'China not 'expansionist' but won't give up territory'

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they pose for photographers before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, June 27, 2018. AP/PTI

President Xi Jinping told US Defence Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday that China would not create chaos in the world, but he defended its claim to disputed islands in the South China Sea.

"Chinese people must build a strong socialist modernised country, but we insist on taking the path of peaceful development. We will not follow the path of expansionism and colonialism, we will not bring chaos to the world," Xi told the visiting Pentagon chief.

But Xi, quoted by Xinhua news agency, added: "From the territory left by our ancestors, (we won't) give up even one inch."