8. False: The Chinese Consulate-General in Houston threatened dissidents and refugees with the Fox Hunt operation.
True: Chinese law-enforcement authorities engage in international law-enforcement cooperation in accordance with international law and on the basis of respecting the sovereignty and laws of other countries. The targets are fugitive suspects, not “dissidents and refugees” as claimed by the US side.
◆ Combating transnational crimes is a broad consensus of the international community. China’s judicial and law-enforcement cooperation with other countries are aimed at repatriating fugitives, and upholding the sanctity of law and social justice. China will step up its efforts in fugitive repatriation and return of the criminal proceeds, and bring the suspects to justice.
◆ By portraying fugitives as dissidents and refugees, the US side is distorting basic facts and offering itself as a safe haven for criminals. Its deep-rooted Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice have been fully exposed.
9. False: Diplomats working in Chinese Consulate-General in Houston are Chinese spies. Chinese spies are stirring up trouble all over the world.
True: Meddling in other countries’ internal affairs is never in the DNA of China’s diplomacy. Chinese diplomats, who are working vigorously to advance China’s friendly exchanges and practical cooperation with other countries, have never engaged in activities incompatible with their status.
◆ China is committed to growing its relations with other countries on the basis of such principles as mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. Chinese diplomats have always followed the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the laws of their host countries when they promote China’s bilateral ties, and friendship and cooperation with their host countries.
◆ The US allegation that Chinese diplomats at the Consulate-General in Houston have carried out espionage in Australia and other US allies is made up out of thin air. It is like measuring others’ corn by one’s own bushel. It is common sense for diplomats to rotate among different postings. The US has the world’s largest diplomatic service. It is reported that the US Consulate-General in Hong Kong alone has more than 1,000 employees. The Five Eyes intelligence alliance headed by the US has long been engaged in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber-theft,wire-tapping and surveillance against foreign governments,companies and individuals in violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations. This is an open secret.
◆ From Wikileaks to Snowden, from the arrest of former ALSTOM executive Pierucci to the Crypto AG scandal, there are enough facts to show who is the world’s largest spy factory and troublemaker.
◆ A Foreign Policy article noted that “Houston is an odd pick to target for intelligence allegations” and that “the activities cited by the administration are vague.”
