Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his address to the nation on New Year’s Eve, vowed to pursue “reunification” with semi-independent Taiwan, at all costs.
Highlighting the unbreakable “bond of blood and kinship” with the island, Jinping said: “We, Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, share a bond of blood and kinship. The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!”
The Chinese President also vowed continued support for Hong Kong and Macao in their better integration with China.
The premier’s address included mention of his country’s technological progress in areas of artificial intelligence (AI), semi-conductors as well as space exploration.
“We sought to energize high-quality development through innovation,” Xi said while thanking Chinese people for contributing to the country’s economic growth over the past five years and praised China’s rising prominence on the world stage by listing high-level political events and exchanges it hosted over the past year.
China plans its economic development over periods of five years and is preparing to discuss its new five-year plan at the upcoming legislative session in March.
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Meanwhile, Taiwan President, Lai Ching-te, in his own New Year’s address on Thursday pledged to resist China’s “expansionist ambitions” and bolster the island’s self-defence.
Xi’s remarks come only a day after China concluded its two-day military drills around the Taiwan Strait, simulating a blockade of key ports, precision strikes on maritime targets, and scenarios to counter external interference.
The drills took place just days after the United States announced an $11.1-billion arms sales package to Taiwan – the largest ever for the island.
Taiwan has been ruled and governed by Chinese nationalist forces as the Republic of China since their defeat in the 1949 civil war.
But, Beijing views the island as part of its sovereign territory under the “One-China and One-System Policy”, a position recognised by a majority of the international community.
While the US officially supports ‘One-China Policy’, it maintains close relations with Taipei, as evidenced by visits by US lawmakers, drawing criticism and backlash from Beijing.
Beijing maintains that it prefers a “peaceful transition and reunification” with Taiwan, but it has not ruled out military action against the island’s separatist forces and their “Western-backers” seeking formal independence.
Only a few nations maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with the United Nations also considering Taiwan to be a part of the Chinese territory.
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