Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated Beijing's call for the complete reunification of Taiwan with China, referring to the island as an inseparable part of the motherland and maintaining his government's historical stance on the Taiwan issue.
The statement once again places the tensions between China
and Taiwan at the center of the debate, a dispute with significant implications
for Asian stability and international relations.
Xi made these remarks during an event in Beijing
commemorating the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, a historical
figure in the revolution that ended the Chinese imperial regime.
The president described resolving the Taiwan issue as an
"unwavering historical mission" of the Chinese Communist Party and
asserted that reunification must be achieved and will undoubtedly be
accomplished.
Although Xi reiterated that Beijing is committed to peaceful
reunification under the "one country, two systems" model, he did not
mention the use of force. However, China has never ruled out resorting to
military means to bring the island under its control.
The proposal was rejected by the Taiwanese government, whose
Mainland Affairs Council maintained that neither the authorities nor the
population would accept being placed under the rule of the Chinese Communist
Party. Taipei also reiterated that the island's future is for its people to
decide.
The statements come amid military tensions in the Taiwan
Strait. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported detecting 29 Chinese military
aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets and drones, conducting a joint patrol
with warships around the island.