- The tide of history cannot be stopped, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, urging complete reunification of Taiwan with the motherland and pledging to do so peacefully, without mentioning the use of force.
- Resolving the Taiwan question is an 'unwavering historical mission' of China's Communist Party, Xi said in a speech in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
- Xi said China adheres to peaceful reunification and the policy of 'one country, two systems' and is willing to talk to Taiwan while upholding the 'one-China principle', or Beijing's position that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one country.
- Xi called on all Chinese, including those in Taiwan, to join hands to jointly oppose Taiwan independence 'separatist' forces and strive for peaceful development of cross-Strait ties.
- Xi's speech comes a week ahead of the summit in China's southern tech hub of Shenzhen, where he is due to again meet US President Donald Trump, and also a little more than two weeks before important local elections in Taiwan.
The tide of history cannot be stopped, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared, advocating for the complete reunification of Taiwan with China during a speech at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. He emphasized a peaceful approach to this goal, notably omitting any mention of force.12
Xi reiterated that resolving the Taiwan question is an "unwavering historical mission" of the Communist Party. He stated, "The complete reunification of the motherland must be realised, and it will certainly be realised." Xi also called for all Chinese, including those in Taiwan, to unite against "separatist" forces and work towards peaceful cross-Strait relations.3
Despite Xi's peaceful rhetoric, the Chinese military continues to operate around Taiwan, and the use of force remains a possibility, as China has never renounced it. Xi's remarks come ahead of significant political events, including a summit with US President Donald Trump and local elections in Taiwan.6
Xi's speech reflects China's longstanding view of Taiwan as part of its territory, despite Taiwan's rejection of this claim and the lack of support for China's "one country, two systems" model among major Taiwanese political parties.
In his address, Xi also honored Sun Yat-sen, a key figure in China's democratic revolution, stating, "Mr. Sun Yat-sen consistently upheld the unity of the country and the solidarity of the nation."
“Xi's speech, delivered in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, called resolving the Taiwan question an 'unwavering historical mission' of the Communist Party. He also praised Sun Yat-sen as a 'great pioneer of China's democratic revolution' and urged all Chinese to oppose Taiwan independence 'separatist' forces.”
The China-Global South Project
