China’s Xi says ‘reunification’ with Taiwan is ‘unstoppable’ | Xi Jinping News

Taiwan’s Lai vows to defend national sovereignty after Beijing held live-fire exercises around the island.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to achieve the “reunification” of China and Taiwan, calling Beijing’s long-held goal “unstoppable.”

In his New Year’s speech delivered a day after the Chinese military completed war drills around Taiwan, Xi on Wednesday invoked the “bond of blood and kinship” between Chinese people on either side of the Taiwan Strait.

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“The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable,” Xi said.

Xi also welcomed the establishment in 2025 of an annual “Taiwan Reconstruction Day,” marking the end of Japanese imperial rule on the island at the end of World War II.

Xi’s speech followed two days of live-fire exercises simulating a blockade of the island, in what officials called a “stark warning” against “separatist” forces and “external interference.”

These exercises were the largest ever held in Taiwan in terms of geographic area.

The war games, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” took place just days after the United States approved Taiwan’s largest-ever weapons program, valued at $11.1 billion.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan to be part of its territory and has long pledged to bring the island under its control, using force if necessary.

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party maintains that the island is a de facto independent country, although it has not officially declared independence.

In his New Year’s speech on Thursday, Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te pledged to “firmly” defend national sovereignty and strengthen the island’s defenses.

“In the face of China’s growing expansionist ambitions, the international community is closely monitoring the Taiwanese people’s determination to defend themselves,” Lai said.

While Taiwan elects its leaders and has its own army, passport and currency, the island is only officially recognized by 11 countries and the Vatican City.

China insists countries do not officially recognize Taipei in order to maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing.

Although the United States does not officially recognize Taiwan, Washington has pledged to help the island defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.

Even though Washington is Taipei’s main arms supplier, the law provides no obligation to intervene directly militarily in the event of a Chinese blockade or invasion.

Opinion polls suggest that a large majority of Taiwanese favor the status quo, with much smaller proportions favoring imminent moves toward formal independence or unification.

In his speech on Wednesday, Xi also praised China’s innovation in sectors such as artificial intelligence and space.

“We sought to drive high-quality development through innovation. We deeply integrated science and technology with industries and created a stream of new innovations,” he said.

“Many major AI models competed in a race to the top, and breakthroughs were made in the research and development of our own chips. All of this has made China one of the economies with the fastest-growing innovation capabilities.”