Beijing: While addressing the 19th National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said that his country will neither give in its legitimate rights nor let anyone undermine its interests.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of CPC at the Great Hall of the people in Beijing, President Xi said the country will modernize its military in order to win wars and that the country will enhance its relations along its border and also open up more to the world.
In his three and half-hour-long speech at President Xi said, “China will never pursue development at the expense of others’ interests, but nor will China ever give up its legitimate rights and interests. No one should expect China to swallow anything that undermines its interests,” adding, that China would never seek “hegemony or engage” in any expansion.
Emphasizing on the importance of the “Panchsheel”- the five principles of peaceful coexistence, both the countries, India and China have agreed upon back in 1954, Chinese President Xi, said, “China will deepen relations with its neighbours in accordance with the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy of forging friendship and partnership with its neighbours.”
President Xi’s speech comes after the recent standoff of both Indian and Chinese armies in August at Sikkim’s Dokhlam area. Earlier the two neighboring countries Presidents Narendra Modi and Xi agreed upon strengthening coordination and communication lines between two countries.
Indirectly referring to the Spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s visit earlier this year to Arunachal Pradesh which China had protested against calling it “anti-China separatist”, President Xi said “Any separatist activity is certain to meet with resolute opposition of the Chinese people. We will never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form to separate any part of Chinese territory from China”.
Speaking of the countries national security, he said, “We will improve our national defence mobilisation system, and build a strong, well-structured and modern border defence, coastal defence and air defence.”
He further added that it will ensure its efforts to make China one of the strong maritime countries along with accelerating its developments along the border areas and also ensuring their security and safety.
Speaking of the controversial issues which arise in regions and spread security threats like “terrorism, cyber insecurity, major infectious diseases and climate change”, he said, “We should commit to settling disputes through dialogue and resolving differences through discussion, coordinate responses to traditional and non-traditional threats, and oppose terrorism in all its forms,”.
The Chinese government has earlier, always maintained that regional conflicts including areas of Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea, Kashmir and Afghanistan.
He said that China rejected “cold war mentality and power politics” and rather preferred developing state-to-state relations with “communication, not confrontation, partnership not alliance”.
“We… oppose acts that impose one’s will on others or interfere in the internal affairs of others as well as the practice of the strong bullying the weak,” he added.
He also vowed to improve and modernize China’s military within the next two decades saying, “We will upgrade our military capabilities, and see that by the year 2020, mechanisation is basically achieved… Make it our mission to see that by 2035, the modernisation of our national defence and forces is basically completed”.
Speaking of strengthening its military in order to adapt the “new era” and its responsibility to take the lead of the “missions and tasks of the new era entrusted to them by the party and the people”, he said, “A military is built to fight. Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work and focus on how to win when it is called on. We will develop new combat forces and support forces, conduct military training under combat conditions…and the ability to fight under multidimensional conditions. This will enable us to effectively shape our military posture, manage crises, and deter and win wars”.
Outlining his party’s work since he took over as General Secretary in 2012, Xi also laid out party’s plan for the next five years. He further also added the need to continue anti-corruption agenda within his party.