China's Xi Sets Tone on Regional Relations
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By ANDREW BROWNE
BOAO, China—Chinese President Xi Jinping acknowledged Asian "frictions" and "hot spots" in an address on Sunday to regional business and political leaders amid mounting alarm over North Korea's nuclear threat and territorial disputes between China and its neighbors.
Reuters
Xi Jinping delivers a speech in Boao, in southern China's Hainan province, on Sunday.
"No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains," he said in an opening speech to the forum.
The U.S. is putting pressure on China to rein in its close ally North Korea, which relies on China for its food and fuel but is testing Beijing's patience by aggressively pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programs. The U.S. is responding to North Korea's actions and bellicose rhetoric by beefing up its missile defenses and flying bombers to South Korea in a display of support for its Asian ally.
Still, there was no clear evidence that Mr. Xi had North Korea in mind in a wide-ranging speech that sought to establish the tone of his new administration's relationship with countries in the region that are reliant on China for their prosperity but wary of its military ambitions.
China often levels accusations at the U.S. for what it considers to be Washington's own destabilizing behavior, in particular the U.S. strategic "pivot" to Asia now that it is disentangling itself from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. China sees the pivot as part of a broader U.S. conspiracy to contain its strategic rise in the world and put down a potential economic challenger.
At one point, Mr. Xi warned that the world shouldn't become "an arena where gladiators fight each other."
"Rather than undercutting each other's efforts, countries should complement each other and work for joint progress," he said.
Analysts say that China is conflicted in its approach to North Korea. Pyongyang's new leader, Kim Jong Eun, has clearly offended China with his nuclear saber rattling, and Beijing has signed up to new economic sanctions designed to squeeze Mr. Kim and the North Korean elite. Yet many analysts believe China will never abandon a country that provides a buffer against U.S. forces in South Korea.
Mr. Xi was followed on the podium by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who said she welcomed "the growing cooperation of all regional governments to prevent conflict on the Korean peninsula and to counter North Korean aggression."
On the Korean peninsula "any aggression is a threat to the interests of every country in the region," she said.
Mr. Xi completed his rise to power by taking over the presidency at the National People's Congress in March. His speech to the forum was closely watched for hints at how he intends to develop relations with a region anxious about Beijing's increasingly assertive diplomacy. Relations with Japan and much of Southeast Asia have been tested by conflicting territorial claims.
Mr. Xi echoed the major theme of previous administrations that China's economic rise will be peaceful, and that it seeks dialogue with its neighbors in the world's fastest-growing economic region. But he offered no suggestion of softer diplomacy.
"China will continue to properly handle differences and frictions with some countries," he said. But he insisted that China would defend its "sovereignty, security and territorial integrity." China's expansive claims to sovereignty cover the entire South China Sea and its rich energy, mineral and fishery resources.
In contrast to his staid predecessor, Hu Jintao, Mr. Xi's language was colorful and direct.
"Peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it. But none of us can live without them," he said.
Friction between countries is inevitable, he said. "What is important is that they should resolve differences through dialogue, consultation and peaceful negotiations in the larger interest of the sound growth of their relations," he said.
On the economy, Mr. Xi stressed the benefits to the region of a country that is taking in imports, investing overseas and sending abroad tens of millions of tourists who spend lavishly on luxury goods and services.
The global economy is "fraught with risks" and Asia faces a "bumpy and twisting" road ahead, Mr. Xi said. He said China is shifting its growth model to rely more on consumption, a transition that some economists believe will be hard to pull off and may even stall the country's advance.
But while conceding that China "faces many difficulties and challenges," Mr. Xi asserted that "we have full confidence in China's future."
—Grace Zhu contributed to this article. Write to Andrew Browne at andrew.browne@wsj.com
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