March 31, 2026, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Hosts Regular Press Conference

Pengpai News Reporter: China has announced the arrival of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Darel in China. This is Darel’s third visit to China within three months. Is this visit related to the recent Iran situation?

Mao Ning: China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners built on mutual trust and support. The two countries share similar positions on major international and regional issues and maintain close communication. We believe that the foreign ministers of both countries will strengthen strategic communication and coordination on issues such as the Iran situation and other international and regional concerns, jointly voicing peace and justice, and making new efforts to promote peace, stop conflicts, and maintain regional stability.

Anadolu Agency Reporter: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Darel has arrived in China today. Last weekend, senior diplomats from Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad to discuss promoting US-Iran talks to end ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and explored Pakistan’s potential role as a mediator. Can the spokesperson provide details about Foreign Minister Darel’s visit to China, including the key points of his talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi?

Mao Ning: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Darel is arriving in China today. I have just introduced the relevant information. We believe that the foreign ministers of both countries will exchange views on issues such as the Iran situation and other international and regional concerns. We will release specific details in due course, so please stay tuned.

CCTV Reporter: According to reports, the self-defense force officer who stormed the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife has been sent for examination by Japanese police. What is China’s comment on this incident?

Mao Ning: This incident exposes the deep-rooted influence of Japanese right-wing ideology and distorted views of history, which are highly harmful. Reports indicate that Japan’s Defense University has an annual practice of collective visits to Yasukuni Shrine. It is also reported that a senior officer from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will serve as the chief priest at Yasukuni Shrine in 2024, the first time a retired Self-Defense Force officer has held the highest position there. The Self-Defense Force has long invited extreme right-wing elements with anti-China sentiments to participate in training, and the training materials are filled with distorted and glorified accounts of WWII invasion history.

The parents of the Self-Defense Force officer who illegally entered the Chinese embassy say he showed no extreme behavior during his upbringing and education in his hometown, and they have no idea why he did this. He underwent nine months of reserve officer training in the Self-Defense Force, during which it is worth investigating what ideas and education he was subjected to. The rightward shift of Japan’s Self-Defense Force and its “re-militarization” are of high concern to the international community. China once again urges Japan to thoroughly investigate