NPC spokeswoman Fu Ying on military, environment and US relations

World
Europe

A press conference ahead of the Fifth Session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) was held in Beijing on Saturday, with NPC spokeswoman Fu Ying briefing journalists on the session and taking questions from the press.

On China-US relations

Fu Ying said the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, will continue exchanges with the US Congress this year to boost communication and understanding.

"There are a lot of exchanges between the NPC and the US Congress," she told a press conference a day ahead of the NPC annual session, which kicks off on Sunday.

"We should deal with the China-US trade deficit through further expanding the trade volume as many US lawmakers are concerned about the issue," Fu added.

On China-India relations in 2017‍

Asked about China-India relations, Fu Ying, a veteran diplomat, also said she hoped China and India could keep in mind the larger picture.

She said the dialogue between China and India was wide-ranging and positive over the past years as the two countries cooperated a lot on regional and international issues.

Although the two countries face multiple challenges, both sides should advance good cooperation in various sectors, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Fu added.

On supervisory reform

Fu Ying said supervisory reform was a major step in advancing anti-corruption institution building. New supervision systems will be tested in three localities.

On China's military‍

China’s defense budget is expected to grow around 7 percent in 2017, accounting for about 1.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), Fu Ying said.

She noted however that over the past decades, China has never caused harm to any country, and added that China called for the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea region through dialogue and consultation, while also needing to safeguard national interests.

On environment protection

Fu Ying responded to a question concerning smog treatment, saying constant efforts have been made in China to tackle the problem.

With environment protection a long-term challenge facing China, the Chinese government will continue strengthening its legal framework on the issue and m‍onitor the enforcement of the laws that are enacted.

The annual session of China’s top legislature will be held in Beijing from March 5 to 15, 2017.

1km