(From AFP)
China will never compromise on sovereignty, President Xi Jinping said Friday ahead of an international tribunal ruling over Beijing’s maritime claims, as he celebrated the Communist Party’s 95th anniversary.
The ruling party must maintain absolute power in the country, strengthen its military and establish a greater role in world leadership, Xi told serried ranks of top officials in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, to rapturous applause.
“No foreign country… should expect us to swallow the bitter pill of harm to our national sovereignty, security or development interests,” Xi said, adding: “We are not afraid of trouble.”
His remarks come as regional tensions rise over Beijing’s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, with the US sending naval patrols close to artificial islands Beijing has built in the disputed waters. Read More