Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that “collective politics”, “block confrontation” and military alliances would only lead to “war and conflict”, urging the international community to treat the US-led criticism as veiled criticism. Resist hegemony practices. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which Beijing has long accused of fueling Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
“The tragedies of the past tell us that hegemony, group politics and factional confrontation bring no peace or security; They only lead to war and conflict,” Xi said.
Xi appeared on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) business forum, using his keynote to reiterate China’s criticism of NATO and Russia’s support – without mentioning any directly. Did it
China has refused to publicly condemn Moscow for attacking Kyiv or calling it an invasion since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24.
The Chinese president said that “blind belief in so-called ‘strength positions'” and “attempts to expand military alliances and seek their own security at the expense of others will only put themselves in a security dilemma”.
“We must reject zero-sum games in the international community and jointly oppose [hegemonic practices] and power politics,” Xi also said, according to the English translation of the president’s speech in Mandarin, which was released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday evening.
Xi said disputes between countries should be resolved through dialogue and consultation and countries should remain committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional areas.
Beijing has also repeatedly accused the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) group – of which India is a member – of developing into an Asian NATO seeking to include China.
It was unclear whether Xi’s speech was aimed at India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi also speaking on the virtual platform – to be part of the quad.
Besides Modi, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Russian President Vladimir Putin participated and addressed the dais.
The Chinese leader spoke out against economic disruption against the backdrop of a global economy threatened by a pandemic and security challenges.
“There is widespread concern in the international community that if such a trend continues, the global economy will become divided and mutually exclusive,” he said.
China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy and campaign to dominate global markets have prompted a backlash in the US, Europe and elsewhere, including calls to replace Chinese suppliers and reduce dependence on the Chinese economy.
Xi said, “Economic globalization is an objective necessity for the development of productive forces and an irresistible historical trend.”
“We must maintain a WTO-centric multilateral trading system, remove barriers to trade, investment and technology, and keep the global economy open,” he said.
He said, “Going backwards in history and trying to block other people’s road will only block your own road in the end.”
Xi also included two of his new campaigns, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, in his speech, in addition to praising China’s “zero COVID” policy, which has been criticized internationally – he said that “the people and their Put life first”.
In a rare confirmation directly from the country’s top leader, Xi said the Communist Party of China (CPC), of which he is general secretary, would hold its 20th Congress later this year.
“In the second half of this year, the Communist Party of China will convene its 20th National Congress, which will outline the next phase of China’s development,” he said.
Xi is expected to be confirmed this fall for a third term as CPC general secretary at the 20th CPC Congress and secure an unprecedented third term as China’s president in March 2023.
He said of China’s development paradigm, “We will put our efforts into the new development stage, adhere to the new development philosophy, promote a new development paradigm and strive to achieve high-quality development.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said that about 1,000 economic and trade ministers, Chinese envoys and representatives of the business community were present at the ceremony.
(with inputs from agencies)