Chinese leader Xi Jinping has emphasized the Chinese government’s longstanding stance ahead of next month’s crucial Taiwanese general election, insisting that the “unification” of Taiwan and China is “inevitable,” CNN reports. Ta.
President Xi made these remarks in a speech commemorating the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China.
President Xi said, “Achieving complete reunification with the motherland is an inevitable process of development, justice, and what the people want. The motherland must be and will be unified.” Stated.
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Xi’s statement reiterates China’s claims to Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy, and is consistent with Xi’s broader goal of strengthening China’s global power and standing. As reported by CNN, the timing is significant in Taiwan, where party positions on relations with China often serve as a gauge of public opinion toward China, and with a key presidential election approaching.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has faced increasing pressure from Beijing during her tenure and is widely seen as strengthening informal ties between Taiwan and the United States. The Democratic Progressive Party’s leading candidate, Vice President Lai Qingde, currently leads in opinion polls but is not supported by Chinese officials.
The Chinese Communist Party considers Taiwan its own territory, even though it has never ruled it. While Chinese officials have emphasized the priority of peaceful “unification,” they have not ruled out the possibility of using force. Mr. Xi’s speech contained a veiled warning urging him to promote peaceful relations across the Strait and thwart any attempt to separate Taiwan from China.
Taiwan remains a sensitive issue in US-China relations. At a recent summit with US President Joe Biden, President Xi insisted that the “unification” of China and Taiwan was “unstoppable.” The United States recognizes China’s position that Taiwan is part of its territory and maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan. However, the United States is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
The historical roots of Taiwan-China relations date back to 1949, when General Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan with Kuomintang forces after Mao Zedong’s Red Army gained control in the Communist civil war.
Xi’s speech also called on the Chinese people to “never forget” Mao Zedong and the Communist Party’s “original aspirations and founding mission” to advance China’s cause of modernization, CNN reported.