CHINA-NPC: CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI'S COMMENTS ON JAPAN AND INDIA AT PRESS CONFERENCE ON SIDELINES OF NPC SESSION

Speaking at a 90-minute-long press conference on March 7, on the sidelines of the NPC session, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi appeared to put a positive spin on ties with Japan and India. In response to concerns from Japan about China’s new coastguard law, Wang Yi said the law was not targeted at any nation. He said China and Japan should remain focused without being distracted by any single event to make the bilateral relations more mature and stable, and that the two should support each other in hosting the upcoming Olympic Games in 2021 and 2022. He added, “The key to Sino-Japanese relations is to have perseverance, and not to let short-term events cause disruption." In an apparent volte-face, Wang Yi expressed the hope of resolving tensions with India as the two try to negotiate their way out of a tense stand-off along their Himalayan border.  Calling for cooperation with India, he said “China and India should be friends and partners instead of threats and competitors. We should help build each other.” He said China and India need to help each other succeed instead of undercutting each other, and they should strengthen cooperation instead of harbouring suspicion at each other. Wang Yi reiterated that China will jointly push ahead high-quality construction of the BRI and make contributions to the early recovery of the world economy and is willing to join hands with all parties to build the BRI into a broad path of common development and prosperity.

(Comment: China's apparently conciliatory tone comes after US President Joe Biden signalled that Washington would strengthen Indo-Pacific security and renew its alliance with Asian powers, and the news that Biden might hold talks in the coming week with the three other members of the “Quad” – Japan, India and Australia – which Wang Yi has previously labelled an “Indo-Pacific Nato”. Looming in the background also is the growing naval presence in the South China Sea of the US and European powers.)







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