In a wide-ranging speech in the course of the opening session of the twentieth Chinese Communist Party’s Congress, Xi spoke firmly about China’s resolve for reunification with the self-governed island, which Beijing considers a part of its territory.
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BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping said China reserves the choice of “taking all measures crucial” against “interference by outside forces” on the difficulty of Taiwan.
In a wide-ranging speech Sunday, Xi spoke firmly about China’s resolve for reunification with the self-governed island, which Beijing considers a part of its territory.
He was speaking on the opening ceremony of the ruling Communist Party of China’s twentieth National Congress, held once every five years.
“We’ll proceed to strive for peaceful reunification with the best sincerity and the utmost effort,” Xi said in Chinese, based on an official translation. “But, we’ll never promise to surrender using force. And we reserve the choice of taking all measures crucial.”
“That is directed solely at interference by outside forces and a number of separatists searching for Taiwan independence,” he said, emphasizing that resolving the Taiwan query is a matter for the Chinese to resolve.
Cross-strait tensions
Tensions around Taiwan intensified this summer after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to the island.
The visit got here despite warnings from China, which maintains the island should not have any right to conduct foreign relations. The U.S. recognizes Beijing as the only real legal government of China, while maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan.
On Sunday, Xi gave the difficulty of Taiwan greater prominence in his speech than he had five years ago on the party’s nineteenth National Congress.
The high-level meeting decides which officials will grow to be the leaders of the party, and ultimately, of China.
Next weekend, the names of the brand new core team around Xi are resulting from be announced. State titles akin to president and premier are officially confirmed at an annual meeting of the Chinese government, typically held in March.
