BERLIN (REUTERS) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday his country would not act aggressively regarding territorial claims in the South China Sea but was determined to safeguard its interests there.

"On the issue of the South China Sea, we will not provoke trouble ourselves but we will not fear troubles provoked by others either," he said in a speech during a visit to Berlin.

"When it comes to our sovereignty and territorial integrity we will strongly safeguard these interests," said Xi.

China's claims over islands, reefs and atolls in resource-rich waters of the South China Sea have set it directly against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia have claims too.