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Xi says Taiwan ‘reunification’ is ‘inevitable’ during New Year speech

Beijing, Dec 31 (EFE).- China’s president Xi Jinping said “reunification” with Taiwan was a “historic inevitability” during his year-end speech on Sunday.

During his televised address to the nation, Xi reviewed his country’s achievements and the challenges it has faced over the past year, including its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

He reiterated that “reunification” with Taiwan, which Beijing claims sovereignty over, is a “historic inevitability”, after a year in which there was an increase in cross-Strait tensions.

The island nation is poised to head to the polls for a crucial presidential election in mid-January.

The Chinese president also emphasized the need to “maintain long-term prosperity and stability” and the “better integration into the grand national development plan” of the semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

In his only reference to the tough ‘zero Covid’ policy that was lifted only in 2023 after three years of tight restrictions, Xi said “pandemic control” had “stabilized.”

He claimed that “China’s economy continued to recover and improve”, while highlighting an “overflowing development dynamism” in the country, pointing to booming sales of domestically manufactured cell phones and the production of electric vehicles in the world’s second largest economy.

Xi also referred to the “people encountering difficulties in employment and life” and the areas of the country that have suffered this year from natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes and urged the nation to “keep them in mind”.

On the international level, Xi noted that “there are still places in the world in the midst of war” and that the Chinese people “are well aware of the value of peace”.

To that end, he assured that his country is “willing to work with the international community”.

After a year in which he resumed international travel after two and a half years of isolation due to the ‘zero Covid’ policy, he met with leaders of countries such as the United States, France, the European Union, Spain, Colombia and Brazil.

Xi assured that “China not only develops itself, but also embraces the world and assumes the responsibility of a great power”.

The president, who has been in power since 2013, highlighted that next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and called for “deepening reform and opening up in all aspects”, “further enhancing confidence in development” and “strengthening economic vitality” in the coming year. EFE

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