Xi Jinping Vows Taiwan Reunification at China’s 75th Anniversary

Speaking at a state banquet, Xi Jinping called Taiwan reunification “irreversible,” warned against independence, and urged closer cross-Strait ties amid rising tensions.

By Uyghur Times

Oct 2, 2024

At a state banquet in Beijing marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping forcefully reiterated Beijing’s longstanding goal of “reunification” with Taiwan, framing it as both inevitable and just. Speaking to thousands of officials, diplomats, and party cadres, Xi described the reunification objective as “an irreversible trend, a cause of righteousness and the common aspiration of the people” and declared that “no one can stop the march of history.” He urged deeper economic, cultural, and social exchanges across the Taiwan Strait as a means of fostering closer ties, warning against what Beijing terms “Taiwan independence” and stating that Taiwan’s status is a core national interest.

Xi’s remarks came amid a broader intensification of military pressure around Taiwan, with the People’s Liberation Army conducting large-scale exercises and missile drills surrounding the island, actions Beijing said were aimed at deterring separatist forces but which Taiwanese authorities and outside analysts describe as provocative and destabilizing. One such exercise, labeled Strait Thunder–2025A, involved coordinated land, sea, air, and Rocket Force elements around the Taiwan Strait and nearby waters, underscoring rising operational activity in the region.(Wikipedia)

The timing of Xi’s speech also underscored a wider geopolitical backdrop in which cross‑Strait tensions intersect with great‑power competition. Within days of the anniversary events, the United States approved $567 million in additional military aid to Taiwan — its largest aid package to the island to date — aimed at bolstering Taiwanese defensive capabilities through training and delivery of military articles. Taipei and Washington said the package is intended to strengthen deterrence in the face of Beijing’s pressure, while Beijing condemned such arms transfers as interference in China’s internal affairs.

Reactions to Xi’s statements have been mixed internationally and across the Taiwan Strait. In Taipei, government officials reiterated their commitment to maintaining the island’s democratic system and self‑determination, rejecting the “one country, two systems” framework Beijing often advocates and stressing dialogue must be government‑to‑government. In Washington and other capitals, policymakers expressed concern that rhetoric emphasizing the inevitability of reunification, combined with intensified military activity, raises the risk of miscalculation and instability in the region.