BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Hu Jintao urged the military to "staunchly defend" national sovereignty in comments published days after a brief confrontation with a U.S. Navy ship.
Hu's comments to People's Liberation Army officers, published in the official People's Daily Thursday, did not mention the PLA Navy's run-in Sunday with a U.S. Navy survey ship off the Chinese island province of Hainan.
There have been no signs that Beijing wants to expand the dispute, in which China says the U.S. ship violated its sovereignty by monitoring waters in its exclusive economic zone.
Washington has said its ship, the Impeccable, was in international waters.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, visiting Washington, said Wednesday that relations were "at a new starting point and have important opportunities to develop," the ministry website (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn) reported.
But Hu, who also serves as Communist Party chief and supreme military leader, made it clear that Beijing does not want to be seen as bowing to others.
"Vigorously advance modernisation of national defence and the military," Hu said Wednesday, speaking to PLA officers attending the annual session of the Party-run parliament.
"Staunchly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and provide a powerful support and assurance for protecting national development interests and broad social stability."
Hu will have his first meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama when both leaders attend the G20 summit on the global financial crisis in London next month.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang has been in Washington to prepare for that meeting. He told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the two powers should "advance China-U.S. relations constantly forward on a healthy, stable track."
Zhang Deshun, a rear-admiral in the PLA Navy, said the United States remained welcome to watch a Chinese naval parade off the eastern port of Qingdao next month, the China Daily reported.
"The incident ... is not going to deter everything," he told the paper.
NATIONALISM
But China's leaders are also wary of perceived slights and are mindful of sometimes fervent nationalism which has flared in the past after military disputes with the United States.
Hu's comments, prominent in official newspapers, appeared to reflect those concerns. He urged the PLA officers to be on guard against "perils."
Beijing is also angered by criticism from Washington over restive Tibet, human rights and other issues China considers "domestic." Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu condemned a U.S. House of Representatives resolution critical of Chinese rule in Tibet.
But Ma also told a regular news conference that both sides should seek a "stable, healthy relationship."
He dismissed the notion that the sea flare-up could discourage China from taking part in an international effort to stamp out piracy off the Somali coast.
"Frankly, I fail to see any necessary connection between them," he said of the two issues.
(Reporting by Chris Buckley and Ian Ransom; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sanjeev Miglani)
