China leader Xi Jinping those who attempt to 'bully' will face 'bloodshed,' at Communist Party event

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday warned that any attempt to bully the communist-led country will  "face broken heads and bloodshed," in a speech touting China’s global rise and marking the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

The president delivered his hour-long speech at a celebration in which he targeted the U.S. and others that have criticized China’s trade and technology policies, military expansion and human rights record, according to the Associated Press.

The rally featured a military flyover and people waving Chinese flags and singing patriotic songs.

Xi, who typically wears a Western-style suit and tie, for this event wore a gray suit like the one frequently worn by Mao Zedong, communist China’s founding leader. He also spoke from the same balcony atop Tiananmen Gate where the revolutionary leader declared the start of communist rule in 1949. 

More than 70,000 people attended the event, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

"The Chinese people will absolutely not allow any foreign force to bully, oppress or enslave us and anyone who attempts to do so will face broken heads and bloodshed in front of the iron Great Wall of the 1.4 billion Chinese people," said Xi, the Associated Press also reports.

Xi has eliminated limits on his time in office, resulting in speculation that he could rule for life, as Mao did.