Chinese President calls for 'bridges' amid trade, diplomatic frictions

Urging dialogue, he tells summit China will never leave road of peaceful development

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Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 28 called for the building of "bridges" in the global economy, as Beijing grapples with economic and security disputes with its neighbours and trading partners around the world.

The world's second-largest economy will never leave the road of peaceful development, Mr Xi told a conference to commemorate China's guiding principles for foreign affairs, first formulated 70 years ago.

China will also not become a "strong" state that would try to dominate others, Mr Xi told an audience that included former Myanmar president Thein Sein and former general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nong Duc Manh.

"Facing the history of peace or war, prosperity or unity or confrontation, more than ever before, we need to carry forward the spirit and connotation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence," Mr Xi said.

The five principles first appeared in a 1954 pact struck with regional rival India over their Himalayan border. Even so, Indian officials were absent from the front row of the audience reserved for guests of honour.

Since the 1950s, China's ruling Communist Party has gone from not being recognised by the United Nations to boasting the biggest diplomatic footprint in the world and presiding over a US$18.6 trillion (S$25.21 trillion) economy.