The Jordan Times carried an article by Chris Patten entitled "Biden's Good Start on China" on February 24. The article is nothing more than fabricated facts, rumours, and slandering against China and the Communist Party of China on issues such as China’s foreign policy, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the COVID-19 pandemic. It spreads political virus, inflames ideological conflicts and instigates "New Cold War" against China. The Chinese Embassy in Jordan strongly opposes the article. To set the record straight, the Embassy states as follows.

China consistently adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace, unswervingly follows a path of peaceful development, and pursues a mutually beneficial and win-win strategy of opening up. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with constant emerging global challenges, intertwined traditional and non-traditional security threats. The only way to tackle these challenges and threats is through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Forming a clique based on ideology or inciting a new Cold War would only push the world into division or even confrontation. A world divided cannot cope with the common challenges of mankind. In its foreign policy, China is committed to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion, is committed to international law and international rules instead of supremacy, is committed to consultation and cooperation instead of conflict and confrontation, and is committed to keeping up with the times instead of rejecting changes. Labeling China as an "aggressor" can only meet humiliation in face of facts.

No two leaves are identical. Each country is unique in its history, culture and social system. None is superior to others and the best criteria being whether it fits the country’s particular situation, enjoys people’s support, delivers political stability, social progress and better lives. Without diversity, there would be no human civilization. Difference in itself is no cause for alarm. What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice, hatred and the attempt to impose hierarchy on civilizations or to force one’s own history, culture and social system upon others.

Promoting healthy and stable development of China-US relations is the common aspiration of the people of China and the United States as well as the international community. On February 11, during a phone conversation with US President Joseph R. Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that when China and the United States work together, we can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large, and that the two countries should follow the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, focus on cooperation, manage differences, and work for the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

Late last year, leaders of China and the European Union jointly announced the completion of negotiations of China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment. The Agreement is a balanced, high-level, mutually beneficial one that will inject new impetus into the recovery of the world economy and contribute significantly to an open world economy.

The issues of Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong are all China's internal affairs. They bear on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and breaches allow no interference by any external forces. There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The one-China principle is universally recognized. China firmly opposes official links in any form between countries enjoying diplomatic relations with China and the Taiwan region. China firmly opposes to attempts of separatists in Taiwan to align with foreign forces to elevate their own status.

Mike Pompeo and his like fabricated sensational “lies of the century” such as so-called "genocide" and "religious oppression" in Xinjiang. The facts are quite the opposite. From 2010 to 2018, Uyghur population in Xinjiang increased by nearly 2.55 million, an increase of 25%, much higher than the 2% increase of majority Han population for the same period. How could there be "genocide"? The Xinjiang Autonomous Region has more than 24,000 mosques, one for every 530 Muslims. How could this be "religious oppression"? The essence of Xinjiang-related issues is fighting extremism, violence, terrorism and separatism. In fact, China, like many countries including Jordan, has adopted effective counter-terrorism and counter-extremism measures. These lies, even repeated a thousand times, are still lies.

Success of the "One Country, Two Systems" practice in Hong Kong is universally appreciated. After Hong Kong returned to its motherland China in 1997, it has enjoyed many democratic rights and freedoms which were never in place under British rule. The National Security Law plugs long-standing legal loopholes in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong and protects legitimate rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents in accordance with the Basic Law of HKSAR. Nearly 3 million Hong Kong residents voluntarily signed in support of the National Security Law, and nearly 70% of the residents believe that Hong Kong is safer and more stable after the implementation of the law. This fully demonstrates that the National Security Law is well received in Hong Kong.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious pandemic in a century. The Chinese Government put people’s health and lives as top priority and took decisive and effective measures to control the spread of the virus in a short period of time, thus gaining time for the fight against the pandemic worldwide. China proactively notified the World Health Organization and relevant countries and regional organizations of the epidemic situation in a timely manner, shared prevention, control and treatment experience without reservation, and did its best to provide supplies in assistance to people in need including Palestine refugees. With an open, transparent and responsible attitude, China has taken the lead in cooperating with the WHO in finding the origin of the virus. WHO expert teams went to China three times to conduct joint research. The experts commended China for active cooperation and clearly rejected misinformation that the virus originated from Chinese laboratory leak.

As the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten still lives in the old dream of colonialism. His clamor packed with Cold War mentality cannot stop China's peaceful development, nor will it succeed in alienating relations between China and the international community. He will find himself unwelcome and his fallacy a laughing stock in history.