Mao Ning (diplomat)

Mao Ning in 2022

Mao Ning (Chinese: 毛宁) (born 1972) is a Chinese politician and diplomat who has been serving as Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department and a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also served as the vice-mayor of the city of Leshan in Sichuan Province from 2020.

Quotes

December 2022

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on December 6, 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on December 7, 2022

• China’s foreign policy stands for world peace and common development. China is committed to friendly cooperation with countries across the world. Facts have shown that China’s development contributes to the world’s force for peace. It energizes and creates opportunities for global development.
• Isolating China and curbing cooperation with it serves no one’s interest. In this day and age, the tide of economic globalization is a trend that cannot be turned back and the world needs more win-win cooperation. China has been deeply integrated into the world economy and the international system, and the world will not go back to the days of mutual exclusiveness and division. It is impossible for any country to prosper behind closed doors. Pushing for decoupling and disruption of industrial and supply chains and building “small yards with high fences” benefits no one and will eventually backfire. 
• China cannot develop in isolation from the world, and the world also needs China for its prosperity. China will continue to pursue high-level opening up and share development opportunities with other countries
• Japan needs to earnestly reflect on its history of aggression, respect the security concerns of Asian neighbors, act prudently in the field of military security, and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability.
• China has the lowest COVID infection rate and death toll among all major countries. We have achieved the most effective results at minimum cost. As has been proven by facts, China’s approach to COVID response over the past few years has been right, science-based and effective.
• Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The one-China principle is a universally recognized norm in international relations and the prerequisite and political foundation for the development of friendly relations between China and other countries.
• Cooperation between the countries concerned needs to be conducive to regional peace and stability. The US keeps creating small circles with some of its allies. Such actions would only undermine regional peace and stability. This is neither welcomed nor supported.
• While the US and the EU say they will focus on “protecting the centrality of the UN Charter”, it is the US and some European countries that have ignored principles in the UN Charter such as peaceful settlement of international disputes and no interference in countries’ internal affairs, and have interfered in China’s internal affairs and even waged wars against sovereign countries like Iraq and Syria in the name of human rights. If anyone wants to discuss economic coercion, the US has publicly coerced countries to stop using equipment made by Chinese companies and halt cooperation with China.
• As a responsible member of the international community, China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order, a fact that has been widely recognized in the international community.
• The world still remembers the war of aggression waged by Japan and a list of human rights violations that Japan still needs to deal with. Pointing fingers at other countries will not cover up Japan’s own past. Politicizing and instrumentalizing human rights issues to hurt China’s image and stall China’s development will not succeed. 
• The Chinese government puts the people and their life first. We have been improving the COVID response measures in light of the changing circumstances. We will continue to adopt a science-based and targeted approach and effectively coordinate epidemic response and socioeconomic development.
• We have made it clear on multiple occasions that China has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the Taiwan Strait. China always respects the navigational rights that countries are entitled to in accordance with international law. However, we firmly reject any country’s provocation and threat against China’s sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation.

November 2022

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on November 25, 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on November 18, 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on November 17, 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on November 16, 2022

