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Speech by Ambassador Feng Tie at the Annual General Meeting of DCBF
2022-05-01 15:52

State Secretary Hommel,

Chairman Sørensen,

Ms. Kaae (CEO Bestseller),

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is great to be here. Thank you very much for inviting me. It is my honour to address the Annual General Meeting of DCBF. Today, I will focus on three questions -- China’s position on the Ukraine crisis, China’s relations with the EU and Denmark, and last I will say a few words about China’s COVID measures.

We are very sad to see the outbreak of war in Europe. Both Russia and Ukraine are China’s important cooperative partners. In fact, China is the largest trading partner to both countries. What is happening in Ukraine is the last thing that China wants to see. It is so saddening to see the loss of life and the suffering of the people.   

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. Ukraine is of no exception. Respecting other countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, this is a principle that China always follows. China held the same position on the question of Afghanistan and Iraq and former Yugoslavia when it was bombed by NATO for 78 days in 1999.

China certainly hopes to see an early ceasefire in Ukraine and restoration of peace, and China has been making efforts to this end in its own way. In his recent video meetings with foreign leaders, President Xi Jinping has appealed for peace and made specific proposals. Peace talk is the only way to prevent an escalation of tension. The Russia-Ukraine peace talks, though extremely difficult, are still going on. The international community should work to create conditions and environment for their negotiations and make room for political settlement, rather than adding fuel to the fire.

The root cause of the Ukraine crisis is the regional security tensions in Europe that have built up over the years. This crisis demands self-reflection on why it happened. All countries want security, but one country's security should not come at the expense of that of others. Pursuing absolute security means no security. Even George Kennan, the best-known advocate of containment policy, called the NATO’s eastward expansion a major strategic blunder. Henry Kissinger made similar warning. They are not a lone voice on this point. Recently, more and more scholars are thinking about the role of Nato’s five rounds of eastward expansion in the build-up of the current crisis. Now Nato is looking beyond Europe and set its sights on Asia-Pacific region and China. This is worrisome and dangerous. For decades peace in Asia-Pacific has been maintained and this should not be disrupted. 

Last week, Presiden Xi Jinping put forward a Global Security Initiative. China believes today’s global and regional security frameworks should not be built with an Cold War mentality. It is important that we are committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. The legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously. So China not only supports the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but also calls on Europe, Russia, the US and NATO to address the root cause of the current crisis, and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework in Europe through dialogue. 

Sanctions, far from being a solution, only create new problems. Sanctions could trigger serious crises in global economy that damage trade, finance, energy, food, and supply chains. Who will suffer and who will benefit? People should think about it with a cool head. It is unfair to make those who are not directly involved to pay the cost for this crisis. Some developing countries have already expressed their concerns. The small and medium sized countries, whose economies are vulnerable and highly dependent on import, fear that they will suffer most from the crisis. When the situation is complicated and emotions are high, it is more necessary to calmly consider whether the actions taken are conducive to promoting peace and at the same time protecting world economic system.

China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and easing tension. China has put forward a six-point proposal for coping with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and shipments of humanitarian assistance from China has already been sent to Ukraine and surrounding countries. China’s position on Ukraine is objective and fair. Some in the west demand China be on the right side of history. China was, is and will always be on the side of peace.  And time will prove that China is on the right side of history.

China-Denmark relations have moved forward. Last November, during Foreign Minister Kofod’s visit to China, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with him. The two sides signed cooperation agreements on climate change, environment protection, water management, intellectual property rights, and food security. The two foreign ministers also announced the launch of negotiations on a new Sino-Danish Joint Work Program. Now discussions on the details of that program are on-going and we hope to see an agreement as early as possible.

In my view, to keep the China-Denmark relations going forward, we need to pay attention to three very important things :

First, have a good understanding of each other. In the eyes of China, Denmark is an important partner, with whom we can talk and cooperate. China hopes Denmark also has an objective understanding and perception of China. China is not a threat to Denmark, but offers opportunities. Expansionism is not in the Chinese DNA, and we don’t believe the logic that when a country grows stronger it is bound to become hegemonic. China’s social and political systems are proved to be the best for us because they suit our national conditions and realities. China is willing to exchange views on development and learn from other countries. China never seeks to export its ideology, values or development model. Countries with different civilizations, systems and religions should be able to co-exist peacefully and engage in win-win co-operation. Western democracy should not be regarded as something of one-size-fit-all, and try to impose it on other countries. 

Second, respect each other’s core interests and deepen political trust. Mutual respect is particularly important for countries like China and Denmark, which differ significantly in size, culture and social system. A key to a successful bilateral relationship is to properly manage the differences and accommodate each other's major concerns. Taiwan question is an important matter concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Questions relating to Xinjiang is not about human rights but a fight against terrorism, separatism and radicalisation. The question of Hong Kong is about how to implement “one country two systems”without compromising the national security.  These questions are all China’s internal affairs that brook no foreign interference. They should be handled with care to avoid unnecessary disruptions to bilateral relations.

Third, expand practical cooperation. In 2021, the total trade volume between our two countries reached 25 billion US dollars. Forty-seven Danish companies took part in the 4th China International Import Expo, with the intended turnover of 1.8 billion US dollars. Danish companies in China are doing well and some of them are even highly visible.  I was surprised to find Bestseller’s boutiques at many best business locations in many  Chinese cities.  And all fashion conscious young boys and girls have a few pieces in their wardrobe from Only, Vera Moda, Selected or Jack & Jones . Four weeks ago, I visited Lego at Bilund. I was told that China is now one of  its most important markets in the world. They are building three new Lego parks in China.

There are many things China and Denmark can do together.  We can cooperate to deal with COVID. We can do something together with other countries to help the global economy to recover. We can join other European countries to fight climate change, enhance green and digital economy and lead innovation-driven development. We can have more bilateral exchanges in the fields of science, education and culture. We can also join hands in helping the least developed countries to the best of our abilities.

No matter how the world will change, China will remain committed to reform and opening up. Danish enterprises are welcome to invest more in China and share the dividends of China's development. At the same time, we hope Denmark will follow the spirit of multilateralism and free trade and create an open, fair, and non-discriminative business environment for Chinese companies.

After more than two years, COVID still refuses to go away. There is a new wave of omicron in China. China stays committed to its“dynamic zero-Covid”strategy. China has a huge population, especially the big population of old people ( 100 million Chinese were over 70 years old), some experts predict that if China gives up its strategy, its hospitals would be overwhelmed and there could be hundreds of millions infections and millions of death.

Although the downward pressure from COVID and the external environment has further increased, China's economic operation is generally stable. The strong resilience, huge potential and the fundamentals that sustain long-term growth remain unchanged. Chinese government is taking stronger and more proactive macro-economic policies, with more emphasis on support for the real economy and small and medium sized businesses. We are confident and capable of achieving sustainable and healthy economic development.

All measures to fight epidemic have some costs and to some extent, affect production and people’s livelihood. But the difficulties are temporary. My advice to Danish companies in China is to toughen out the current difficulties and look to the future.

Thank you.


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