We noticed that certain Swedish parliamentarians recently smeared and attacked China on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong, among others. The relevant statements lack factual basis and call white black, seriously violate the one-China principle, and grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs. The Chinese side strongly deplores and firmly opposes this.

On the Taiwan question, certain parliamentarians presumptuously stated that Taiwan is not a province of China, and that China distorts UNGA Resolution 2758 and tries to isolate Taiwan from the outside world. They touted that Taiwan’s status is undetermined, and Sweden should support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and strengthen military cooperation with Taiwan. The fact is, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. This is the history and the reality. Both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation stated in explicit terms that all the territories Japan had stolen from the Chinese, such as Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, shall be restored to China, and this constitutes an important part of the post-war international order. The 26th session of the U.N. General Assembly in 1971 adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority, deciding to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China at the U.N., to recognize the representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the U.N., and to expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan region from the U.N. and all the organizations related to it. Once and for all, the resolution resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the U.N. It made clear that there is no such thing as “two Chinas,” or “one China, one Taiwan”. On this matter of principle, there is no gray zone or room for ambiguity. Taiwan, as a non-sovereign entity, does not have any ground, reason, or right to join the U.N., or any other international organization whose membership is confined to sovereign states. The one-China principle is a prevailing consensus among the international community and has long been a universally recognized norm in international relations. The complete reunification of China will and must be achieved. Any moves that violate the one-China principle and embolden and support “Taiwan independence” separatist forces are meant to turn back the wheel of history. The attempts are in vain and are doomed to fail.

On human rights issues, certain parliamentarians turned a blind eye to China’s achievements in human rights development and made groundless accusations against China’s human rights situation. The fact is, there is no one-size-fits-all development path for human rights. No country should lecture others on democracy and human rights, still less use democracy and human rights as an excuse to hurt other countries’ interests. China always puts the people front and center in all our work and has attained historic achievements in advancing human rights. We have accomplished the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled, and brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty. We have made ongoing efforts to develop whole-process people’s democracy, advance the rule of law for human rights, and firmly safeguard social equity and justice, so that our people enjoy more extensive, substantive and comprehensive democratic rights. We have promoted fuller and higher-quality employment, established the world’s largest education, social security and health care systems, and remarkably improved the living environment of our people. People of all ethnic groups in China are equal. Their religious beliefs and their legitimate rights and interests are fully protected. We have continued the reform of the judicial system, launched the Peaceful China Initiative, advanced the rule of law in China, and cracked down hard on all crimes to ensure lasting social stability and the safety of people’s life and property. China is deemed as one of the safest countries in the world. We have played an active part in global human rights governance, and made our contributions and offered Chinese approaches to advancing human rights worldwide. China’s historic achievements in human rights protection are widely recognized by the world, and the political manipulation by a few will get no support.

On Xinjiang-related issues, certain parliamentarians made the false assertion that the Chinese government committed genocide in Xinjiang and carried out abuses and forced internment of Uyghurs. The fact is, the so-called “genocide” is nothing but an egregious lie. China’s rapid development has caused discomfort and anxiety among some countries, so they made up lies about Xinjiang to cause disruption and thereby prevent China’s development and revitalization. Since the establishment of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Uyghur population has grown from over 3 million to more than 12 million nowadays. The average life expectancy of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang has increased from 30 years to 75.6 years. Xinjiang now enjoys social stability, economic development, ethnic solidarity, religious harmony and rising living standards, and is making development progress like never before. China’s Xinjiang policy is widely supported by the people. In recent years, more than 2,000 government officials, religious personnel and journalists from over 100 countries and international organizations have visited Xinjiang. After the trip, they spoke highly of the region’s stability, development and prosperity, and expressed understanding and support for its counter-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts. What Xinjiang has achieved in its economic and social development is there for all to see. Any rumor or disinformation about Xinjiang would easily fall apart before facts.

On Xizang-related issues, certain parliamentarians fraudulently alleged that so-called “Tibetan government-in-exile” is the legitimate government of Xizang and even supported “Xizang independence”. They falsely claimed that the Chinese government seeks to influence the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and to assimilate Tibetan culture and language, and wrongly accused boarding schools in Xizang of human rights violations. The fact is, Xizang has always been part of China since ancient times. Xizang’s affairs are purely China’s domestic affairs and no external interference will ever be allowed. The so-called “Tibetan government-in-exile” is entirely a separatist political group and is by no means legal. Over the years, Xizang has enjoyed a booming economy, social harmony and stability, and effective protection and promotion of its cultural heritage. The rights and freedoms of all ethnic groups in Xizang, including the freedom of religious belief and the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages, are fully protected. In Xizang, due to highly scattered population, children have to travel long distances to get to school, which is very inconvenient. If schools were to be built in every place the students live, it would be very difficult to ensure adequate teachers and quality of teaching in each school. That is why local governments set up boarding schools according to actual needs to ensure all children’s equal right to education. It is entirely up to the students and their parents whether to go to boarding schools or not. Tibetan Buddhism is a product of adapting religions to the Chinese context and has a proud tradition of patriotism. It has a complete set of religious rituals and historical conventions for the reincarnation of Living Buddhas, which are respected and upheld by the Tibetan Buddhist community. The Chinese government manages religious affairs in accordance with law, which allows no external interference. No one and no force should ever attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs or destabilize Xizang to contain and suppress China. Such attempts will never succeed.

On Hong Kong-related issues, certain parliamentarians wrongly asserted that the Chinese government failed to uphold the self-determination agreement for Hong Kong in practice and clamored that Sweden should end its agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with Hong Kong. The fact is, according to the U.N. Charter and international law, the right to “self-determination” is only applicable to peoples of colonized countries under foreign occupation. Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China, and therefore, the so-called issue of “self-determination” simply does not exist. The central government of China has never wavered in its commitment to the policy of One Country, Two Systems. The overriding trend of Hong Kong entering a stage in which it has restored order and is set to thrive will not change. The sound implementation of One Country, Two Systems will not stop. The development and prosperity of Hong Kong cannot be hindered by external forces seeking to discredit, suppress, or contain it.

