The Monday editions of all national dailies reported on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s remarks to the press on the sidelines of this year’s annual session of the National People’s Congress on Sunday. He reportedly rejected the United States’ criticism of China’s human rights record in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as “unreasonable interference in China’s internal affairs.” Wang expressed Beijing’s firm resolve to reject Washington’s criticism of its dealing with Hong Kong and Taiwan by saying that China will never make concessions on the sovereignty of these regions that are core interests.   

Wang also commented on the nation’s new law allowing its coast guard to use weapons in waters it claims by saying that the legislation is in line with international law and does not target any specific country. The Chinese official justified the law and criticized the U.S. Navy’s “freedom of navigation” operations in the South China Sea. Nikkei wrote that tensions between China and the West in Asia-Pacific waters are rising as the UK and Germany are planning to send warships to the region this year.