Zubair Qureshi
Beijing
China on Thursday confirmed two Canadian nationals were arrested by the country’s security agencies on charges of espionage and spying.
In the Foreign Ministry’s regular press briefing that was also attended by Pakistan Observer, the spokesperson Lu Kang informed the media persons that the two individuals were charged with stealing state secrets and providing them to overseas forces.
He however, assured the international journalists the arrested persons would be dealt with in accordance with the law of the land and they should ‘rest assured about their safety and well being.”
Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson confidently faced a volley of questions by the foreign media on Canadian nationals’ arrest, the time and location of their detention, charges against them, etc.
He however, replied to each question calmly making it clear it was a matter of China’s national interests and whereas China respected other countries’ laws and regulations in return it expected of them to reciprocate in the same way.
To a question about the ongoing trade spat with Washington, Mr Lu Kang said China was alive to safeguard its national as well as business interests.
Terming the US so-called export control measures against its telecom equipment giant Huawei as an abuse of international trade laws, he warned of serious repercussions.
Though we urge our resident business entities to respect and abide by the laws of the host countries, yet at the same time we expect from the US not to impose such measures as could result in a strong backlash, he said without mincing words.
US President Donald Trump has recently barred Huawei from the American market in the pretext of security and national interests of America.
According to Mr Lu Kang, it was an “abuse of export control measures.” “We urge the United States to stop the wrong approach,” said he adding “China will take further necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.”
Meanwhile, a Ministry of Commerce spokesman, Gao Feng, gave a similar warning about “necessary measures” at a separate news conference but also gave no details of possible official steps.
To a question about talk of ‘clash of civilizations’ Spokesperson Lu Kang said it was quite surprising the debate has resurfaced after decades. Referring to President Xi Jinping’s keynote address earlier in the day at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, he said China didn’t believe in any clash of civilizations.
President Xi Jinping has made it clear in his keynote address that there were only different civilizations, and there were no superior or inferior civilizations and those who thought their races or cultures were better, and tried to change or replace other cultures, were wrong in their mindset and thus doomed to fail.
“Every civilization is rooted in its own soil, which embodies the extraordinary wisdom and spiritual pursuit of a country and its own values,” Xi had said, quoted Lu Kang.
