Chapter 407: Chapter 391: Verbal Battle with Foreign Media_1
Prime Minister Yun’s considerations were not as simple as Nie Zhenbang’s. Whether it was international or domestic affairs, even trivial neighborhood disputes, evidence was pivotal in every situation.

Indeed, in neighborhood disputes, there may be fabrication and deception, facts may be twisted and distorted in officialdom, but when it comes to international affairs involving interactions between countries, particularly matters concerning national honor and credit, not a tiny bit of negligence could be tolerated.

Prime Minister Yun’s final remark encapsulated this sentiment. If the matter were true and could withstand third-party verification, he could arrange for it. If it were untrue, careful consideration would be required.

Nie Zhenbang understood the Prime Minister’s meaning and immediately nodded firmly, stating, “Leader, there is absolutely no exaggeration in these data. In fact, some information might have been held back.”

“Oh? Held back? What do you mean?” Prime Minister Yun asked curiously. After all, everyone had their expertise, and he wasn’t knowledgeable about environmental protection. Seeing Nie Zhenbang, the prime minister said with a pleasant disposition and a smile, “Could it be that you, Nie Zhenbang, are kindly covering up for the Americans?”

Nie Zhenbang also smiled, stating that the truth was on their side. Huaxia feared no one, just like he feared no one. He then explained, “Prime Minister, it’s not like that. The primary issue is with our detection technology. Our equipment and technology for environmental data collection may seem a bit crude. If the tests were conducted by top-class European research labs, the data would probably be more convincing.”

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, Prime Minister Yun pondered a moment before making his decision: “Good, tomorrow morning, you will accompany me at the news conference, which will be broadcast live to the world. Tomorrow, I’m just supporting, you are the protagonist. Are you confident?”

Assigning a provincial-level official to confront foreign media might be considered audacious, as it had escalated to international relations. Any mistake could tarnish Huaxia’s image on the world stage. The Prime Minister’s decision was undoubtedly bold. If anything goes wrong, he would have to take responsibility, and for Nie Zhenbang, it would be a disaster. If he lost face internationally, his career would likely be over. However, every coin has two sides. While risky, this could also be an opportunity. A global exposure could help the world recognize this rising political star. If performance is exceptional, figures like President Yuan, Prime Minister Yun, and even the reclusive Elder Nan would value him more. This was the incredible advantage.

After a moment of consideration, Nie Zhenbang decisively nodded, saying “Leader, rest assured, I am confident I can complete the task successfully.”

…

Despite expressing full confidence, Nie Zhenbang was diligent behind the scenes. Even though he was in Jingcheng, he decided to stay in a hotel operated by Liangxi City instead of going home. Liangxi City, being the economically dominant city in Jiangbei, even has a more glamorous hotel in Jingcheng than some provinces. The fifteen-story building, named the Liangxi Grand Hotel, was property of the Liangxi Municipal Government and also served as the official Jingcheng outpost.

With the mayor’s visit, the comrades from the Jingcheng outpost did not dare to slack off, and promptly opened their most luxurious suite for Mayor Nie to rest.

Throughout the afternoon, Nie Zhenbang discussed the details of environmental protection with people like Liu from the Environmental Protection Bureau. In the meantime, he also asked the outpost personnel to contact several legal experts to discuss international law matters with him.

Though these may not prove useful, Nie Zhenbang’s principle was always to be prepared. The upcoming press conference would not merely be attended by news media journalists. If estimation was correct, representatives from companies like Wilgang and officials from the U.S. Embassy would definitely be there. It seemed more like an argumentation meeting than a press conference. Being more prepared could increase the chances of success.

The next morning, not long after six, Nie Zhenbang was already up. Having slept only around one and got up just five hours later, Nie Zhenbang’s energy was no joke. He executed a set of boxing exercises in the suite, which left him feeling fresh and vigorous.

After finishing breakfast on the second floor at seven, Nie Zhenbang led the Liangxi City entourage to the Great Hall where the press conference was held in the newsroom.

Two minutes before eight o’clock, Prime Minister Yun, accompanied by his staff, came over. Seeing Nie Zhenbang, the Prime Minister greeted him with a nod and a smile, “Zhenbang is here, let’s go together.”

At exactly eight o’clock in Huaxia, the press hall of the Convention Center, capable of accommodating thousands of journalists, was filled with reporters from all over the world. The world’s major news agencies, like Agence France-Presse from France, the Associated Press from the United States, Reuters Club from Germany and the Chinese media from Huaxia. There were also well-known television media, such as CNN from the United States, Dongying’s East Asia Television, and so on. All kinds of media gathered under one roof. Long guns and short cannons had been set up in the hall. There were no less than a hundred photographic positions.

