Xi Jinping has asserted China’s dominant position in the Asia-Pacific region while assuring neighbours and the US that it will seek to resolve disputes peacefully.



In an address to the Australian parliament in Canberra on Monday, the Chinese president likened his country to “a big guy in the crowd” who others might view suspiciously, but said China was committed to avoiding conflict.

Two days after Barack Obama called on China to pursue peaceful development and adhere to the same rules as other countries, Xi said he was mindful of history’s lessons “that a war-like state, however big it may be, will eventually fall”.

China would seek to uphold its sovereignty, Xi said, but would address territorial disputes – such as those with Japan in the East China Sea – through “dialogue and consultation” and it would not develop “at the expense of others”.

Xi, who finalised a trade deal with Australia on Monday, said many people around the world were interested in knowing how China would develop and what it would be like when it grew in strength. He acknowledged that there were “different views on these two questions”.

“Many people applaud China’s achievements and have great confidence in China, while some others have concerns about China, and there are also people who find fault with everything China does,” Xi said.

“I think these diverse views are to be expected. After all, China is a large country of over 1.3 billion people. It is like a big guy in the crowd. Others will naturally wonder how the big guy will move and act and be concerned that the big guy may push them around, stand in their way, or even take up their place.”

China remained “unshakable in its resolve to pursue peaceful development” and sincerely hoped that other countries would do the same, Xi said.

He said countries that attempted to pursue their development goals with the use of force invariably failed.

“Neither turbulence nor war serves the fundamental interests of the Chinese people,” Xi said.

“Given China’s high dependence on maritime rules for trade and energy import, navigation freedom and safety is crucial to China. The Chinese government is ready to enhance dialogue and cooperation with relevant countries to jointly maintain freedom of navigation and safety of maritime rules, and ensure a maritime order of peace, tranquility and a win-win cooperation.

“At the same time, the Chinese people will firmly uphold the core interests of China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. The UN charter and the basic norms governing international relations should apply to all countries. We hope that countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are all equal. This means not only equal rights and interests for all countries but also equality of all countries before international rules.”

Xi said China had “settled land boundary issues with 12 out of its 14 neighbours through friendly consultation” and would “continue to work in this direction”.

China and Japan have been at odds over territorial claims in the East China Sea, but Xi met the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in Beijing last week for their first formal talks since 2012.

In his speech to parliament, Xi said China also stood ready to pursue common development and prosperity with all other countries, casting his country’s rise as an “important opportunity to the world” and “a market of immense potential”.

Xi’s broad-ranging address followed Obama’s decision to reaffirm America’s strategic “pivot” to the Asia Pacific region, with the US planning to deepen its military, economic and diplomatic engagement in the region.

Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 summit hosted by Australia, the US president said by the end of this decade “a majority of our navy and air force fleets will be based out of the Pacific, because the United States is, and will always be, a Pacific power”. Obama said the US wanted a “constructive relationship with China”, which he urged to play a responsible role in world affairs.

Xi travelled to Canberra after the G20 meeting in Brisbane to finish negotiations on the trade deal between China and Australia. His was the second address to the Australian parliament by a Chinese leader, after Hu Jintao in October 2003. Xi spoke of a history of “friendly contacts between our two countries” and the prospect of greater cooperation in future.

The prime minister, Tony Abbott, said China was Australia’s largest trading partner but the relationship was much broader, including increasingly large numbers of student exchanges.

“It is a joy to have friends come from afar,” Abbott told parliament. “With free trade negotiations concluded and with a comprehensive strategic partnership established, this is a historic and memorable day.”

Abbott said Australia and China had different systems of government – “one is a young country, the other an ancient country being renewed” – but the two countries could “complement each other”. He added that a wise man sought harmony not conformity.

The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, welcomed the prospect of a trade agreement, saying he looked forward to examining the detail, and applauded Xi for the landmark climate deal China struck with Obama last week.

But Shorten also specifically mentioned the issue of human rights. “We all take heart from the fact that decades of economic growth and trade liberalisation have encouraged the real and important advancement of human rights, political freedoms and the rule of law and long may that continue,” Shorten said.