China does not seek global domination, president Xi Jinping says in landmark speech

Concerns have been raised over Beijing's 'long arm of influence'

Xi Jinping said no one can 'dictate' China's economic development path (WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)

China does not seek global domination, Xi Jinping has insisted, amid global concerns over the country’s growing economic influence.

The president said China would not develop ”at the expense of other countries’ interests” during a speech to mark 40 years of market reforms.

China’s expanding reach worldwide — from Asia-Pacific to Africa and beyond through a broad network of infrastructure projects called the Belt and Road Initiative — has led some nations to raise concerns over what they call China’s long arm of influence, which has been criticised for being political as well as economic.

But while President Xi said China was “increasingly approaching the centre of the world stage", he also noted the country pursues a defensive national defence policy.

“China’s development does not pose a threat to any country,” he said. “No matter how far China develops, it will never seek hegemony.”

During a speech lasting nearly an hour-and-a-half, the Chinese president chronicled the country’s recent achievements, giving special credit to former leader Deng Xiaoping, whose reforms Mr Xi said saved China from the brink of economic collapse following the tumultuous Cultural Revolution.

Other celebrations of reform and opening up have been criticised by scholars for downplaying the role of Deng, widely considered the architect of the changes, in order to elevate Mr Xi.

But this time around Mr Xi spared no praise for Deng, as he began by remarking on the significance of 1978 — the year Deng implemented his first reforms.

During the ceremony, 100 individuals were recognised as pioneers of reform. The eclectic slate included NBA player Yao Ming, Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Nobel prizewinning scientist Tu Youyou. They received their medals to the tune of “Story of Spring,” a patriotic ballad paying tribute to Deng.

Throughout, Mr Xi emphasised the absolute rule of the Communist Party and its upholding of Chinese sovereignty.

“No one is in a position to dictate to the Chinese people what should or should not be done,” he said. “We will resolutely reform what can and needs to be reformed, and we will resolutely uphold what cannot and does not need to be changed.”

The address will not assuage concerned private entrepreneurs and foreign businesses, who had hoped Mr Xi would use the occasion to announce concrete industry-opening measures to shift dominance away from state corporations.

China’s push to dominate the high-tech industry by 2025 is a sore point with Washington and a contributing factor in trade tensions that have seen the world’s two largest economies slap billions of dollars in punitive tariffs on each other’s products this year.

In a move welcomed by global stock markets, Donald Trump agreed on 1 December to postpone more US tariff hikes on Chinese imports for 90 days while the two sides negotiate over American complaints about Beijing’s technology policy.

Additional reporting by Reuters