China does not want to dominate Asia, says Xi, but president warns it won’t succumb to military threats

China will not seek hegemony in Asia, but nor will it succumb to threats of military force, President Xi Jinping said at a gathering at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People to mark the Communist Party’s 95th anniversary.

In a rare move, Xi dedicated a substantial part of his keynote speech to foreign policy ahead of a ruling by an international tribunal on China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Xi also repeatedly called for confidence in Communist Party rule in leading the nation.

“China does not covet any interests of other nations, but we’ll never waive our legitimate rights,” he said. “Other nations should not expect us to haggle about our core interests or take the consequences of undermining our interests concerning sovereignty, security and development.”

His tough remarks came after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said this week it would announce its ruling on China’s maritime claims on July 12.