The following is a transcript of an interview with Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang which aired on Sunday, March 20, 2022 on “Face the Nation.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: After Friday’s call, the White House said President Biden had made it clear to President Xi what the consequences would be if China provided material support to Russia. We are now joined by China’s ambassador to the United States Qin Gang. Ambassador, I’m glad to see you. Good morning to you.
CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES QIN GANG: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So President Biden asked Beijing not to provide any support to Russia. Is it your intention to go ahead and give Vladimir Putin a lifeline?
WITH. GANG: President Xi Jinping and President Biden had a video call on Friday. He was sincere, profound and constructive. President Xi Jinping made China’s position very clear, that is, China defends peace, opposes war. China is a peace-loving country. We hate to see how the situation in Ukraine is today, you know, and we call for an immediate ceasefire and we are promoting peace talks and we are sending humanitarian aid to …
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You will send money and weapons to Russia, but?
WITH. GANG: Well, there is misinformation about China providing military assistance to Russia. We reject this …
MARGARET BRENNAN: You won’t, will you, Beijing?
WITH. GANG: What China does is send food, medicine, sleeping bags and baby formula …
MARGARET BRENNAN: –That’s …
WITH. GANG: –no weapons and ammunition in any party and we are against a war, as I said, you know, we will do everything to escalate the crisis.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Russia’s foreign minister said yesterday that Moscow and Beijing will only get closer to what is happening. Are you right?
WITH. GANG: Well, China and Russia have a relationship of trust. It was built for many years. It was seen in many subjects. You know, we have long, shared borders of more than 4000 kilometers …
MARGARET BRENNAN: So …
WITH. GANG: –and we have many common interests and these relations of trust with Russia give us a unique position–
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s actually–
WITH. GANG: –in international efforts for peace talks–
MARGARET BRENNAN: And that’s exactly what the White House says, that you’re in that position of power.
WITH. GANG: –Yes, let me–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –to pick up the phone and call Vladimir Putin. Did Xi Jinping, your president, tell Vladimir Putin to stop the invasion? Do you condemn it?
[00:02:56]
WITH. GANG: In fact, on the second day of Russia’s military operation, President Xi Jinping spoke with President Putin …
MARGARET BRENNAN: Were you on your last phone call?
WITH. GANG: Asking President Putin to think about resuming peace talks with Ukraine, and President Putin listened to him, and we’ve seen four rounds of peace talks, you know, they’ve passed. Let me continue. You know, China’s trusting relations with Russia are not a responsibility, it is actually an asset in international efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully. You know, and China is part of the solution, not part of the problem. If you …
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you’re saying, but let’s be clear, are you saying that Beijing will not give financial support to Moscow to prolong this war?
WITH. GANG: China has normal trade, economic, financial and energy cooperation with Russia. As I said now …
MARGARET BRENNAN: –So it’s not changing, you’re not changing your relationship …
WITH. GANG: These are the normal business between two sovereign countries …
MARGARET BRENNAN: You mentioned …
WITH. GANG: –based on international law, laws, including WTO rules, and you know it–
MARGARET BRENNAN: We are talking about these international laws because four days ago, the International Court of Justice ordered Russia to stop its military actions. China refrained from doing so. The vote was 13 to 2. The only country next to Russia was China …
WITH. GANG: Well …
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You seem to be condemning and not condemning.
WITH. GANG: China makes its observation and conclusion based independently, based on the merits of the matter. On the one hand, we oppose
MARGARET BRENNAN: UN Secretary-General says Russia has invaded …
WITH. GANG: We oppose – We oppose. On the one hand, China opposes the purposes and principles of the UN, including respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine. On the other hand, we do see that there is complicity in the history of the Ukraine issue. And we-
MARGARET BRENNAN: Were you worried about Russia accumulating more than 150,000 troops on the Chinese border?
WITH. GANG: Well, that’s why we want to …
MARGARET BRENNAN: –To be clear, because China, you would …
WITH. GANG: –We want friendly and good neighborly relations with Russia …
MARGARET BRENNAN: But I would admit that they are not good neighborly relations and 150,000 soldiers on the border of a neighboring country and then send these troops to that country. In these circumstances, why can’t you condemn this as an invasion?
WITH. GANG: Well, let’s not be naive. condemnation
MARGARET BRENNAN: –It seems naive to say that this is not an invasion …
WITH. GANG: –It doesn’t solve the problem. I would be surprised if Russia retracted for condemnation. What is urgently needed
MARGARET BRENNAN: Will they back down if their president asks Vladimir Putin to withdraw? Will your president ask Vladimir Putin to step down?
WITH. GANG: We did. And he will continue to promote peace talks and call for immediate fire. And, you know, condemnation, you know, just doesn’t help. We need wisdom. We need – We are standing – We need courage and good diplomacy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Vladimir-Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’d like to meet with Vladimir Putin. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in a bunker. Vladimir Putin is at a pro-war political rally right now. You can’t have diplomacy when it’s a country, the only one that is really willing to negotiate.
WITH. GANG: China has good relations with Russia, has good relations with Ukraine, and China maintains close communication with the United States and Europe. They allow China to reach all parties involved in a crisis. So the unique role of China, you know. It can help resolve the crisis peacefully.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Tell me, because I keep hearing you say that. I want to understand how China is helping. If you are not condemning, if you are not cutting Vladimir Putin from continuing this war, this war that is shaking the whole world economy, causing food and energy prices to rise. China wants stability. But why not cut Vladimir Putin?
WITH. GANG: We have already made it very clear that, as you know, the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, must be respected and protected. But as I said, only conviction cannot work. What we need is good diplomacy based on vision, wisdom and courage. And looking ahead to the enduring approach to the issue of security in Europe:
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to talk to you about something sooner rather than later. You talked about the importance of the UN and the respect you have for it. Thus, a UN human rights group said there are credible reports that one million Uyghurs are in a mass detention camp surrounded by secrecy, and the High Commissioner for Refugees and Human Rights will go in China soon. Will you give them unlimited access?
WITH. GANG: I totally reject it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, will you give access or not, will you not give access?
WITH. GANG: There is no so-called human rights violation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you’re going to give access?
WITH. GANG: We are in talks with the Special Commissioner for Human Rights of … And I guess I understand that there is an agreement.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We have to go. All right. Thank you very much, Ambassador. We will be back soon.
WITH. GANG: Thanks for having me.
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