Respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity is established as an important principle of the UN Charter and represents the foundation of modern international law and international relations, Chinese Ambassador H.E. Chen Bo pointed out in an interview with CorD Magazine, talking about the current geopolitical situation and events in Ukraine, Taiwan and Kosovo.
Ambassador Chen Bo notes that China has always respected Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity regarding Kosovo, and insists that the best way is for interested parties to conduct a dialogue and reach a mutually acceptable political solution within the Security Council resolutions.
When it comes to the economic relations between the two countries and the free trade agreement between China and Serbia, which will allow most products to be imported and exported without customs duties, Bo reminds that her country has become Serbia’s second largest trading partner.
“China-Serbia trade volume has kept increasing. According to data from the Serbian Statistical Office, our bilateral trade volume has increased from 1.88 billion U.S. dollars to 5.1 billion U.S. dollars between 2017 and 2021. China has become Serbia’s second largest trade partner. The volume of our mutual trade reached 3.68 billion U.S. dollars from January to July this year, with 32% year-on-year growth, fully demonstrating the strong momentum of China-Serbia economic cooperation”, the ambassador notes, adding that a large China’s market of 1.4 billion people continues to open up, which will create more and more opportunities for high-quality global products.
For this reason, she says, Serbian goods, including food and agricultural products, are increasingly popular in China due to their unique advantages, as evidenced by the fact that three Chinese companies signed contracts worth 800,000 euros with Serbian wine suppliers at the recently held Open Balkan fair ‘International Wine Expo’.
“China is looking forward to cooperation with Serbia to further facilitate the economic ties of our companies. We believe that products with the Made-in-Serbia label will be more competitive in China,” says ambassador of China to Serbia H.E. Chen Bo.
When it comes to international relations and the tension between China and the US, which culminated in Washington’s support for Taiwan, which Beijing considers contradictory to the One China principle, Ambassador Bo reiterated that “no one should underestimate China’s determination and willingness to defend its sovereignty.”
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. This is not only an indisputable fact in the sense of history and international law, but also on the basis of the universal consensus of the international community. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. The current tension in the Taiwan Strait is entirely the result of U.S. provocation and “Taiwan independence” forces soliciting U.S. support to advance their agenda. While claiming to adhere to the One China Principle, the U.S. backs Taiwanese independence with actions including the sale of weapons to Taiwan and developing official relations with it,” the Chinese ambassador believes, among other things, and recalls the differences on the issues of Ukraine and Taiwan:
“I have to stress that the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue are fundamentally different in nature. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. Respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as set out as an important principle of the UN Charter, is the bedrock of contemporary international law and international relations. Double standards should not be applied in this regard”.
When Kosovo is included in the whole picture, the ambassador believes that at a time when Europe is facing huge security challenges, maintaining stability in Kosovo becomes even more important.
“That is why joint efforts should be exerted to avoid heightened tensions. We commend Serbia for its efforts to seek a solution through dialogue.”
“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always been committed to upholding international fairness and justice, opposing hegemonism and power politics, and safeguarding the overall interests of developing countries. Our position on the Kosovo issue is consistent and clear. We will continue to insist on this position,” notes ambassador Chen Bo.
According to her, the world faced with complex and difficult challenges needs solidarity, not division, and dialogue, not confrontation.
“China will always stand on the side of promoting peace talks and contributing to world peace and development,” concluded ambassador Chen Bo in an interview for CorD Magazine.