This is not conducive to international solidarity and cooperation. I would like to make some clarifications.

First is on democracy. Democracy is a common value of humanity, not the exclusive right of a few countries.

There are various forms of democracy. Constitutional monarchies, presidential republics and people’s republics are all forms of democracy. China is a people’s republic that practices socialist democracy, which always upholds and develops people’s democracy that embodies the will of the people.

This approach fits the country’s realities, and is endorsed by the Chinese people.

Second is on human rights. “The State respects and preserves human rights” is enshrined in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.

China has always been committed to protecting and promoting human rights. As the largest developing country, China takes a people-centered approach to human rights. We believe that the Chinese people’s rights to subsistence and development are basic human rights of paramount importance.

Over the past 70-plus years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, more than 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty. We have eliminated abject poverty for the first time in thousands of years of China’s history. Places inhabited by ethnic minorities, such as Xinjiang and Xizang (Tibet), stand out as shining examples of China’s human rights progress.

Third is on peace. China has benefited from world peace in its development, which in turn has contributed to world peace. China cherishes and defends world peace. In the past 70-plus years, we have not provoked any war or occupied even one inch of foreign territory.

We seek to settle differences through dialogue and resolve disputes through negotiation.

Fourth is on win-win cooperation. China always advocates and pursues win-win cooperation. We help fellow developing countries with sincerity and in good faith, without any strings attached or imposition of will.

China shares development opportunities with other countries through institutions and platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the China International Import Expo and the “dual circulation” development paradigm.

Fifth is on multilateralism. China always practices and upholds multilateralism. When unilateralism and protectionism ran amok in recent years, China immediately stepped forward to resist the trend. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that China  had  become  a backbone of multilateralism.

Recently, a small group of Western politicians and media outlets have continued to hype up issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the efforts to trace the origin of the COVID-19 virus. Allegations of “genocide” in Xinjiang are blatant lies.

Over the past 60 years or so, the average life expectancy in Xinjiang has increased from 30 to 72 years.

From 2010 to 2018, permanent residents in Xinjiang increased in number from 21.81 million to 24.86 million, an increase of nearly 14 percent. Among them, the minority ethic population increased by 2.87 million people, or 22.14 percent, while the Uygur population increased by 2.54 million, or more than 25 percent.

The purpose of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong that was formulated by the NPC Standing Committee is to address the deficiencies and loopholes in the national security law in Hong Kong. The Law closed the back door through which Western anti-China forces had intervened in China’s internal affairs.

After its enactment, millions of Hong Kong residents have expressed their support for the Law, Hong Kong’s social order has improved significantly and the foundation for stability and prosperity has become more solid. There is only one China in the world.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Taiwan issue is an internal affair. This is the universal consensus of the international community. Under the guise of international anti-epidemic cooperation, a few countries have supported Taiwan authorities in “seeking independence under the pretext of the pandemic”; this is not legitimate.

The World Health Assembly has rejected Taiwan-related proposals for many consecutive years. The “One China” principle is an invincible trend with sweeping international support that shall not be challenged.

Tracing the origin of the COVID-19 virus is a complex scientific matter that may involve multiple countries and areas, and requires international research and cooperation among scientists across the globe.

The World Health Organization COVID-19 joint mission with China is part of global scientific cooperation in this regard. China has maintained close communication and cooperation with the WHO on tracing the origin of the coronavirus, providing strong support and assistance to WHO experts throughout their visit, as appraised by the WHO and its expert team.

President Xi Jinping has said that China cannot develop without the world, and the world also needs China to prosper. We are willing to work with all countries in the world, including Indonesia, to safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold fairness and justice, respond to common challenges and jointly create a better future for all mankind.

I hope China’s friends around the world will keep their eyes open and not be misled by anti-China forces.

***

The author is the Chinese ambassador to Indonesia

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