"We are not afraid of trouble."

These were the bold words uttered by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his speech to mark the 95th-anniversary commemoration of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Friday. The statement comes ahead of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) over Beijing's claims to territories in the disputed South China Sea, which is set to be handed down on July 12.

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President Xi said Beijing would never compromise on the sovereignty of the territories it controls in the disputed waters as he called on the CPC to strengthen its military and maintain absolute power in the country.

Xi told high-ranking officials of the party in Beijing's Great Hall of the People to remain vigilant in anticipation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the Philippines' territorial case against China, which is widely expected to favor Manila.

Bitter pill

"No foreign country should expect us to swallow the bitter pill of harm to our national sovereignty, security, or development interests," Xi said.

"We are not afraid of trouble," he added as he rallied the party members to make their presence felt on the world stage.

Xi's statement comes in light of rising tensions in the South China Sea region over Beijing's claim to a large portion of the disputed territories in the South China Sea. U.S. ships continue to patrol near Chinese-claimed artificial islands in the strategic waterway in defiance of China's territorial claims.

Trading barbs

Beijing and Washington have been trading barbs over ownership issues of reefs and islands in the disputed waters.

In a swipe at Washington, President Xi said he was not afraid of any foreign military posturing in the disputed waters.

"We will not show up at other people's front doors to flex our muscles. That does not show strength or scare anyone," he emphasized.

July 12 ruling

The Permanent Court of Arbitration is set to make a ruling on the Philippines' case against China on July 12.

The Philippines is asking the court to nullify China's claims to the disputed waters claiming that Beijing's actions have violated the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).

China has stated that it does not recognize the court's jurisdiction over the case and that it will reject whatever ruling is handed down. The international community has urged Beijing to respect the ruling saying its rejection would be tantamount to declaring itself an 'outlaw state.' 

TagsPresident Xi Jinping, Chinese sovereignty, South China Sea, Communist Party, china