Chinese vice premier addresses APEC ministerial meeting on forestry

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry on Tuesday in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

He noted that China has undergone historic, transformative and comprehensive changes in ecological conservation, both in understanding and in practices.

While achieving rapid economic growth and long-term social stability, China has found a path to modernization that features harmony between humanity and nature, he said.

He emphasized that the Asia-Pacific region is one of the areas with the richest forest resources and the most diverse ecosystems in the world, accounting for more than half of the global forest area.

China has been committed to safeguarding global ecological security and promoting ecological culture and green concepts, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to ecological conservation in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, he said, adding that with joint efforts of all parties, the region has become a major force in reversing the downward trend of global forest resources.

In the face of the current ecological situation in the Asia-Pacific region, China will accelerate its green transformation of economic and social development, he said, adding that the country stands ready to work with all parties to jointly promote high-quality forestry development in the region.

Chinese vice premier addresses APEC ministerial meeting on forestry

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday rejected the politicization of the issue of submarine communication cables, saying such moves will only undermine normal international market rules.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to reports that the United States has expressed concern over China's involvement in laying submarine cables in the Pacific region.

"International submarine cables, as important infrastructure for international civilian use, bear on global network connectivity and the welfare of people of all countries. Politicizing this issue and turning it into a security one will only disrupt normal international market rules, threaten global digital connectivity and cybersecurity, and serve no one’s interest. China always supports international cooperation on submarine cables under the principles of fairness, justice, equality and inclusiveness, and stands ready to work actively with the rest of the world to promote the building and protection of submarine cables and other global information infrastructure," Lin said.

China rejects politicizing issue of submarine cables