As Prime Minister Yun appeared with a young man, the host of the press hall, Liang Haitao, the director of the State Council’s press office, had already stood on the hosting position and began to say, “Dear guests, friends, the press conference of the State Council of the Republic of Huaxia now begins. This conference is specifically held in response to the recent controversy sparked by the sudden order by the Liangxi City Government in Jiangbei Province for three U.S. -invested companies to cease business for rectification. Today, we have with us Comrade Nie Zhenbang, the Mayor of Liangxi Municipal People’s Government. Nie Zhenbang, the party involved, will answer all your questions.”

As soon as the announcement fell, the venue became noisy, Nie Zhenbang greeted the audience with a smile and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please be quiet, let’s take turns asking questions. If we proceed like this, I’m afraid we’ll never get started.”

This humorous remark effectively silenced all the journalists. First, a reporter from the Huaxia TV station asked under the guidance of Nie Zhenbang, “Mayor Nie, according to foreign media reports, the Liangxi City Government is suspected of discriminating against foreign capital, deliberate suppression and extortion. Is this true? What is the actual truth of the matter?”

“Not at all, the foreign media’s report is, in my opinion, a defamation and slander against our country. It’s a humiliation and denigration. It is well known that Huaxia is an open country that welcomes investors from around the world. Why would we act in such a manner that would harm ourselves? This is simply the despicable act of these U.S. companies distorting the facts and trying to evade punishment. I express strong indignation and protest against this. Our Liangxi City Government retains the right to further sue Wilgang and other such companies.” Nie Zhenbang’s speech was not rushed and his Mandarin was accent free. He seemed even more qualified than the spokesman of the State Council.

Nie Zhenbang paused for a moment before smiling and saying, “Dear media journalists, here is a report, which consists of the onsite inspection results of the three factories including Wilgang. Please have a look. We also welcome all of you to go to Liangxi City for onsite investigation to gather evidence.”

As Nie Zhenbang concluded his remarks, the report printed overnight was distributed one by one by the press officials into the journalist’s hands.

For a moment, the press hall was full of the sound of flipping books. Seeing the graphic report and the severely polluted river, the entire audience gasped. Especially some of our European media journalists, who began to frown.

At this moment, an American journalist raised his hand to ask a question. After Nie Zhenbang signaled that he could ask, the reporter stood up and said, “Hello Mayor Nie, I am a journalist from the Associated Press. Is this report authentic? If it’s true, why didn’t your side communicate directly with our embassy instead of choosing to make my country embarrassed in this way?”

Nie Zhenbang sneered, but his face remained calm as he said smilingly, “The question from the reporter is very good. First of all, let me state again, this is a fact. At the moment, Wilgang and the other two companies have been sealed off by the law enforcement department. Those who have doubts can go to Liangxi at any time for their own investigation. I believe, the truth will always be the truth and it won’t change. As to your second question, I find it amusing. Can I ask if your country’s news media and government came to investigate immediately after learning about the incident? Obviously, no. This suggests that your country’s media and government fully trust these three companies. Since your government trusts them so much, it’s natural that we didn’t communicate because your government simply doesn’t trust our explanations.”

No sooner had he finished his remarks than a sudden voice rang out beside him. “Hello Mayor Nie, I am a reporter from The Wall Street Journal. As far as I know, your government does not have a hard line on environmental protection and pollution discharge. There are also many enterprises in your country who discharge pollutants in such a way. Isn’t this discrimination?”

Nie Zhenbang frowned, this person is clever, avoiding the main points and focuses on minor ones. It’s true that such things exist in China. They are all results of local governments not paying enough attention. Saying so would give people a feeling of discrimination.

Nie Zhenbang then said, “Originally, this reporter didn’t raise his hand, so I shouldn’t have to answer this question. However, in the spirit of honesty and openness, I want to clarify a couple of things. First, our country has strict regulations on enterprise pollution and environmental protection, this is clearly stated in our environment protection law. Second, about differential treatment, what you referred to is on a national level, while in Liangxi City, all enterprises have to strictly follow the pollution discharge standards. Different regions, different requirements. Generally speaking, environmental protection is taken seriously everywhere in the country. We are not perfect, but this does not mean we tolerate such behavior.”

Then, Nie Zhenbang calmly said, “For instance, there’s quite a lot of racial discrimination in the United States, but you can’t expect everyone to be racially discriminatory, right?” (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Boxnovel(com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets, your support is my biggest motivation.)