The President of China, Xi Jinping has told the leaders of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a summit on Monday that Beijing would not “bully” its smaller regional neighbours.
According to media reports, the Chinese President has said that China would never seek hegemony nor take advantage of its size to coerce smaller countries and would work with ASEAN to eliminate “interference”.
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Xi Jinping further stated that China was, is, and will always be a good neighbour, good friend, and good partner of ASEAN.
It is to be mentioned here that China’s territorial claims over the sea clash with those of several Southeast Asian nations have raised alarm from Washington to Tokyo.
Beijing’s assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea has set it against ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.
