[ad_1]
BEIJING (Bloomberg, Xinhua): Chinese President Xi Jinping said nothing will stand between the Chinese people and the Communist Party that has ruled them for more than 70 years, setting a combative tone at a difficult time in relations. between the United States and China.
At an event marking the anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, President Xi outlined the areas in which China will never accept foreign interference. He pointed in particular to threats to the continuing one-party rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“The Chinese people will never allow any individual or force to separate the CCP and the Chinese people and confront them,” Xi said.
“The Chinese people will never allow any individual or force to distort the history of the CCP and defame the character and purpose of the CCP.”
He did not specifically mention the United States in his comments, which focused on uniting his nation. But his comments are likely to be interpreted as a message about the relationship, setting the tone for state media and more junior officials in interactions with the United States on everything from trade to technology to the South China Sea.
The tone of the speech, scathing by the standards of Chinese politics, highlights the seriousness with which Chinese leaders take the threat of external challenges to their government.
In recent months, Chinese diplomats have rebuked US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who routinely refers to the CCP, and not China, as a nation in his scathing attacks.
Diplomats have also threatened countries ranging from Norway and the Czech Republic to Britain with “consequences” for alleged provocations.
Chinese leaders have emphasized the Communist Party’s ability to deal with foreign aggression since it gained control after World War II.
As Xi has tried to strengthen his grip at home and confront a more hostile America, he has often turned to similar nationalist themes.
On China-Japan relations, Xi said that the two countries are close neighbors and that maintaining lasting peaceful and friendly relations is in accordance with the fundamental interests of the two peoples and essential to maintaining peace and stability in Asia and the world.
At the event, Xi greeted the veterans and patriots who fought in the war, as well as the Chinese people at home and abroad who contributed to the final victory.
He also expressed his heartfelt thanks to foreign governments and friends around the world for their support and assistance to China in the war against Japanese aggression. – Bloomberg / Xinhua (Story taken from The Straits Times / Asian News Network)
[ad_2]
