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Australia should take President Xi Jinping's own rhetoric on establishing Chinese dominance "seriously", Sydney Morning Herald International Editor Peter Hartcher says.

Mr Hartcher said President Xi has shown he is capable of playing a long-term game of expansionism but is also capable of taking quick opportunistic action.

"For example, Hong Kong – no one was expecting him to grasp and crush Hong Kong and its liberties as quickly and decisively as he did.

"All of the movement is in one direction and that is ... all expansion.

"We should take his own rhetoric seriously ... he has said 'I will take the initiative and establish dominance'.

"He doesn't qualify it by saying Asia or the Pacific – he says dominance – I think we need to take him seriously."