Chinese diplomacy calls EU sanctions "brutal intervention in its internal affairs and sovereignty"

"Relations between China and the European Union were going well, as evidenced by the EU-China geo-targeting agreement and the investment agreement that will encourage leaders and companies from both sides. Unfortunately, however, the EU decided to impose sanctions on Chinese individuals and entities on the basis of lies and misinformation. This constitutes a brutal intervention in our internal affairs and infringes on our sovereignty, which we categorically reject, hence the equivalent countermeasures". The Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Spain, Yao Fei, expressed himself with this forcefulness in the course of a new edition of the International Meetings that, for the time being, are organised online by the International Press Club in Madrid. 

The diplomat described the achievements that, in his opinion, China has made in these times of pandemic, and was subjected to an intense debate in which the thirty or so journalists and correspondents who participated questioned him on the tensions that have been heightened in recent weeks. 

Yao Fei, in response to questions from Atalayar, called for the final report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) inspectors, who travelled to Wuhan earlier this year to investigate the source of the pandemic virus, to be completed. He denied that the inspectors' work was hindered and expressed China's readiness to strengthen the investigative work to determine the origin of COVID-19. He cited "early detection of the virus, early reporting of cases, early isolation of patients and early cure" as the keys to "China's success" in combating the pandemic. These are therefore the keys that would justify China being the only economy in the world to show positive GDP growth of 2.3% in 2020. 

He refuted the alleged lack of solidarity in the global fight by pointing to the immense scientific research effort with huge resources to achieve up to 17 vaccines, five of which are already marketed under strict conditions of reliability. He recalled that President Xi Jinping declared that once the vaccines have all the guarantees "they will be global public products", thus accessible to all developing countries. Yao Fei revealed that such vaccines have already been offered to 69 countries that meet these parameters, while being exported on a commercial basis to 43 others. The WHO itself will have 10 million Chinese vaccines at its disposal under its COVAX programme. 

In his barrage of data, the Chinese representative recalled his country's support and material assistance in the first months of the pandemic to 150 countries, 13 entities and humanitarian organisations, and by making available internationally 220 billion masks, 2.25 billion insulating suits and 1.02 billion tests. 

He also presented data showing that the regime's policies would have lifted more than 100 million people out of poverty, while its international cooperation has helped 770 million human beings around the world. Figures which, in his opinion, mean that China has fulfilled the United Nations 2030 Agenda ten years ahead of schedule. Data with which he countered accusations of alleged human rights violations by the Chinese regime.   

The state of relations with Spain was also addressed, which the diplomat described as excellent, supporting his assertion that, in a year as difficult as 2020, bilateral trade grew by 6.7%, with Spanish exports to China increasing by 20%. Yao Fei estimates that the most representative products of these shipments - ham, olive oil, fruit and wine - are well received by Chinese customers. With regard to cultural relations, the Confucius Institute has already opened eight branches and numerous classrooms in Spain, while the Cervantes Institute, which has two in China, is waiting to set up in other major cities, in addition to Shanghai and Beijing. 

In the intense telematic dialogue, moderated by Paula Gracia Baeza, a seemingly simple question was even posed, such as explaining what would define China as a communist country. Yao Fei pointed out that "its essence consists of always having the people as an absolute priority in the government's work agenda", and that "the permanent mission of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is to seek the happiness of the people and the revival of the Chinese nation". A statement that served to show what is the system's main source of pride: the national social insurance network which, according to the diplomat, now covers practically all of China's 1.4 billion people; access for all of them to decent housing and education, which led him to the conclusion that "China has already completed the construction of a modestly well-off society by 2021".