At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Uzbekistan from October 17 to 18. 

At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Premier Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Tajikistan from October 18 to 20 and attend the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, Premier Li Qiang will travel to Russia from October 20 to 22 for the 31st regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government.

Xinhua News Agency: You just announced that Premier Li Qiang will visit Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and attend the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. He will also travel to Russia for the 31st regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government. Can you share the background and China’s expectation?

Mao Ning: China and Uzbekistan are all-weather comprehensive strategic partners for the new era. Over recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, China-Uzbekistan relations have entered a golden period with stronger mutual trust and fruitful cooperation in various areas. In August this year, the two presidents met in Bishkek where they made new strategic planning for the future development of bilateral relations. China and Tajikistan are friendly neighbors and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners for the new era. Since the two countries established diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have maintained a sound and steady momentum of growth. In May this year, President Xi Jinping met with President Emomali Rahmon who was on a state visit to China. The two sides signed and issued the treaty on permanent good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation, providing a firm safeguard for the ever-lasting friendship between the two countries. China hopes the visit will galvanize efforts of all three countries to accelerate the implementation of the important common understandings between the presidents, deepen political mutual trust, expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, promote common development, and provide new impetus for building the China-Uzbekistan and China-Tajikistan community with a shared future.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have met twice this year, guiding bilateral relations into a new stage with higher-quality and faster development. Premier Li Qiang’s attendance at the 31st regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government will serve as an opportunity for the two countries to work together to deliver on the important common understandings between the two presidents, deepen political mutual trust, and enhance and substantiate all-round practical cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

The SCO is in its 25th year now. At the successful SCO Summit in Bishkek not long ago, leaders of member states reached important common understandings on carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit under the new circumstances, promoting SCO’s development and cooperation, and improving the global governance system. President Xi Jinping made an in-depth elaboration on the core tenets of an equal and orderly multipolar world, put forward new initiatives on practical cooperation, and charted the course for high-quality development of the SCO. At the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO in Dushanbe, Premier Li Qiang will have in-depth exchanges of views with various parties on implementing the strategic blueprint of the SCO Tianjin Summit and the outcome consensus of the SCO Bishkek Summit, so as to better protect the shared interests of member states and make SCO’s contribution to peace, stability, development and prosperity of the region and beyond.

Bloomberg: Can you confirm a report that China has agreed to restructure some of Zimbabwe’s debt? This is according to Zimbabwe’s finance minister, but we haven’t heard anything about this from China.

Mao Ning: China and Zimbabwe are traditional friends. The Chinese side attaches high importance to Zimbabwe’s debt treatment request. The competent authorities and financial institutions of both sides are in communication over this. For more updates, I would refer you to the competent Chinese authorities.

AFP: Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Mr. Lavrov in Baku, Azerbaijan. According to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, Mr. Lavrov presented Mr. Wang Yi with a report. This report states that the Ukrainian authorities orchestrated the killings in Bucha in 2022 and then blamed Russian troops for them. Can you confirm whether Mr. Lavrov did in fact give a copy of this report to Mr. Wang? Maybe can you just reiterate what’s China’s position on this Bucha incident? Is it the same as Russia’s position?

Mao Ning: We have released a readout on the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart. I don’t have anything further to add. 

Global Times: Japanese media recently disclosed for the first time internal meeting minutes of the Yasukuni war shrine revealing the decision-making process of the enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals including Hideki Tojo. It shows that the Japanese government made arrangements on the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals with the shrine in as early as the 1960s, but chose to keep the public in the dark until it was revealed in 1979. What’s China’s comment?

Mao Ning: The documents proved once again that the Japanese government at the time knew full well the disgrace of enshrining Class-A war criminals and, fearful of the consequences, deliberately kept the decision-making process secret. These Class-A war criminals were the chief culprits behind Japanese militarists’ war of aggression with the blood of innumerable war victims on their hands. The solemn verdict of the Tokyo Trials condemned them to perpetual infamy, thereby upholding international justice and laying the legal foundation for the postwar international order. Yet those running the Japanese government have again and again paid respects to what is in fact a shrine to war criminals. One has to ask: where has the conscience gone?

History shall not be rewritten. Truth shall not be erased. Japan committed undeniable crimes during its militarist aggression. Those running the Japanese government must face history squarely, reflect on the war crimes, and make a genuine break with its militarist past.