On the issue of “religious freedom”, certain parliamentarians made a baseless claim that China conducted mass atrocities against Uyghurs, Falun Gong followers and Christians, and abused minorities. The fact is, the Chinese government protects the citizens’ freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law. People of all ethnic groups in China are fully entitled to the freedom of religious belief as prescribed by law. In China, there are close to 200 million religious believers, over 380,000 clerical personnel, about 5,500 religious groups and over 140,000 places registered for religious activities. Religious activities are conducted in an orderly manner with the role of religious groups fully exercised. China has embarked on a successful path of protecting the freedom of religious belief in accordance with law. Falun Gong is a cult outlawed by the Chinese government. It’s anti-society, anti-science, and anti-humanity.

On the South China Sea issue, certain parliamentarians falsely claimed that China is increasingly aggressive in its foreign policy on the South China Sea issue and signals its ambition to expand its presence in the neighboring regions. The fact is, China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters. At present, with the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. China will continue to firmly safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. At the same time, it remains committed to properly handling maritime disputes and differences through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts. China stands ready to continue working with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), actively advance consultations on the code of conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and work together to ensure that the South China Sea remains a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. China and ASEAN are friendly neighbors and close partners who have always supported each other, and more importantly, one community with a shared future sticking together through thick and thin. China firmly supports the strategic independence of ASEAN, supports strengthening the regional cooperation mechanisms with ASEAN at the center, and supports building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home for China and ASEAN. We stand ready to share China’s opportunities with ASEAN countries and join hands with them to advance the modernization process of Asia.

On the Ukraine issue, certain parliamentarians made the groundless accusation that China indirectly supports Russia’s war against Ukraine through trade with Russia. The fact is, China’s position on Ukraine issue has been consistent and clear. We believe that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported. China is not a creator of or a party to the Ukraine crisis. We are always committed to promoting talks for peace and playing a constructive role for the political settlement. We have maintained contact with all parties concerned including Russia and Ukraine, and actively engaged in shuttle diplomacy. These efforts have been widely recognized and supported by the international community. China has also released the document titled “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis” and issued the six common understandings together with Brazil, playing its due role in forging consensus among parties and promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. It should be noted that China has never provided lethal weapons to any party of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. China exercises strict export control over dual-use articles, including drones, and opposes using civilian drones for military purposes. China’s normal trade with Russia is done aboveboard and consistent with WTO rules and market principles. It does not target any third party and should not come under external interference or coercion. Statistics show that over 60 percent of Russia’s imported military components and dual-use articles come from the U.S. and other Western countries. We urge the relevant parliamentarians to reflect on the root causes of the Ukraine crisis and take concrete actions to contribute to the deescalation, instead of shifting blame onto others. Any attempt to blame, attack or smear China on the Ukraine issue is irresponsible and will not succeed.

On China’s political system, certain parliamentarians mischaraterized China as authoritarian or dictatorial. The fact is that there are no identical political systems in the world, nor is there a model of political system that fits all. People of all countries are entitled to choose their own development paths and systems based on their own national conditions, cultural traditions, historical circumstances and practical needs. The Chinese people know best whether socialism with Chinese characteristics suits the country or not and have the greatest say in the matter. China is committed to whole-process people’s democracy. We have developed it by integrating all elements of democracy—process and outcome, procedural and substantive, direct and indirect, and upheld people’s democracy that also reflects the will of the state. It is a model of socialist democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is a true democracy that works. The running of the country by the people is the essence and core of China’s democracy. China’s democratic system has motivated over 1.4 billion people to modernize the country. We have turned the advantage of our system into governance efficiency. Going forward, China will continue advancing whole-process people’s democracy, making it more broad-based, fully implemented and full-fledged. We will continue to uphold democracy, the common value of humanity, and contribute our share to the democracy of humanity.

On the so-called “China threat”, certain parliamentarians touted that NATO needs to strengthen its ability to cope with the threat from China and that China’s investment in Sweden threatens Sweden’s national security. The fact is, China has always adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace, and our development goal is to meet people’s growing needs for a better life, rather than to seek hegemony or pose a threat to other countries. Among the major countries, China has the best peace and security record. China is also the only country in the world that undertakes to follow a path of peaceful development in its constitution. The Chinese nation has always advocated peace and harmonious coexistence. Over the past 75 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the country has adhered to the path of peaceful development. It never started a war, never engaged in proxy wars, and never occupied one inch of foreign land. China is the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the Security Council and the second largest funding contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations. China has been making contributions to world peace with concrete actions. China is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China carries out trade and economic cooperation in accordance with market principles, firmly supports the multilateral trade regime and fully abides by WTO rules. The Chinese economy has grown strong by participating in the vast global market, relying on our mega-size market, complete range of supporting industries, rich human resources and full market competition, which are all China’s comparative advantages. China develops friendly and cooperative relations with Sweden and other countries in the world on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. We require Chinese enterprises, institutions and personnel to abide by international rules and local laws and regulations in their cooperation with other countries. We reject turning normal economic, trade, investment and commercial cooperation into a political and security issue, and oppose trade protectionism and unilateralism as we work to build an open world economy. China is a partner and opportunity for the development of all countries, not a challenge or threat.

We urge the relevant parliamentarians to discard the Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and zero-sum approach, form an objective and rational perception of China, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and vilifying China, and do more things that are conducive to world peace and development as well as the development of China-Sweden relations.