to oppress Huawei on trumped-up charges. This is economic bullying, a blatant rejection of the market economy principles that the US has always prided itself on. The world sees this very clearly.
We urge the US side to stop abusing the concept of national security, stop slandering China and unjustifiably oppressing certain Chinese companies, and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to conduct normal business in the US. The American companies all hope that China will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for them. But they should also put themselves in the shoes of Huawei and think about this question: Is there any company from any other country rather than China, that has been treated so unjustly, unfairly and brutally in the US, like Huawei and other Chinese companies? I think countries and people with a sense of justice should stand forward and make appeals.
