On June 11, Ambassador Cong Peiwu gave an interview to Steven Scherer, Reuters Bureau Chief, briefing on China's "two sessions" of the NPC and CPPCC, and the Hong Kong national security legislation.

Ambassador Cong said, China's two sessions this year are very important meetings held at an extraordinary time in the fight against COVID-19. Its convening has sent many positive messages to the outside world. I would like to highlight two of them. First, China is confident of achieving the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, China has not set a specific quantitative target of GDP growth this year, but introduced policies of a sizable scale to provide vital relief to businesses and revitalize the market, with a particular focus on supporting jobs and people's livelihood. For example, we have ensured that more than 9 million new urban jobs will be created and people will be more willing and able to consume. China will complete victory in the decisive battle against poverty and eliminate absolute poverty as scheduled this year. Second, China will continue to work with countries around the globe to build a community with a shared future for mankind. At virtual event of opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced a number of important initiatives, including that COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good. This will help the international community work together to defeat the virus and build a global community of health for all.

On the Hong Kong national Security legislation, Ambassador Cong pointed out that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and brook no foreign interference. In all countries, the power to legislate on national security rests solely with the central government. Since June last year, we have seen increasingly rampant activities by "Hong Kong independence" organizations and radical localists in Hong Kong, escalating violence and terrorist activities as well as excessive, unlawful foreign meddling in Hong Kong affairs. All this has placed national security in serious jeopardy and posed a grave threat to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and the practice of "one country, two systems". The national security legislation for Hong Kong targets a very narrow category of acts that seriously jeopardize national security and has no impact on Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents or the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors in Hong Kong. Over the past few days, the signature campaign of supporting the national security legislation for Hong Kong has received strong support from various organizations, individuals and the general public in Hong Kong.

Ambassador also briefed on the white paper "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action", and answered the questions regarding some specific issues including China-Canada relations, and China-US relations.

Reuters reported Ambassador Cong's relevant remarks.

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