Xi: China poses no threat to other nations
Country will never seek its development at the expense of others' interest, he says
China will never seek its development at the cost of sacrificing other nations’ interests, and its development will pose no threat to any other country, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark at the closing meeting of the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing.
“China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion,” he said. “Only those who are accustomed to threatening others see everyone as a threat.”
China will stay on the path of peaceful development, and continue to pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, Xi said.
“The Chinese people’s sincere wish and practical action to contribute to the peace and development of humanity should not be misinterpreted, nor should it be distorted,” Xi said. “Justice will prevail!”
China endeavors to uphold international fairness and justice, Xi said, adding that China will not impose its will on others.
He said China will contribute more Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the world and push for building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
“Let the sunshine of a community with a shared future for humanity illuminate the world!” Xi said.
Xi stressed the leadership of the Communist Party of China over all areas of endeavor in every part of the country.
“The Party is the highest force for political leadership and the fundamental guarantee of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Xi said.
The leadership of the CPC is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said, urging CPC members to shoulder the historic responsibility of leading the people in the great social revolution.
To this end, the CPC must have the courage to reform itself and adhere to the commitment to serve the public good and exercise power in the interest of the people, step up strict governance over the Party and resolutely clear out all types of inaction and corruption, he said.
Xi said the CPC should be the backbone of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, work hard and share the comforts and hardships with the people and always maintain heart-to-heart communion with them.
He called on all political parties, people’s organizations, ethnic groups and people of all sectors to rally closely around the CPC Central Committee and march forward with one heart and one mind.
Xi called for more effort in achieving the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the middle of the century.
The people are the creators of history, and the people are real heroes.” President Xi Jinping
The president called for more energy and more concrete measures in deepening reform in all areas, expanding opening-up, applying a new vision of development, promoting high-quality economic
that the country will levy hefty tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum products from many of its major trade partners, including China, a step that analysts said could lead to a trade war between the world’s top economic powers.
Li said that a trade war does no good to either side, and no one will emerge as a winner.
If it is necessary to use the term “war”, it means the rules of trade are being violated, because trade is realized through negotiations, consultation and dialogue, Li said.
Last year, China-US trade was valued at more than $580 billion, and Li said it was achieved using business rules and market principles.
He said China does not want to see a large trade surplus with other countries, including the US. “What we want to see is an overall trade balance; otherwise, this kind of trade would not be sustainable.”
China-Japan ties
On Tuesday, Li also said he is ready to consider attending the China-Japan-Republic of Korea leaders’ meeting and making his first official visit to Japan in the first half of this year amid the “sustained momentum” of improving China-Japan relations.
Bilateral ties are warming up again, but the nations also need to watch for any possible return of a chill, Li said.
The last visit to Japan by a Chinese premier was made by then-premier Wen Jiabao in 2011 to attend the Fourth ChinaJapan-ROK leaders’ meeting and visit earthquake-hit areas.
Li Xiang and Xin Zhiming contributed to this story.