China on Thursday voiced strong opposition to the U.S. sanctions on four Chinese companies and one individual amid its efforts to crack down on painkiller addiction, stressing that the Chinese government has always upheld a zero tolerance policy towards drug problems.
“The wrong behavior of letting someone else take medicine when you’re the one that is sick is unconstructive, and will only interfere in the anti-drug law enforcement cooperation between China and the U.S.,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, said at a press briefing.
China urges the U.S. to respect facts and search for causes of its Fentanyl abuse problems within itself, rather than blaming other countries, Wang said.
Attempts to smear China-Solomon Islands ties doomed to fail: Wang Yi
Meanwhile, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Thursday stressed that attempts to smear ties between China and the Solomon Islands and subvert the achievement of bilateral diplomatic ties are doomed to fail.
Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele. They talked about the recent unrest in Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara.
Noting the riots had a complex background, the Chinese foreign minister said they had affected the safety and life of locals and overseas Chinese.
China expresses deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the government and people of the country, and strongly condemns all acts of violence, Wang said.
He added China stands firmly with the Solomon Islands’ government and its people, and firmly supports the government’s efforts to safeguard domestic stability, bilateral ties and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the country.
Solomon Islands reiterated its firm commitment to the one-China principle and forcefully responded to the false accusations, which is highly appreciated by China, Wang said, adding that bilateral relations have withstood this test and are stronger than ever.
China is confident in the future of bilateral relations and will take a series of measures to support and help Solomon Islands restore order, rebuild the city and achieve stable development, he stressed.
Wang also told his counterpart that two countries must be wary of a few countries upholding the Cold War mentality and attempting to interfere in the internal affairs of other nations under the banner of “human rights.”
Manele said his phone call with Wang showed that the two countries stand firmly together in difficult times, adding that the situation in his country has gradually returned to normal and efforts are being made to achieve social stability and economic development.
Solomon Islands attaches great importance to its relations with China and will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China principle, which is the political basis for the development of bilateral relations, he stressed.
Solomon Islands is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Chinese side to effectively uphold multilateralism and safeguard international fairness and justice, Manele added.
