President Xi Jinping tells US Secretary of Defense James Mattis that Beijing will guard its sovereignty.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told US Defense Secretary James Mattis during a meeting that Beijing would “not concede an inch” regarding disputed areas such as the South China Sea and Taiwan.
“Our stance is steadfast and clear-cut when it comes to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Xi said according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
“Any inch of territory passed down from ancestors can not be lost while we want nothing from others,” Xi added.
In recent years, China has increased its presence in the disputed South China Sea, claiming the majority of the territory and building several military bases.
Mattis met Xi during a trip to China, where the two called for strengthening relationships between the countries, including increased military ties.
China holds ‘biggest ever’ naval drill in disputed S China Sea
During the meeting, Xi called the relationship between China and the US one of the most important bilateral ties in the world, adding that good ties between the two countries is conducive to world and regional peace.
The dispute over the South China Sea has led to increased tensions between China and the US in the last couple of years.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/china-concede-inch-disputed-territories-180628073554660.html