China will never compromise on sovereignty, President Xi Jinping said Friday ahead of an international tribunal ruling over Beijing's maritime claims, as he marked the Communist Party's 95th anniversary. "No foreign country... should expect us to swallow the bitter pill of harm to our national sovereignty, security or development interests," Xi told an audience of top officials, to rapturous applause. "We are not afraid of trouble," he said in Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People, stressing a strong army and a wider role for China on the world stage.

Torres, E. (2016, July 2). China president talks tough ahead of UN tribunal ruling. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A15.