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TEHRAN, June 27 - China is committed to peace and won't cause "chaos" in the world, but cannot give up even an inch of territory that the country's ancestors have left behind, Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Mattis, a former Marine general, has been highly critical of China's muscular military moves in the disputed South China Sea. The U.S. military even withdrew an invitation to China to join a multinational naval exercise that will start during Mattis' visit, upsetting Beijing.
Mattis is visiting against a backdrop of spiraling tension between Beijing and Washington over trade.
Beijing is also deeply suspicious of U.S. intentions toward self-governing and democratic Taiwan, which is armed by the United States. China views the island as a sacred part of its territory.
Meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi told Mattis Xi that China had only peaceful intentions and would not "cause chaos", state television reported.
Both countries' common interests far outweigh their differences, but on territorial issues there can be no concessions, Xi added, without referring to specific areas.
"We cannot loose even one inch of the territory left behind by our ancestors. What is other people's, we do not want at all," state television cited Xi as saying.
Mattis, in comments in front of reporters, told Xi his talks had been "very, very" good.
"I am happy to be in China and we are assigning the same high degree of importance to the military to military relationship," Mattis said.
Meeting earlier in the day, China's defense minister told Mattis that only with mutual respect and by avoiding confrontation can China and the United States develop together.
"China upholds peaceful development, and China's military unswervingly protects the country's sovereignty, security and development interests," Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said, according to his ministry.
"China and the United States can only develop together if we maintain no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation," Wei added.
"China and the United States two militaries must implement the consensus of the two countries' leaders, increase mutual trust, strengthen cooperation and manage risks to turn ties between the two militaries into a factor for stability in the bilateral relationship."
Source: Reuters
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