Xi Jinping urges Taiwan reunification without mentioning force
China's president declared reunification an unstoppable historical trend during a commemorative speech, prompting a swift rejection from Taipei.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
Chinese President Xi Jinping renewed his call for the reunification of the mainland with Taiwan on Thursday, describing the process as an unstoppable historical trend. While emphasizing the inevitability of this union, the leader notably refrained from explicitly mentioning the use of military force in his address.
The remarks were delivered during a speech marking the 160th birthday of Sun Yat-sen. Sun was the political leader who helped guide the 1911 revolution that ended China's imperial dynasty and established the Republic of China. Xi stated that the complete reunification of the motherland must be realized and that it could, without doubt, be achieved.
Taiwan's government responded quickly to the speech, rebuffing the comments by stating that the territory would not accept submitting to the rule of China's Communist Party. The Mainland Affairs Council reiterated that neither the government nor the people of Taiwan would accept being placed under Beijing's control.
The tension between the two sides has roots in the civil war that began in 1927 between the Nationalists and the Communists. After World War II and the end of Japanese occupation, the Communists led by Mao Zedong gained the upper hand. Consequently, the Nationalists retreated to the island of Taiwan in 1949.
Since that retreat, both the People's Republic of China on the mainland and the Republic of China in Taiwan have claimed to be the legitimate heirs of Sun Yat-sen's political legacy. Under the so-called One China policy, most of the international community recognizes only Communist China as a state, though many nations maintain unofficial diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the self-governed and democratic island.
In his speech, Xi described reunification as an unwavering historical mission for the Communist Party. He declared that Beijing would never leave any room for Taiwan independence separatist activities in any form. The president also said that China would give full consideration to Taiwan's realities and take full account of the interests and feelings of compatriots on the island.
Xi invoked the memory of Sun Yat-sen to support his position, noting that the historical figure consistently upheld the unity of the country and the solidarity of the nation. He added that Sun firmly opposed all words and actions that split the country or the nation. Although military force was not mentioned in this specific speech, the Chinese leader has previously stated that Beijing would not rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Liang Wen-chieh, a spokesperson for the Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters that the wording regarding Taiwan unification was not much different from past statements. This response came as Xi's speech preceded an APEC summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, where he is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump.
The United States has supported Taiwan's resistance against Chinese demands for decades, including by supplying the island with vital arms. In recent years, China has intensified military operations around the island and in the Taiwan Strait. These maneuvers are widely viewed as attempts to intimidate Taipei and to practice for a potential military operation.
On Thursday, Taiwan announced that Chinese fighter jets and drones had begun carrying out a joint combat readiness patrol alongside Chinese warships around the island. This latest development underscores the continued military pressure Beijing is exerting in the region.
