Chinese National Day
By Chris Michael
1.Reporter Michael: Mr. Ambassador thank you for taking your time for this interview. Both the Chinese National Day and the Cypriot National Day are on October 1st. What messages would you like to send to us?
Ambassador Huang: Not many countries share the same national day while China and Cyprus do. This coincidence shows that there are indeed shared destiny between our two countries. Not only do our national days fall on the same date, but also we are deeply rooted with time-honoured
histories and splendid civilizations. We both advocate that all countries, big or small, should be treated as equals. Our bilateral relations in the past 48 years since we first establish our diplomatic relationship have become a fine example of such principle.
Both governments aim to serve its own people and make its own country stronger, and we are both making tremendous efforts to accomplish the above-mentioned strategic goals. Both governments are committed to sustainable development through industry upgrading and economic restructuring, and both are in the crucial development stage of running an uphill journey. Both countries are faced with the historic task of complete unification, and both have to handle external interference in the process of anti-secession and promoting unification. In short, we have a lot in common that lead to deeper mutual understandings and stronger mutual supports.
2. You have briefed Chinaโs successful stories in various occasions before. On the special occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, would you please share with us what makes China succeed in such a short time?
I believe you are familiar with my views on this subject as I have narrated on this issue many times before. Today I would like to add some more comments.
Firstly, peace is a genuine human right. The Chinese people love peace, cherish peace, safeguard peace and promote peace. This is consistent in Chinaโs domestic and foreign policies in the past years. Chinese people believe that peace is the most fundamental human right one should enjoy, and this is the reason why China firmly oppose to wars or threats of waging wars that lead to humanitarian crisis.
Secondly, stability is a genuine democracy. China has learned painful lessons from the Cultural Revolution and it is a consensus among Chinese people that there should be no more self-inflicted setbacks. We are against color revolutions because it causes instability and displaces people, and we must learn the painful lessons from the โArab Springโ. Those who are behind โArab Springโ should return democracy to the victimized countries, be held accountable for the tens of thousands of lost lives and millions of refugees, and be held accountable to the wounds of Europe and the chaos in Middle East.
Thirdly, development is an unyielding principle. China has become independent, wealthy and strong through its own development. We have caught up with and is running parallel to other economies and will take up others through development. Mr. Deng Xiaoping, the late Chinese
leader, told us โdevelopment is an unyielding principleโ. President Xi Jinping calls upon us to โchew the hard bonesโ. 70 years of peaceful development is not only beneficiary to the Chinese people, but also to people in other countries around the world. The most important recipe for development is opening-up and reform instead of sealing oneself off the globalized world, and is embracing the world with heart and soul instead of making only oneself great and being jealous of othersโ achievements.
Fourthly, cooperation leads to tangible win-win results. Some major power believes that there can be only one winner in cooperation. While the Chinese people believe โthe small streams rise when the main river is high, when the main river is low,the small streams run dry.โ China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa. China is actively alleviating the panic and unease caused by the withdrawal of some major power by safeguarding the authority of the UN, WTO among other multilateral organizations meanwhile promoting their reforms, and by honoring the Paris Climate Treaty, Iran Nuclear Treaty and upholding the spirit of contract. China is shouldering its responsibility as a major power in international cooperation.
3.As you predicted in the previous interview, riots in Hong Kong are still ongoing after three months with the support and interference by external forces. Was your prediction based on diplomatic experiences or inside reports?
As I said before, โanti-revision of the regulationโ is not the real purpose of the troublemakers, nor the ultimate goal of the orchestrators of the riots. It proved to be true. The biggest problem is not how violent behaviors may be with faces covered, but how extreme minds can become with eyes shut. You can reveal oneโs true identity by uncovering oneโs face, but you cannot wake up someone who is high on spiritual opium and does not want to open the eyes. The Hong Kong Act passed by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Relations Committee was merely to instigate riots and intensify situations. It may set fire on the US itself and even harm other relevant parties, becoming teaching material by negative example for China and the whole world. The American-style hypocrisy has turned the Hong Kong young losers into โnaked swimmersโ and victims to be sacrificed.
