Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said China will not be “bullied, oppressed, or subjugated by the people of any country,” during an event celebrating the Chinese Communist Party’s 100th anniversary.
“We Chinese are a people who uphold justice and are not intimidated by threats of force. As a nation, we have a strong sense of pride and confidence. We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will. By the same token, we will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us,” Xi said, according to the government’s English translation of his speech.
He continued, warning that “anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
Xi also emphasized the importance of the Communist Party of China, telling a reported crowd of more than 70,000 people in Tiananmen Square that without the party “there would be no new China and no national rejuvenation.”
“The Party was chosen by history and the people. The leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system. It is the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country, and the crux upon which the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people depend,” he continued.
Xi is thought to be mulling a third term next year, according to The Associated Press.
His remarks come as China continues to rise on the world stage. President Biden has said his domestic agenda is necessary to compete with China in the 21st century.
The U.S. has criticized Beijing’s trade and technology policies, military expansion and human rights record, the AP noted.