China ‘won’t abandon single inch of its land or occupy an inch of others’ land’

CHINA pursues peaceful development and will never seek expansion, Premier Li Keqiang said yesterday.

It is a misinterpretation to see China’s cooperation with other countries and its assistance to underdeveloped ones as strategic expansion.

China’s business cooperation with other countries follows market principles and business rules, and its assistance to the developing countries comes without any political strings attached, which is far from political infiltration, he said.

In pursuing the Belt and Road initiative, China follows the principle of seeking shared benefits through consultation and collaboration. China’s economic growth contributes to both global recovery and global peace, as stronger cooperation and trade bring more negotiations and keep conflicts away.

As a developing country, China hopes for a peaceful international environment to achieve modernization, Li said, promising that the country will not seek hegemony even if it grows stronger in the future.

China will not abandon a single inch of its own land, nor will it take or occupy an inch of land of others, he said.

While China is ready to fulfill its due international responsibilities, it is still confronted with many difficulties, said the premier.

“China is clear about the heavy agenda it faces,” he said.