Xi: peaceful development, not to waive legitimate rights

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Monday that China will stick to peaceful development but never waive its legitimate rights.

"We will stick to the road of peaceful development, but will never give up our legitimate rights and will never sacrifice our national core interests," Xi said at a group study session with members of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.

"No country should presume that we will engage in trade involving our core interests or that we will swallow the 'bitter fruit' of harming our sovereignty, security or development interests," he added.

Xi said China is following a road of peaceful development and other countries should do the same. He also said only when all countries pursue a path of peaceful development can they jointly develop and enjoy peaceful coexistence.

"We should widely and deeply spread our country's strategic thinking of sticking to the road of peaceful development and guide the international community to properly understand and approach China's development," Xi said.

"China will never pursue development at the cost of sacrificing other country's interests. We will never benefit ourselves at others' expense or do harm to any neighbor," he said.

China will unswervingly pursue peaceful development, push forward joint development, maintain the multilateral trade system and participate in global economic governance, Xi said.