The Hong Kong SAR Government surely has a lot to do. The mission is at least threefold: First is to stop the violence and ease the chaos to return Hong Kong to the rule of law. It takes both valor and wisdom to close the Pandora’s box; Second is to rid Hong Kong of dirty hands behind the riots to ensure strict compliance with the policy of โOne Country, Two Systemsโ. Taking a holistic approach is indispensable to convert the external forces addicted to interfering with othersโ internal affairs; Third is for Hong Kong to improve from within to sustain prosperity. With good policies from the Chinese Central Government and growth opportunities in the region, Hong Kongโs future development boils down to its own basic policies and innovation aptitude. We have full confidence in Hong Kong and hope that it will come out of the chaos stronger and ready to embrace new prosperity.
4.On September 24th, US Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell and four other countries hosted a panel discussion on human rights in Xinjiang. Recently, EU also expressed concern about this matter. What is your take on the issue?
China has, through holistic measures, achieved the goals of stopping violence, safeguarding stability, human rights and promoting local economic and social development in Xinjiang. Education and counseling have worked well. There have been no terrorist attacks in Xinjiang for the past three years, which is good news to the Chinese people and a cause for respect by the world.
I had hoped that the Americans would discuss with their counterparts the lessons they could have learnt from China in trying to address the shooting spree on its own soil in order to give peace and quiet back to the American people. After all, it is in the Chinese character to readily follow good advice. Unfortunately it was not the case for the Americans. In the past few months in particular, some American politicians have been lobbying and conniving around for one purpose only- to make troubles and sabotage, either with their own hands or the hands of another. Sometimes I cannot help but wonder what exactly are these self-demeaning actions for? Then I thought of a Chinese philosophical saying – โMake troubles but fail. Make more troubles and fail again, till the doomed perishโ.
5.The Solomon Islands and Kiribati sever โdiplomatic relationsโ with Taiwan and establish or reestablish diplomatic relations with China. Do you think it is a result of China being powerful or Taiwan authorities being incompetent? What influence is expected with the newly-passed Taipei Act by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Relations Committee?
China appreciates the longstanding and strong support of Cyprus on the Taiwan issue. Both countries insist that there be only one China and only one Cyprus. The most crucial reason of Taiwanโs failure is that it goes against the general trends and public opinions as well as international norms observed by the vast international community. The government of every country must serve its people, conform to the
current of times and common aspirations of its own people. The government of Solomon Islands and Kiribati have made correct decisions, which will bring better chances and more possibilities for thier own socio-economic development and international cooperation.
Willing or not, the Taiwan authorities can not change the general trends. Tsai Ing-wen and her followers should reflect on the causes of their failure. Riding othersโ coattails, one may trap or harm himself. Walking a tightrope of โTaiwan Independenceโ, one will fall sooner or later. It is easily predictable that neither the Taiwan authorities which hate to see their compatriotsโ success nor the external forces which hate to see anybody elseโ s success will give up vicious attempts. They are filled with foul and rage, and it is likely to be followed by irrational sabotage. It is very unfortunate that US has become a source of upheavals for the world. Quitting international organizations and abolishing international treaties have caused cracks in global climate change cooperation and left the Middle East in constant turbulence. The trade wars have put the world economic outlook on risk. The US seems obsessed with passing laws to instigate independence for Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hongkong. These acts have interfered in Chinaโs internal affairs, fanned up violent terrorists, abused democracy and the rule of law, which harms both the world and the US itself.
6.Recently, Turkey has taken some actions in Famagusta among other occupied areas of Cyprus. These actions have severely violated the spirits of relevant UN resolutions and hindered the resumption of talks between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. What is Chinaโs position on that?
China has firmly supported Cyprus in all its efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity and to resume dialogue and negotiation on the basis of relevant UN resolutions. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have made positive progress through many rounds of negotiations with the support of the UN and international community. The international community should be a positive facilitator for this process. China firmly opposes any unilateral action to change the status-quo and intensify the situations. China will continue to act as a highly responsible country and work for a fair, just and proper settlement of the Cyprus issue at an early date.
