November 17, 2022 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s press conference

CCTV: President Xi Jinping and President Joko Widodo last night watched the trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train via video link. Why was this event included in President Xi Jinping’s tight schedule in Indonesia?

Mao Ning: The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is a historic project of China-Indonesia Belt and Road cooperation, which is personally supported by the two presidents. It is the first overseas high-speed railway project that fully utilizes Chinese railway systems, technologies and components. It is also the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. President Xi Jinping highlighted the initiative of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during his visit to Indonesia in 2013. Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Belt and Road.” The imminent completion of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway will be a milestone and prove that China-Indonesia Belt and Road cooperation is ripe for harvest.

Once operational, the high-speed rail line will reduce travel time between Jakarta and Bandung from more than three hours to 40 minutes. It will greatly contribute to promoting local economic and social development and improving regional connectivity. Recently, a rap song about the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway became very popular on the Internet in Indonesia, which shows that the Indonesian people are eagerly waiting for the project to be completed and put into operation.

President Xi Jinping and President Joko Widodo fully acknowledged the efforts to create synergy between the “Belt and Road” and Indonesia’s “world maritime focal point”. They reached important consensus on strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and jointly building the Chinese-Indonesian community in a shared future. The two heads of state attended the signing of many cooperation documents. We are confident that under the strategic leadership of the two leaders, China-Indonesia relations will continue to flourish and contribute more to the well-being of the two peoples as well as the solidarity and cooperation of developing countries.

China Daily: Nowadays, the moral hazards posed by artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming a greater concern for the international community. On November 16, China submitted a position paper on promoting ethical governance of artificial intelligence to the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Can you give us more details on this?

Mao Ning: With its rapid progress and wide application, AI has an increasingly visible complex impact on the political, economic, military and social aspects of countries around the world. Countries have realized that if AI is abused or misused, it can undermine morality and the prevailing legal system, and cause serious ethical problems. Promoting the ethical governance of artificial intelligence is an important task now facing the world.

China attaches great importance to the prevention and management of AI risks and actively participates in the international governance of AI. In December last year, the Chinese side submitted a position paper on the regulation of military applications of artificial intelligence to the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Review Conference, presenting China’s wisdom and solution to difficult issues related to AI governance.

The position paper submitted by China details our policy proposals regarding the ethical governance of AI, covering regulation, research and development, use, and international cooperation. The position paper stresses China’s commitment to building society with a shared future for mankind in the field of AI and efforts to advocate for a people-centered approach and the principle of AI for good, and to ensure that AI is safe, reliable, controllable, and capable of realization. Improve global sustainable development and improve the common welfare of all mankind.

China is willing to continue implementing the concept of global governance featuring mutual consultation, joint construction and sharing for all. We will work with the rest of the international community to implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, respond appropriately to the risks and challenges posed by the application of artificial intelligence, and work to formulate a widely accepted international AI governance plan.

The paper: Statistics from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) show that nearly three billion people in the world are not connected to the Internet. Most of them are in developing countries. According to China, how should the international community cooperate to bridge the digital divide? What role will China play to this end?

Mao Ning: Bridging the digital divide is an urgent task for the world. Improving digital governance is a common aspiration of all parties. China attaches great importance to the issue of the digital divide. At the G20 Hangzhou Summit, China, as the host of the G20, put the digital economy on its agenda for the first time. At the G20 summit in Bali, President Xi Jinping once again put forward China’s proposal on bridging the digital divide.

President Xi Jinping stressed that giving priority to development is the key to bridging the digital divide. All countries should jointly promote communication in the digital age and take effective measures to promote digital literacy and skills for all. It is especially important to help developing countries and disadvantaged groups adapt to digital transformation.

To improve digital governance, it is important to pursue multilateralism. All countries should make concerted efforts to promote an open, inclusive, just, fair and non-discriminatory environment for the development of the digital economy. Building “small squares with high walls” and restricting or impeding scientific and technological cooperation benefits no one and is not in line with the common interests of the international community.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with other G20 members to jointly build a dynamic global digital economy that is mutually beneficial, balanced, coordinated and inclusive and based on win-win cooperation and common prosperity.

Kyodo News: It is reported that the Chinese and Japanese leaders are expected to hold talks in Thailand this afternoon. What are China’s expectations for this interview?

Mao Ning: I already answered this question yesterday. If you are interested, I can offer again what we expect from this meeting. China and Japan are close neighbors and important countries in the region. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations. We hope the two sides stick to peace and friendship, develop mutually beneficial cooperation, manage differences, and work together to build a Sino-Japanese relationship that meets the call of the new era.

A press release will be issued after the meeting. Please follow related news.

Yonhap News Agency: It was reported that on November 17, North Korea’s foreign minister issued a statement warning the United States of a fierce military counterattack in response to the American build-up. After this statement, North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards its eastern waters. what’s China’s comment on that?

Mao Ning: We noted North Korea’s response to enhanced extended deterrence in the joint statement issued by the United States, Japan and South Korea. We hope that all parties will deal with the core issues of the Korean Peninsula and address each other’s concerns in a balanced manner, including the legitimate concerns of North Korea.

Agence France-Presse: A US court has sentenced a Chinese citizen to 20 years in prison for stealing trade secrets from US and French airlines. what’s China’s comment on that?

Mao Ning: The US accusations are simply wrong. We demand that the US side handle the matter impartially and in accordance with the law and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.

Reuters: A New Zealand government spokesman said today that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expects to meet President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit on Friday. The spokesman described the meeting as now confirmed. What is the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s comment on that?

Mao Ning: China and New Zealand are important partners to each other. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. The China is pre-eminent travail with New Zealand-Zelande for adhering to the principle of mutual respect and mutual cooperation, main tenors of haut-niveau contacts and reinforcing changes and co-operation, making progress conjointement of the development of partenariat global strategy New Zealand. As for the bilateral meeting you mentioned, I have nothing to share at the moment.