Xi Jinping rebukes nations who ‘arrogantly instruct others and interfere’

Name: Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims
Uploaded: 2021-04-20T05:32:57.000Z
Duration: 3 min 36 s
Description: Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims

‘Future of the world should be decided by all nations, and rules set up by one or several countries should not be imposed on others,’ Chinese president says

His speech at Boao Forum for Asia comes amid international scrutiny of China and as US puts renewed emphasis on its alliances in Asia and Europe

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Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Teddy Ng

Published: 1:32pm, 20 Apr 2021Updated: 9:29pm, 4 Jun 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping said no nation should dictate global rules or interfere in other countries, as Beijing continued to signal its unhappiness over what it sees as growing international meddling in its affairs.

Without naming any country, Xi made his remarks by video link to more than 2,000 officials and business executives attending the annual Boao Forum for Asia in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.

“The destiny and future of the world should be decided by all nations, and rules set up just by one or several countries should not be imposed on others,” Xi said. “The whole world should not be led by unilateralism of individual countries.

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Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims

“Equality, mutual respect and trust should be at the forefront when countries are dealing with each other. It is unpopular to arrogantly instruct others and interfere in internal affairs.”

China has announced record growth of 18.3 per cent for the first quarter as its economy recovers from the damage caused by the coronavirus, but its relationship with the United States has yet to show a similar rebound.

Last Friday, US President Joe Biden issued a joint statement with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that indicated China was a geopolitical adversary – which Beijing described as a move to “sow division”.

Washington has also begun to consolidate its alliances in Europe and Asia, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressing “the need to engage China from a position of strength”. The US, the European Union, Britain and Canada have imposed coordinated sanctions on China over alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang, which Beijing denies.

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