China will not give up an inch of territory, President Xi Jinping tells US Defence Secretary James Mattis
BEIJING - China is committed to peaceful development and will not create chaos for the world but, on matters relating to its sovereignty, it would not give up "even an inch" of its territory, Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday (June 27). Mr Xi met Mr Mattis - the first Pentagon chief to visit Beijing since 2014 - at the Great Hall of the People. Mr Xi said that China was neither expansionist nor seeks to colonise others but its position was "firm and clear" on issues relating to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.We cannot lose even an inch of the territory left behind by our ancestors. At the same time, we do not want even a tiny bit of what belongs to others," Mr Xi was quoted as saying in a China Central Television news report. He added that the Pacific Ocean was vast enough to accommodate both the United States and China as well as other countries. Beijing has laid claim to almost the ...