"It is not designed to serve any hidden geopolitical agenda. It is not targeted against anyone and it does not exclude anyone ... nor is it a trap as some people have labelled it. Rather,the BRI is a major and transparent initiative with which China shares opportunities."
One of the complaints about Xi's signature Belt and Road policy has been the accusation that it overburdens poor countries with debt,which could leave them dependent on China.
Xi met eight Pacific island leaders on Friday,and struck a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Papua New Guinea,which has already signed onto the BRI and supplies liquid natural gas to energy-hungry China.
Pence,meanwhile,warned those at the summit not to accept foreign debt that might"compromise your sovereignty,"or"coerce,corrupt or compromise your independence",adding the US had a better offer.
"We don't offer a constricting belt or one-way road,"Pence said.
Pence said the US would join Australia in establishing a military base in Papua New Guinea. He announced a Indo-Pacific Transparency Fund,in which the US,Australia and Japan would partner to assist infrastructure funding.
However,he also said the US sought a"better relationship"with China and progress was being made in trade talks ahead of a mooted meeting between Trump and Xi at the G20 in late November.
But on Saturday Xi appeared to give no concessions to US complaints that China's technology advances had been built on intellectual property theft.
"Technology and innovation should not be locked up or become profit making tools for just a few. The Intellectual Property Rights regime is designed to protect and encourage innovation not to create or widen the scientific and technological divide,"Xi said.
In another swipe at the US,which has threatened to quit the World Trade Organisation,Xi said rules-based global governance needed to be strengthened"not in a might-is-right way – once the rules are made they should not be followed or abandoned as one sees fits,and they should not applied with double standards for selfish agendas."
He said China supported WTO reform but the special treatment of developing countries had to be maintained. The US has complained about China being classified as a developing country and argues it gives an unfair advantage.
Xi also tackled US attacks on China's communist system,saying there were more than 200 countries on the planet and"trying to erase their differences will not work,such differences are not a hindrance to exchanges,still less a cause for confrontation".
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday told reporters that Australia was willing to partner with China,as well as with the US and Japan,on infrastructure development if projects were transparent and didn't create debt burdens.