EPAThe speech was shown on large screens on the streets of Beijing
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 16:50
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s speech that “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable. In doing so, he is taking a clear stand, two weeks before the presidential and parliamentary elections in Taiwan. Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province and believes that the island should be brought under the control of the Communist Party by force, if necessary.
Beijing has already increased military pressure on the island in recent times. Xi did not explicitly threaten violence in his speech. However, he emphasized that “China will definitely be reunified.” He spoke of “compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.” Last year he talked about “members of the same family”.
China calls Taiwan’s poll-leading presidential candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, a “dangerous separatist.”
Economic recovery
The New Year’s speech continued to discuss the Chinese economy. Xi said China plans to continue the positive trend of post-corona economic recovery. There will also be far-reaching reforms to increase confidence in the economy and for long-term growth, and the market must be further opened.
Xi also promised greater efforts in education, science and technology. He expressed his concern about the problems faced by some companies and about employment and the consequences of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
The video below explains Taiwan’s position:
Taiwan: the country that is not a country
2023-12-31 15:50:36
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