China says "Cannot tolerate infringement on national interests" in joint statement with US and EU

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] China strongly opposed the joint statement by the United States and the European Union (EU) targeting China, stating that it cannot tolerate infringements on its national interests.

In response, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized the US and EU at a regular briefing on the 16th when asked about their statement, saying, "They have overstepped the normal scope of bilateral relations by gesturing and interfering excessively in China's internal affairs." The US and EU expressed concerns about issues in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and the East and South China Seas, and emphasized stability in the Taiwan Strait in their joint statement released after the summit on the 15th (local time).

Spokesperson Zhao emphasized, "We strongly express our dissatisfaction and firmly oppose the reckless criticism of China and the creation and dissemination of false information."

He added, "What the US and EU should do is reflect on their own serious problems," and said, "China opposes forcing its interests and demands on other countries or engaging in small-group politics targeting third countries."

Furthermore, he claimed, "The US and EU's intention to cooperate and compete against China not only harms China's interests but also means they want to benefit from China," adding, "Anyone who thinks this way either has an intelligence problem or underestimates the intelligence of the Chinese people."

The Chinese delegation to the EU also expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" in a Q&A format statement on their website regarding the joint statement by both sides.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden and Charles Michel, President of the European Council, directly targeted China in their joint statement released after the US-EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, stating, "We will continue to coordinate on shared concerns including human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet, erosion of autonomy and democratic processes in Hong Kong, economic coercion, disinformation campaigns, and regional security issues." Both sides also expressed "serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and escalate tensions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.