Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on March 25, 2026

China-Arab TV: Could you update us on the incident that an officer from Japan's Self-Defense Force broke into the Chinese Embassy in Japan? Does China have any further comment?

Lin Jian: China's Embassy in Japan is working with the Japanese police to handle the related matters. The individual was handed over to the Japanese police. According to information released by the Japanese police, the perpetrator is a second lieutenant of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force. He scaled the embassy wall carrying a knife with an 18cm blade, and has been handed over to the police. China deplores the incident and has protested to the Japanese side both in Beijing and Tokyo. China pointed out the incident gravely threatened the safety of the embassy staff, disrupted the peaceful state of the embassy, and impaired its dignity. It shows that the Japanese side failed to fulfill its obligations in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations or to fulfill its special responsibility to uphold the inviolability of diplomatic premises and personnel. We once again urge the Japanese side to immediately launch a thorough investigation, bring the perpetrator to justice and fully account for the incident.

CCTV: Foreign Minister Wang Yi received a phone call from Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi yesterday, during which the latter said that Iran hopes China will continue to play a positive role in promoting ceasefire and peace talks. What's China's plan to facilitate peace talks?

Lin Jian: As the reverberating spillover effects of the conflict deal a heavy blow to peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond, people in the region and the international community all hope and call for an immediate ceasefire and end of hostilities. During his phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi yesterday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that it is China's principled position that all regional hotspot issues should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, not by force. Talking is always better than fighting. It is hoped that relevant parties will seize every opportunity and window for peace and start the peace talks as soon as possible.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, China has been working tirelessly for peace. Our diplomatic mediation efforts will not stop as long as the conflict continues. China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting ceasefire and ending hostilities. Working together with regional countries and the international community, we will contribute our part to restoring peace and tranquility in the Gulf region at an early date.

AFP: According to U.S. media, President Donald Trump reportedly sent a peace plan to Iran as he voiced optimism at ending nearly a month of war. Tehran has also announced that it will let non-hostile oil vessels go through the Strait of Hormuz. What is China's response to these latest developments? 

Lin Jian: We are gravely concerned over the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the impact on regional and global peace and stability. The pressing priority now is to stop fighting. The way out is through dialogue and negotiation. China supports all efforts conducive to easing tensions, deescalating the situation and restoring dialogue.

Reuters: Is the Foreign Ministry able to confirm that any Chinese ships have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz after yesterday's announcement that non-hostile vessels will be allowed to pass? 

Lin Jian: Maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and keeping shipping routes safe serves the common interests of the international community. China has all along been in communication with relevant parties to work for the deescalation of the situation. The pressing priority is for the parties concerned to step up to their responsibilities and immediately stop military operations to avoid further deterioration and escalation of the situation and prevent the turmoil from causing a greater impact on global economy.

Shenzhen TV: It was reported that Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on March 24 reviewed high school textbooks to be used from 2027. Some textbooks include descriptions suggesting there was no coercion regarding comfort women and forced labor, and asserts that Diaoyu Dao is "Japan's inherent territory." What is China's comment?

Lin Jian: To obscure historical facts, play down Japan's war crimes and seek to evade responsibility by playing on words when reviewing textbooks is Japan's go-to tactic to deny and distort its history of aggression. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, and has lodged serious protests with the Japanese side.

Japan has yet to make a clean break with militarism after the war, and its Yasukuni war shrine still honors 14 Class-A war criminals. Forcibly recruiting comfort women and labor is a serious crime against humanity that Japanese militarists committed during their aggression and expansion. These are historical facts clear to the whole world and backed by solid evidence. There's no way they can be denied.

Let me stress that Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have been China's territory since ancient times, over which China has indisputable sovereignty. No matter what small tricks the Japanese side uses regarding textbooks, they cannot change the fact that Diaoyu Dao belongs to China. Any attempt to undermine China's territorial sovereignty is futile.

China noted that the ROK has also lodged serious démarches with the Japanese side to protest against contents about Dokdo and comfort women in the textbooks. This shows that Japanese far-right forces' moves of distorting history and misleading Japanese people in their view of history have triggered high alert and strong indignation from the international community, including its Asian neighbors. We seriously urge the Japanese side to look history in the eye, make a clean break with militarism, allow the young generation in Japan to know the true history, properly handle historical issues in a responsible attitude, and avoid further losing the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.

AFP: A retired Hong Kong policeman on Tuesday denied spying for Beijing, telling a London court that he played no part in directing shadow policing operations for China in the UK. The man, a 65-year-old man named Bill Yuen has been charged with assisting foreign intelligence service between December 2023 and May 2024. Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on this case?

Lin Jian: We have stated our position on this case on multiple occasions. I would like to stress that we firmly oppose political manipulation under the pretext of "foreign interference" allegations.

