BEIJING: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, with both sides opposing foreign interference in China’s Hong Kong issue.
Wang said that China has always attached great importance to China-Egypt relations and is committed to deepening their cooperation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi have established strong mutual trust and friendship, which has provided important strategic guidance for the development of the two countries’ relations, Wang said. Noting that China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations and major developing countries, Wang said the two countries always understand and support each other over issues concerning each other’s respective core interests and major concerns, and always maintain fairness and uphold justice in international multilateral affairs.
Wang expressed his gratitude to Egypt for understanding and supporting China’s legitimate claims on the Hong Kong issue. Hong Kong is a part of China, Wang said, adding that establishing and improving the national security legislation is conducive to the steady and sustained implementation of the “one country, two systems” policy, which is not only in the interests of Hong Kong compatriots, but also in the interests of all countries in Hong Kong. Noting that some countries and forces use human rights as an excuse to attack and smear China on the Hong Kong issue and to grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs, Wang said their real intention is to disrupt Hong Kong and thus hinder China’s development process. Stressing that non-interference in internal affairs is a basic norm of international relations, Wang said that China firmly opposes politicizing the human rights issue and interfering in other countries’ internal affairs under the guise of human rights. – Agencies