• The Chinese government always encourages Chinese companies to carry out foreign trade and investment cooperation in line with local laws as well as market principles and international rules. We are firmly against some people’s moves to deliberately overstretch the concept of national security to wear down Chinese enterprises. We are keeping a close eye on how things will develop. The Chinese government will firmly defend Chinese businesses’ legitimate and lawful rights and interests. 
• China’s position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear. We always take seriously the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and believe that the pressing priority is to deescalate the tension through dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible. This is the fundamental way out for the Ukraine issue. We hope the international community will play a constructive role in easing the tension and finding a political settlement to the crisis, which is what China has been doing.
• The world has entered a new period of fluidity and change. Peace and development faces daunting challenges and the international community needs to jointly respond to the changes of the world, the times and history. China has always been committed to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development, and it is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future. More than anything else, we Chinese hope to see peace and stability. To follow the path of peaceful development is a strategic choice made by us in the fundamental interests of the Chinese people. No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we will stay committed to peace, development, cooperation, and delivering mutual benefit. We will strive to safeguard world peace and development as we pursue our own development, and we will make greater contribution to world peace and development through our own development.
• With its rapid advancement and widespread application, artificial intelligence is having an increasingly visible complex impact on the political, economic, military and social aspects of countries in the world. Countries have come to realize that if misused or abused, AI could deal a blow to ethics and the legal system as we know it, and cause serious ethical problems. Enhancing the ethical governance of AI is now an important task facing the world.
• To improve digital governance, it is important to uphold multilateralism. Countries should make concerted efforts to foster an open, inclusive, equitable, just and non-discriminatory environment for the development of digital economy. Building “a small yard with high fences” to limit or hinder cooperation in science and technology will hurt others’ interests without benefiting oneself. Such practices are incompatible with the common interests of the international community.
• We should make global development beneficial to all. Development is real only when all countries develop together. Prosperity and stability cannot be possible in a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer. Modernization is not a privilege reserved for any single country. Frontrunners in development should sincerely help others develop, and provide more global public goods.
• We should make global development more resilient. Economic globalization is encountering headwinds, and the world economy is at risk of recession. Developing countries are bearing the brunt. We need to build a global partnership for economic recovery, always keep in mind the difficulties faced by developing countries, and accommodate their concerns. 
• Being part of the world with eight billion people, China will always stay committed to defending world peace, promoting common development, and building a human community with a shared future, and continue to put our own development in the bigger context of human development. This way, we can bring more opportunities to the world and make greater contribution to human progress.
• The CPC and the Chinese government follow a people-centered approach to governance. We have applied a holistic approach to national security with the people’s security as our ultimate goal. Protecting the security of overseas Chinese nationals, institutions and projects is of great importance to us, and we have made tremendous efforts in that regard. We will further increase input, improve risk alerts, enhance emergency response capabilities, and work with relevant countries to resolutely protect the security of overseas Chinese nationals, institutions and projects.

October 2022

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on October 27, 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on October 14, 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on October 13, 2022

• The one-China principle is the most important political prerequisite and bedrock of the establishment and advancement of diplomatic relations with the US. It is a basic common understanding between China and the US on the Taiwan question. How to resolve the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification; but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form.
• China firmly opposes the US’s overstretching of the national security concept and abuse of export control measures to wantonly hobble Chinese enterprises. The global industrial and supply chains come into shape as a result of both the law of the market and the choices of businesses. Arbitrarily placing curbs for political purposes destabilizes the supply and industrial chains, hurts others and backfires on oneself. It will only further weaken the already fragile world economy.
• China’s scientific and technological progress will continue to be guided by the principle of openness, inclusiveness and mutual benefit for all. It will not only serve its own people, but also benefit the international community. 
• It is neither popular nor constructive to hold on to the Cold War zero-sum mentality and play up geopolitical conflicts and major power competition. China and the US are both major countries in the world. As the biggest developing and developed country, China and the US have a responsibility of defending world peace and stability and promoting economic prosperity and development.
• China’s development is fundamentally about the happiness of the people and rejuvenation of the nation. China has always been a force for world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, a provider of public goods and part of the mediation efforts on hotspot issues. This is the reality known to the international community.
• Climate change is a global challenge and bears on the future of humanity. It thus requires a global response. Developed countries have unshirkable historical responsibilities for climate change. They need to adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, take the lead in substantial emission reduction, and honor their pledge of financial, technological and capacity-building support for developing countries. 
• China is always against politicization and weaponization of economic and trade issues. We are committed to defending liberalization and facilitation of global trade and investment, and defending the stability of global industrial and supply chains. It is the unilateral and protectionist practices of certain countries that have impeded international economic and trade cooperation.
• Thanks to scientific and technological progress, reaching beyond the moon has become a reality. Humanity will continue to benefit from the noble endeavor of exploration and peaceful use of space.

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Mao Ning (diplomat) on Wikipedia
• Media related to Mao Ning (diplomat) on Wikimedia Commons