Chairman Xi to US DefSec: "Won't give up one inch of territory"

[Feng Leng]

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-c...p-china-tells-u-s-defence-chief-idUKKBN1JN06O

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is committed to peace and won’t cause “chaos” in the world, but cannot give up even an inch of territory that the country’s ancestors have left behind, Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday.

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Both countries’ common interests far outweigh their differences, but on territorial issues there can be no concessions, Xi added, without referring to specific areas.

“We cannot lose even one inch of the territory left behind by our ancestors. What is other people’s, we do not want at all,” state television cited Xi as saying.

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Meeting earlier in the day, China’s defence minister told Mattis that only with mutual respect and by avoiding confrontation can China and the United States develop together.

“China upholds peaceful development, and China’s military unswervingly protects the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests,” Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said, according to his ministry.

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“China and the United States can only develop together if we maintain no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation,” Wei added.

“China and the United States’ two militaries must implement the consensus of the two countries’ leaders, increase mutual trust, strengthen cooperation and manage risks to turn ties between the two militaries into a factor for stability in the bilateral relationship.”

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TAIWAN TENSION
The Chinese defence ministry statement made only passing mention of the South China Sea, Taiwan and North Korea, citing Wei as telling Mattis what China’s positions were on those issues.

As Mattis arrived, Chinese state media said a formation of Chinese warships had been holding daily combat drills for more than a week in waters near Taiwan, and there have been frequent Chinese air force exercises near the island.

While China and the United States have tried hard to keep lines of communication between their militaries open, especially at the senior level, they are deeply suspicious of each other.

The United States accuses China of militarising the South China Sea with its island-building work there, while China has been angered by U.S. naval patrols through the strategic waterway.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

If China confiscates Taiwan it will send correct strong message to outsider

 

[TaiShang]

Xi tells Mattis China won't give up 'one inch' of territory

CGTN
1km to Beijing
2018-06-27


China is committed to peace and won't cause "chaos" in the world but cannot give up even an inch of territory that the country's ancestors have left behind, Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting US Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday.

"The vast Pacific Ocean can accommodate both China and the United States and other countries," Xi said during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"We cannot lose even one inch of the territory left behind by our ancestors. What is other people's, we do not want at all."

Xi urged the two nations to enhance communication and mutual trust and to deepen cooperation and control risks.

US‍ Defense Secretary James Mattis reviews a Chinese honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Bayi Building in Beijing, Wednesday, June 27, 2018. /Reuters Photo

"Over the recent years this military relationship has had good momentum... I would like to hope this momentum of the military relationship would continue," the Chinese president said.

"We should be promoting military-to-military relations to become a stabilizer of bilateral relations."

In response, Mattis underscored the importance of the Sino-American military relationship.

"I am here to keep our relationship on the right trajectory, keep it going in the right direction and to share ideas with your military leadership, as well as look at the way ahead," the Pentagon chief told Xi.

"I am happy to be in China and we are assigning the same high degree of importance to the military-to-military relationship."

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force formation conducts island patrols near Taiwan during training, April 26, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Xi said the China-US bilateral relationship "is one of the most important" in the world. “But we share more common interests in a wide range of areas than differences between us," he added.

He stressed that the history of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US for nearly 40 years shows that the relationship is developing well, and "it can benefit the people of the two countries and the world, and be conducive to peace, stability and prosperity."

Xi also emphasized China's commitment to peaceful development, adding the country has no interest in expansionism or colonialism.

Mattis responded that the US is willing to strengthen strategic communication and expand mutual benefit, avoiding "conflict and confrontation" and making the military relationship a constructive factor in promoting the development of relations.

Mattis began his three-day visit to China on Tuesday. His trip is the first by an American defense chief since 2014 and comes amid tensions between Washington and Beijing over the South China Sea.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, the Chinese Defense Minister said that Mattis' visit helps ease tension and promote mutual trust.

The US defense secretary will later travel to the Republic of Korea and Japan.

 

[Feng Leng]

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1108655.shtml

Xi delivers clear message on rights to Mattis

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting US Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with experts saying that China has delivered a clear message to the US that its legitimate activities in the South China Sea and Taiwan Straits won't be affected by any US move.

During the meeting with Mattis, Xi made China's stance clear and firm on issues affecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Xi said that we can't lose even one inch of the territory inherited from our forefathers, and China won't take anything that belongs to others, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday.

"There are some issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity which have become increasingly tense because of US moves," such as South China Sea issues and the Taiwan question. "So, through the meeting, China is sending a warning to the US by reaffirming its bottom line," Diao Daming, an American studies expert and associate professor at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

Mattis has heard the most authoritative voice from China on these issues and questions, and this might indicate that China's legitimate activities in regions like the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits won't be affected by military actions from the US, said Xu Guangyu, a retired PLA major general and senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association.

Mattis thanked Xi for meeting him and said that the US highly values the military-to-military ties with China, and the US is willing to strengthen strategic communication, expand win-win cooperation, control and manage differences and risks, and avoid conflict and confrontation with China, CCTV reported.

 

[UserUnknown2025]

I wonder which relationship the US has decided to have with China: full confrontation across all fields or peaceful competition?

 

[Feng Leng]

I wonder which relationship the US has decided to have with China: full confrontation across all fields or peaceful competition?

The answer is obvious. They already chose cold war and maybe hot war. We simply accept the answer and, as Chairman Xi said, strike back.