Chinese diplomats will continue ‘struggle’ to protect national sovereignty, says foreign vice-minister
- Speaking at party congress, Ma Zhaoxu says there is a ‘rock solid’ determination safeguard the country’s ‘fundamental interests’
- Ma was speaking days after the US said it saw China as a competitor that has the intent and means to reshape the international order
China’s diplomats will maintain the “spirit of struggle” to defend the country’s sovereignty and keep its development on the right track, the country’s vice-minister for foreign affairs has said.
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“Our determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation is unshakeable and rock-solid,” Ma said.
Ma was speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing Communist Party national congress. A new leadership team will be announced following the conclusion of the once-every-five-year event on Saturday.
The comments come as Beijing and Washington remain locked in serious confrontation over a wide range of areas.
The document also asserted America’s “abiding interest in maintaining peace and stability” over Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be part of its territory. The US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation but opposes any attempt to change the status quo by force.
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Ma described those measures as “forceful” and said China had adopted other measures countering foreign interference over the past decade, citing its snatching of more of Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies and defiant response to sanctions imposed on officials over Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
He said there are “some forces in the world” that want to fight a new cold war and create ideological divisions, adding: “This is the greatest threat to the world order. A divided world serves no one’s interest, and confrontation between different camps will only lead the world to a dead end”.
Shen Beili, deputy chief of the Communist Party’s international liaison department, told the same press conference that China would not copy the political system of other nations and would not accept the “condescending” attitudes of others.
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“Our party will not point fingers at the internal affairs of political parties in other countries, nor will it ‘export’ the Chinese model and ask other countries and political parties to copy our practices,” she added.
He stressed that China pursued a peaceful, independent foreign policy and opposed all forms of hegemony, suppression and the cold war mentality.