Reuters: Is the Foreign Ministry able to update us on last week's statement that China is willing to "cooperate" with countries struggling with energy shortages in the region? Have any initiatives started already? How does China think it can best assist Southeast Asia at this time, with several countries having to resort to shortened work weeks to deal with the shortage? 

Lin Jian: The situation in the Middle East has dealt a blow to global energy security, industrial and supply chains and international trade order. Relevant countries should immediately stop military operations and prevent the regional turmoil from causing a greater impact on global economic growth. China stands ready to strengthen coordination and collaboration with the international community and jointly address energy security issues.

Telesur: In the light of the United States bombing and invasion against Venezuela that killed more than 100 persons and led to the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and as the March 26 hearing approaches, what is China's legal assessment of the judicial process involving the Venezuelan President and the First Lady, in terms of legality, sovereignty, and international law? Also, what concrete measures is China taking, together with the international community, to ensure the release of the presidential couple who are being held as hostages in the United States?

Lin Jian: China firmly opposes forcibly seizing a country's president, which violates the UN Charter, international law and basic international norms. China firmly opposes that. We support Venezuela in safeguarding its own sovereignty, dignity and lawful rights.

Nippon TV: According to newspaper reports, in January two Japanese people were arrested in Guangzhou for possession of drugs. Is the Spokesperson aware of this matter, and do you have any comment on this matter?

Lin Jian: I'm not aware of what you mentioned. 

Reuters: Has the Japanese side given China any assurance after the break-in that something like this will not happen again? Does this incident risk widening the schism between Tokyo and Beijing?

Lin Jian: The incident once again highlighted the danger of the rampant spread of far-right impact and neo-militarism in the country. It also reveals the toxicity of the Japanese government's erroneous policies on vital issues concerning China-Japan relations such as history and Taiwan, and Japan's failure in maintaining discipline in Self-Defense Force and in fulfilling its responsibility to protect the Chinese diplomatic and consular premises and personnel. With regard to what measures the Japanese side will take to properly handle the incident and get rid of the root cause for such incidents once and for all, I'd refer you to the Japanese side. The international community, including China, is watching.

Kyodo News: It's reported by the Japanese media that the officer from Japan's Self-Defence Forces who broke into the Chinese embassy said he was trying to convey opinions to the ambassador, which was inconsistent with what China said. What's China's comment on that?

Lin Jian: Have you ever seen an individual who, armed with a knife, entered the embassy without permission to convey opinions to the ambassador? The man, a sitting officer of Japan's Self-Defence Forces, scaled the wall and broke into the Chinese embassy with a knife with a 18-centimeter-long blade. This is the fact that the Japanese police found out. It's also a fact that he threatened to kill Chinese diplomats in the so-called "name of god." The Japanese side must take it seriously and thoroughly investigate the incident.

EFE: What expectations does China have for the World Trade Organization's ministerial meeting in Cameroon this Thursday? What prospects are there for advancing with the WTO reform after China's decision to give up a special treatment as a developing country?

Lin Jian: As the international economic and trade order faces severe challenges with unilateralism and protectionism on the rise and the multilateral trading system gravely impacted, it is of special significance that the WTO holds a ministerial conference in Africa again after a decade. China firmly supports Cameroon in making this WTO Ministerial Conference a success.

Telesur: Given the ongoing energy blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, considered a form of collective punishment under international law and aimed at provoking a change of government, how does China assess the legality of these actions? And what concrete measures is China taking to support Cuba, protect its sovereignty, and ensure the Cuban people have access to essential resources?

Lin Jian: For over 60 years the U.S. has imposed a full blockade and illicit sanctions on Cuba, wreaking havoc on people's lives in Cuba. China firmly opposes these unilateral sanctions and firmly supports Cuba in pursuing the development path suited to their national conditions, safeguarding sovereignty and security, and opposing external interference. We urge the U.S. to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions, and stop pressuring Cuba under any pretext. This is also the overwhelming call from the international community.

EFE: Pakistan recently positioned itself as a mediator between the United States, Israel and Iran together with Türkiye and Egypt and has offered its capital as the venue for negotiations. What is the Foreign Ministry's comment or information on this?

Lin Jian: The pressing priority now is to stop fighting. The way out is through dialogue and negotiation. China supports all efforts conducive to easing tensions, deescalating the situation and restoring dialogue.

EFE: U.S. authorities have decided to ban the import of any foreign-made routers. It was seen as a new step in Washington to ban electronic equipment of Chinese origin. So I don't know if you have any comment on this?

Lin Jian: China consistently opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security and taking discriminatory measures against foreign enterprises. The U.S. should provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for companies of all countries.