Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on April 28, 2026

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Annalena Baerbock will visit China from April 29 to 30.

China-Arab TV: Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi on a meeting said that revising the three security documents is an important matter that will determine the fate of Japan, and that Japan needs to learn the lesson from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East, adapt to new forms of warfare, be prepared for a long war, and strengthen its maritime defense capabilities and safeguards on cybersecurity and economic security. What's your comment?

Lin Jian: The Sanae Takaichi's administration recently has been pushing to rebuild Japan's war machine, and now calls for "preparing for a long war." Having once launched the war of aggression several decades ago, Japan now makes scare-mongering remarks. Is Japan's militarist past returning? Is Japan speeding down the path of "remilitarization". Could Japan once again become the bane of East Asia?

Japanese militarists during their aggression and expansion last century committed horrendous crimes against China, Japan itself and other neighboring countries in Asia. Given the history of aggression and to prevent the revival of Japanese militarism, the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender and a series of documents with full legal effect under international law explicitly require Japan to be "completely disarmed" and not to maintain industries that "would enable it to re-arm for war." The Japanese Constitution also contains strict restrictions on Japan's military strength, right of belligerency and right to war.

Its latest departure from the "exclusively defense-oriented" principle and declaration to "prepare for a long war" point to an accelerated shift onto a much more dangerous, adventurist and provocative path in the military and security fields. Japan seems to be tearing up its "pacifist" rulebook. Many with insights suggest that recent rhetoric of certain Japanese officials sound rather like war propaganda and remind people of wartime Japanese militarists. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Tokyo trials. Clearly, the Takaichi administration have no intention of honoring the occasion by reflecting on Japan's militarist past, as they get into gear rearming Japan. The international community will never allow that. The lesson of history is not far gone. All peace-loving countries need to stay vigilant and firmly stop the rise of Japanese neo-militarism.

CCTV: Members of the conservative solidarity association, a group of conservatives in Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and 166 Sanseito lawmakers from the Diet and local assemblies visited the Yasukuni war shrine today. Does China have any comment on this?

Lin Jian: The so-called Yasukuni shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists' war of aggression. It is in fact a shrine for war criminals. Japan's negative moves concerning the war shrine constitute a blatant and grave affront to historic justice and human conscience in defiance of the victory of WWII and the postwar international order. China strongly deplores and condemns it.

This Sunday will mark 80 years since the Tokyo trials began. Eighty years ago, the international community, with overwhelming iron-clad evidence, made its final judgement on Japan's crimes of aggression and passed sentences on Japanese Class-A war criminals in accordance with the law, thus safeguarding the outcomes of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and international justice. Today, however, some Japanese politicians and right-wing forces, instead of reflecting on and correcting their wrongdoings, chose to go down the wrong path. By visiting the Yasukuni war shrine that honors Japanese Class-A war criminals year after year, these Japanese politicians seek to reverse the just verdict on Japanese aggression, and hereby whitewash Japan's war crimes and revive militarism. The Chinese people and people elsewhere who suffered under Japanese aggression will never accept that, neither will anyone in the world who stand for peace. As Japanese neo-militarism keeps gaining strength, the international community must stay on high alert and stand ready to stamp it out before it could wreak havoc in the region.

AFP: China has blocked Meta's acquisition of the artificial intelligence startup Manus. This was after a regulatory review that has reportedly also seen Chinese authorities restrict two co-founders from leaving the country. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on the blocked acquisition or any more information about the reported exit bans?

Lin Jian: I'd refer you to competent authorities for anything specific. Let me stress more broadly that the Chinese government conducts reviews of foreign investment and makes relevant decisions in accordance with laws and regulations.

Xinhua News Agency: Recently, many foreign media outlets reported that a growing number of Chinese brands, from tea drinks and hotpot to sportswear, have launched a new wave of overseas expansion. The reports suggest that Chinese companies are not only selling products overseas, but also winning over foreign consumers with their technology, design, supply chain efficiency and localized services. They are striving to build globally recognizable consumer brands. What is your comment?

Lin Jian: In recent years, Chinese brands have earned wide recognition in global markets for their outstanding quality, innovative technology and designs rooted in Chinese culture. They offer customers around the world more and better choices and open an window for people in other countries to observe and understand China.

From OEM to independent R&D, from scale expansion to value-driven growth, and from learning foreign design to promoting the Chinese culture, China has leveraged its strong innovation capacity, market vitality, and cultural dynamism to upgrade "Made in China" and embrace global markets through open cooperation. Chinese brands have become true ambassadors of Chinese quality and a vivid illustration of how China is benefiting the world with its development. We will continue to share the opportunities for high-quality development with all parties, help more Chinese brands go global, build more bridges for exchanges between China and the rest of the world, and inject greater vitality into the global economy.

AFP: The prime minister of Papua New Guinea arrived in China yesterday for a visit focused on minerals and agriculture trade. Can you provide further details on his visit?

Lin Jian: I don't have any information to provide at the moment. Please stay tuned.