Xi vows to lift manufacturing capacity, won't rely on imports

BEIJING, China—President Xi Jinping vowed to boost the country's manufacturing capacity and not rely on overseas markets, state media reported Monday. Speaking at the annual gathering of the rubber-stamp parliament in Beijing on Sunday, Xi said China should be able to fend for itself. "I've always said there are two critical areas for China: one is to safeguard our rice bowl, and the other is to build up a strong manufacturing sector," Xi said, according to the state-run People's Daily. "As a great nation of 1.4 billion people, we must rely on ourselves," Xi added. "We can't depend on international…