China will never use force: President Xi Jinping

Sydney: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday vowed never to use force to achieve Beijing’s goals, including in maritime disputes, just days after the US President, Barack Obama, warned of the dangers of outright conflict in Asia.

In an address to the Australian parliament, Xi said his giant and developing nation needed peace, noting history showed no-one ever benefited from conflict.

“A review of history shows that countries that attempted to pursue development with force invariably failed,” he said in an address in which he also reminisced about kangaroos and koala encounters during previous visits.

“This is what history teaches us. China is dedicated to upholding peace. Peace is precious and needs to be protected,” Xi said. Xi added: “We must always be on high alert against the factors that may deprive us of peace.”