Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that the reunification of China and Taiwan is an inevitable goal for Beijing. Speaking on Wednesday in a New Year's address, delivered a day after the conclusion of Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, Xi emphasized the cultural and historical ties between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Xi described the reunification as "a trend of the times" that cannot be halted. He also highlighted the establishment in 2025 of an annual Taiwan Recovery Day, commemorating the end of Japanese rule over the island following World War II.
China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has its own democratically elected government and considers itself a sovereign entity. Relations between the two have been strained in recent years, particularly following increased military activity by China near the island.
The United States maintains a policy of "strategic ambiguity" regarding Taiwan, neither confirming nor denying whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack. However, the U.S. has increased its military presence in the region and has expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts by China to alter the status quo.
The Chinese military concluded war games around Taiwan on Tuesday, a move that drew condemnation from Taipei and Washington. These exercises involved simulated attacks on Taiwanese targets and were seen as a show of force intended to intimidate the island.
The Taiwanese government has repeatedly called for dialogue with Beijing on the basis of equality and mutual respect, but these overtures have been rejected by China, which insists that Taiwan must accept the "one country, two systems" model of governance, similar to that in Hong Kong. However, public support for this model in Taiwan is low. The coming months are expected to see continued diplomatic and military pressure from China on Taiwan, as Beijing seeks to advance its reunification agenda.
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