Leterme praises China in an interview with Chinese state television News

look. Yves Leterme gave a big interview to the Chinese state channel

Former Prime Minister Yves Leterme expressed himself very positively about the temporary unilateral policy of visa exemption for citizens of five European countries and Malaysia that was introduced in China. He says he is a “big fan” of the new policy, the country and its culture, but also stresses that “facts are important for people trying to understand China, and it is a mistake to trust one-sided information.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on social media the launch of a unilateral visa exemption policy for people holding ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia on a trial basis. According to the notice, holders of ordinary passports from the above six countries will be allowed to enter China without a visa until November 30, 2024 for business, tourism, visiting family and friends, and transit for a period of 15 days or less.

Leterme expresses himself with praise. “I hope there will be more opportunities for people from Western countries to see beautiful natural scenery and learn about Chinese culture. I believe that this kind of exchange and learning about Chinese culture should be doubled.”

In addition to his words of praise for China's culture and nature, Leterme also spoke of incorrect information, both in the West and in China itself. According to Leterme, “all slogans, hype, misinterpretations, distortions and distortions of reality” must be dealt with carefully.

“For example, if we think about the recent discussions or the recent statements that have been made about the development of China's military potential, I think it is natural that a country like China would also try to give itself the means to defend itself and its interests to defend, as we do in Europe.” , which we will have to do increasingly in the coming years.

He stressed the importance of appropriate communication between China and the West. According to Leterme, facts and figures are the basis of “rational communication.” “These are fundamental to understanding each other.”

“The crucial thing is to understand each other, to see the facts, and not just rely on biased information that comes from circles that do not serve people’s long-term interests,” Leterme said.

According to Leterme, the separation between the Chinese and Western economies should be treated with caution. He says: “This is at the expense of citizens.” “There should be more dialogue about the vital interests of the Chinese nation and the West.” He talks about developing platforms through which these vital interests can be exchanged.

To be clear, there are no indications that Leterme is spying for the Chinese, or doing anything illegal. But what he says is unequivocally pro-China.