Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held phone conversations with Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedu Andargachew and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry separately, stressing opposition against interference in Hong Kong issue and cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wang told the foreign ministers that China appreciates their support for China's claim on the Hong Kong issue, underlining that the Hong Kong issue is entirely China's internal affair.
Some countries and forces use human rights as an excuse to try to sabotage Hong Kong and thus prevent the development and revitalization of China, Wang told Gedu.
The Chinese foreign minister stressed that non-interference in internal affairs is a basic norm of international relations and China firmly opposes politicizing the human rights issue and interfering in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of human rights.
By doing so, China is not only safeguarding China's own legitimate rights and interests, but also protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all developing countries as well as defending the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Wang told Shoukry.
The two foreign ministers expressed their firm support for the one-China policy and that the Hong Kong issue is China's internal affair, adding that China's sovereignty should be respected on any international occasion.
To further strengthen cooperation in the fight against the virus, Wang stressed to Gedu that China is ready to work with African friends, including Ethiopia, to implement the outcomes of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19.
Gedu congratulated China on the success of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 and a high-level video conference on Belt and Road international cooperation, which fully demonstrates China's commitment to international solidarity in the fight against COVID-19.
Wang also stressed cooperation with Shoukry, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi have established strong mutual trust and friendship, which have provided important strategic guidance for the development of the two countries' relations.
Shoukry echoed that relations with China occupy an important position in Egypt's overall diplomacy and Egypt is willing to further deepen the traditional friendship with China, strengthen their mutually beneficial cooperation, consolidate mutual support, and push for the upgrading of the relations between the two ancient civilizations
Wang also discussed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam issue with the two foreign ministers.
(With input from Xinhua)
(Cover: File photo of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. /VCG)