Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, with both sides opposing foreign interference in China's Hong Kong issue.

 

Wang said that China has always attached great importance to China-Egypt relations and is committed to deepening their cooperation.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi have established strong mutual trust and friendship, which has provided important strategic guidance for the development of the two countries' relations, Wang said.

 

Noting that China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations and major developing countries, Wang said the two countries always understand and support each other over issues concerning each other's respective core interests and major concerns, and always maintain fairness and uphold justice in international multilateral affairs.

 

Wang expressed his gratitude to Egypt for understanding and supporting China's legitimate claims on the Hong Kong issue.

 

Hong Kong is a part of China, Wang said, adding that establishing and improving the national security legislation is conducive to the steady and sustained implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy, which is not only in the interests of Hong Kong compatriots, but also in the interests of all countries in Hong Kong.

 

Noting that some countries and forces use human rights as an excuse to attack and smear China on the Hong Kong issue and to grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, Wang said their real intention is to disrupt Hong Kong and thus hinder China's development process.

 

Stressing that non-interference in internal affairs is a basic norm of international relations, Wang said that 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, he said.

 

On the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Wang said that China is pleased with the consensus reached by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on continuing talks at a recent meeting of the presidium of the African Union Summit.

 

As a good friend and partner of the three parties, China sincerely hopes that the parties concerned will resolve their differences through talks and consultation, and find a solution acceptable to all three parties as soon as possible, Wang said.

 

China is willing to continue to play a constructive role, he said, while expressing his hope that the international community will create a favorable environment in this regard.

 

For his part, Shoukry said that relations with China occupy an important position in Egypt's overall diplomacy.

 

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, he said.

 

Noting that the two countries hold the same position on the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, Shoukry said Egypt firmly supports China's stance and propositions on the Hong Kong issue and opposes interference in China's internal affairs.