The Taiwanese presidency said in response that the island’s future lay in the hands of its people and that the majority of the public clearly rejected Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model. In a separate statement, the Taiwanese mainland authority called on China to take “provocative action.”
The Chinese president’s speech comes after days of heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei. At the beginning of the month, the Chinese army sent planes to the Taiwanese coast for four days in a row, and its defense minister, Chiu Xuqeng, spoke on Wednesday about the worst situation in forty years. The island is under increasing pressure to recognize Beijing’s superiority, but Taipei refuses.
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“Taiwan’s separatism is the biggest obstacle to the reunification of the country and the most serious hidden threat to national rejuvenation,” Si Jinping said in a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
“Reunification in a peaceful way”
“No one should underestimate the persistent determination, strong will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national identity and territorial integrity. The historical task of the complete reunification of the homeland must be completed and will definitely be completed, “he continued. He described “peaceful reunification” as the scenario closest to the interests of the Chinese people.
The Chinese president’s remarks were milder this time than in his previous big speech to Taiwan, when Xi Jinping said China would “crush” any of the island’s efforts to formally declare independence, Reuters reported. In 2019, he directly threatened to use force to bring Taiwan under control.
Taiwan has been “independent” for more than seventy years
Taiwan went its own way in 1949, when the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, seized power in China. Beijing considers the island part of its territory and threatens military intervention if it becomes independent. However, Taiwan has been operating de facto independently for more than seventy years and has its own government and democratic establishment, while the one-party regime continues in China.
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The current tensions around Taiwan were the subject of a meeting on Wednesday between White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and high-ranking Chinese diplomat Yang Jieqing. According to a Reuters source from the US administration, Sullivan made it clear during these talks that the US will oppose any attempt by Beijing to change the status quo of Taiwan.
President Xi Jinping has strengthened government control over all aspects of Chinese society. He said in a speech on Saturday that “a strong force, the Communist Party of China, is needed to lead the country.” “Without the Chinese Communist Party, there would be no new China,” he said.
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