The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian.Photo by Xue Wei

A reporter asked questions that day. The NATO summit was held in Brussels and issued a communiqué stating that China poses a “systemic challenge” to the international order and NATO security-related areas. What is China’s comment?

Zhao Lijian responded that there is only one system and one order in the world, that is, the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law. Engaging in “small circles” and group politics, engaging in ideological sidelines, and forcing other countries to choose sides between camps, goes against the historical trend of peace, development, and cooperation, and is destined to be unpopular and unsuccessful.

“On the one hand, NATO calls on its member states to increase military expenditures, requiring them to reach or exceed 2% of GDP. On the other hand, they make irresponsible remarks about China’s normal national defense and military modernization. This is a typical double standard.” Zhao Lijian pointed out that, in fact, China’s defense GDP accounts for about 1.3%, which is far less than NATO’s own “pass line.” China’s per capita military expenditure is lower than the global average and less than one-fifth of NATO’s.

Zhao Lijian emphasized that NATO’s history is full of misfortunes, and he owes a lot of debts, bringing wars and turbulence to the world many times. The international community will never forget that NATO carried out 78 days of indiscriminate bombing of Yugoslavia without the approval of the United Nations. NATO countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom used only a bag of laundry detergent and posing video as “evidence” to launch wars against sovereign countries such as Iraq and Syria.

“We Chinese will never forget the historical tragedy of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia. This is a blood debt owed by NATO to the Chinese people. China will not pose a’systemic challenge’ to anyone. We will firmly defend our sovereignty, security, and development. Interests.” Zhao Lijian said. (Finish)

Speaking of the Chaoshan area in Guangdong, many people know that there are Chaozhou and Shantou cities. The locals are very good at doing business, but they don’t know much about Jieyang, which is also Chaoshan. Jieyang is a prefecture-level city that was established in the 1990s. Although it has a lot of tourism resources, many tourists don’t know it because of the city’s low popularity, lack of publicity and relatively scattered attractions. It is located in Baita Town, Jiedong District Yuanlian Yuanlou, De’anli in Hongyang Town, Puning City, and Yuemei Ancient Village in Dongyuan Town, Jiexi County. Yuanlian Yuanlou Yuanlian Yuanlou is located in Yuanlian Village, Baita Town, Jiedong District. This building has an obvious enclosed house style, which is in sharp contrast with the surrounding horizontal and vertical Chaoshan traditional houses. The center of the rotunda is round and the periphery is moon-shaped. There is a pond in front of the building, which takes into account the functions of daily water use and fire prevention. It also has the meaning of feng shui, which is said to be deliberately dug at the time of building. Hakka enclosures are usually found in areas where Hakka people live in mountainous areas. Chaoshan people living in relatively flat areas are relatively rare. It is speculated that the locals were originally Hakka immigrants, but because they lived together in the Chaoshan cultural area, they were slowly assimilated. When the Yuanlian Yuanlou was built, even the locals can’t tell. It’s more than 500 years. Because of the lion head relief on the gate of the enclosure, locals generally call it “Lion Head Village”. Although it is difficult to find similar buildings locally, many people in nearby villages do not know the existence of this building. Only tourists who are more interested in humanistic architecture will make a special trip to visit. Although there are not many tourists, the locals are not surprised. Deanli Located in Hongyang Town, Puning City, De’anli is a complex of buildings created by Qing Dynasty celebrity Fang Yao and his brother. Fang Yao once served as the admiral of the Guangdong Navy, with a prominent position. The architectural complex of De’anli is in the pattern of “a hundred birds facing the phoenix”, which is the most complex and spectacular of the traditional houses in Chaoshan. This complex of buildings is arranged in a regular arrangement, and it is a bit like an ancient imperial palace. It is known as the “small folk palace”, which coincides with the phrase “chaoshan cuo, the imperial palace”, “cuo” means house. The De’anli building complex has a history of 150 years. Although the walls are mottled, they are well preserved. You can see the style of the year from the appearance. The ancestral hall is the most impressive and exquisite building in De’anli, occupying the best position in the village. Yuemei Ancient Village Yuemei Ancient Village is located in Dongyuan Town, Jiexi County. Although it is a “provincial historical and cultural village”, it is the least known of the three popular scenic spots. The ancient village of Yuemei is also in the pattern of a hundred birds facing the phoenix, but the village has basically “people go to the empty building”, and the ruined walls exude a strong sense of vicissitudes, just like an abandoned movie studio. The village is very quiet, and sometimes it is rare to see a tourist all day long. For out-of-towners who want to learn about Chaoshan culture, this is a good place. There are two public halls and 16 houses in the ancient village. Although it is a little shabby, the overall style still remains. The local surname is Zhuo. This surname belongs to the small surname in Dongyuan Town and even the entire Chaoshan area. However, compared with other nearby villages, the traditional houses here are the most complete. Travel Tips: The three attractions are free and open. The most convenient one is De’anli. Many shuttle buses in the Pearl River Delta and Chaoshan areas pass through Hongyang Town. The other two places are recommended to go by car or taxi.