Xi takes jabs at US during war tribute

CHINESE leader Xi Jinping condemned “unilateralism, protectionism and extreme egoism” in a jab at the US made during a rally yesterday to mark the 70th anniversary of China’s entry into the 1950-53 Korean War.

China refers to the conflict, in which it sent troops to aid North Korean forces against a UN coalition led by America, as the “War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.”

Although fighting ended in a stalemate, the war established China as a major player on the world stage and the commemorations closely fit with

Xi’s drive to promote patriotism and the unquestioned leadership of the ruling Communist Party.

“In today’s world, the pursuit of unilateralism, protectionism and extreme egoism leads nowhere,” Xi told an audience of politicians, veterans and family members of those who served in what China calls the Chinese People’s Volunteers.

“Arrogance, always doing as one pleases, acts of hegemony, overbearance or bullying will lead nowhere,” Xi said, according to comments released by the official Xinhua News Agency.

The anniversary comes as China’s relations with the US have sunk to their lowest level in decades as the sides feud over trade, human rights, allegations of spying and Chinese policies regarding Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Beijing, meanwhile, remains North Korea’s most important diplomatic ally and trading partner, and has pushed back at US efforts to bring economic pressure on Pyongyang to prompt it to end its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. | AP