Xi Says Taiwan Reunification ‘Must Be Realised’ and Will Happen

Chinese President Xi Jinping used a commemorative gathering in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday to present control of Taiwan as a duty the Communist Party will not set aside, Reuters reported.

Resolving the Taiwan question is an “unwavering historical mission” of the party, he said. “The tide of history cannot be stopped,” Xi added. “The complete reunification of the motherland must be realised, and it will certainly be realised.”

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, a claim Taipei firmly rejects. Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model of autonomy has no support from any major Taiwanese political party.

Peaceful Path Leaves Force Unmentioned

Xi said China adheres to “peaceful reunification and the policy of ‘one country, two systems’” and is willing to talk to Taiwan while upholding the “one-China principle,” Beijing’s position that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one country.

The official speech text released by Xinhua said those talks could proceed on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, and that Beijing would “never leave any space” for “Taiwan independence” separatist activities.

He called on all Chinese people, including those in Taiwan, to oppose such forces and work for peaceful cross-Strait ties. Xi made no mention of military force, which China has never renounced over Taiwan.

Reuters noted that Chinese forces operate around the island daily. U.S. officials said in October that an invasion before 2028 remains unlikely.

Sun Yat-sen and the Unification Message

The remarks came on the 160th birthday of Sun Yat-sen, who helped lead the 1911 revolt that ended imperial rule and established the Republic of China.

Xi called Sun a great national hero, a great patriot and a “great pioneer of China’s democratic revolution,” saying he “consistently upheld the unity of the country and the solidarity of the nation.”

Beijing presents Sun as a forerunner of the 1949 communist revolution that forced the Republic of China government to Taiwan, where it remains.

Last month, Taiwan called on its people to stay away from China’s anniversary events, saying Beijing had a distorted view of Sun and his legacy.

Taipei Silent as Votes and APEC Near

Taiwan’s government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The speech came a week before Xi is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, and just over two weeks before Taiwan’s local elections.

President Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party emphasize Taiwan’s separate identity from China. Beijing calls Lai a “separatist” and has refused to speak with him. Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

China stepped up political pressure earlier this year, with senior official Wang Huning pledging support for pro-reunification forces on the island.