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Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a speech at the
celebration of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of
China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 1, 2016.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Friday that the
biggest threat to the ruling Communist Party is corruption, as he used the
party's 95th birthday to also warn against any threats to China's security and
Taiwan independence.
Since Xi took power more than three years ago, he has
mounted a sweeping campaign against deep-rooted graft, warning like others
before him it could threaten the party's rule, and taken a muscular approach to
protecting China's sovereignty, including its contested claims in the South
China Sea.
In a wide-ranging speech in Beijing's Great Hall of the
People, Xi said that history had chosen the Communist Party to lead China, but
that if they did not manage the party properly and listen to the people, then
history would discard them.
"As the ruling party, the biggest danger we face is
corruption," Xi told party members, in comments carried live on state
television.
"We must have a staunch will, not let up on our zero
tolerance attitude, investigate all cases and punish those who are corrupt, to
give corrupt elements no place to hide in the party," he added.
Dozens of senior officials have been jailed in Xi's
anti-graft battle, including powerful former domestic security chief Zhou
Yongkang.
But China faces external challenges too.
Beijing has been infuriated by a case lodged by the
Philippines at an international arbitration court over the South China Sea,
vowing neither to participate in the case nor accept the ruling, which is due
July 12.
Without making direct reference to the South China Sea, Xi
said that while China was not a trouble maker, no foreign country should think
China would trade away its core interests.
"Do not expect that we will swallow the bitter fruit of
damage to our sovereignty, security and development interests," he said to
an audience including military officers, model workers and ethnic minorities.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have South China
Sea claims.
A further headache for Xi this year has been January's
election in self-ruled and democratic Taiwan of a president from the
pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, Tsai Ing-wen.
"We will resolutely oppose Taiwan independence splitist
forces," Xi said, again without a direct mention of Tsai or her party.
"The 1.3 billion of China and the entire Chinese race
will never agree to any person, at any time, using any method to carry out
activities to split the country."
China views Taiwan as a wayward province and has never
renounced the use of force to bring its under Beijing's control.
Tsai has vowed to maintain peace with China.
-Reuters-
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