BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that justice is needed in today's world, not hegemony.

"World affairs should be handled through extensive consultation, and the future of the world should be decided by all countries working together," Xi said while delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021.

"We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others, or allow unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world," Xi stressed.

Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and with a greater sense of responsibility, he added.