In his New Year’s address on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a strong warning, declaring that no one can stop China’s “reunification” with Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. This statement targets pro-independence forces both within Taiwan and internationally. Over the past year, China has escalated military pressure on Taiwan, with near-daily deployments of warships and aircraft around the island. Taiwanese officials view this as a gradual effort to normalize China’s military presence near Taiwan.
While China claims Taiwan as its own, Taiwan’s government rejects these assertions, emphasizing that only its people have the right to determine their future and that Beijing should respect their decision. Xi reiterated his view that the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family, saying, “No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification.” This echoes his speech from the previous year, where he declared that Taiwan’s reunification with China is inevitable, stressing the shared destiny of both sides in the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have been particularly high since May, when Lai Ching-te, a figure Beijing labels a “separatist,” became Taiwan’s new president. Recently, China held large-scale naval exercises near Taiwan after Lai’s controversial stops in Hawaii and Guam, which were criticized by Beijing. China, which has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, conducted two rounds of military drills around the island this year, warning against “separatist actions” and pledging further actions if necessary.
The ongoing US arms sales to Taiwan, permitted under the Taiwan Relations Act, have further strained China’s relations with Washington. Beijing has repeatedly warned the US against military ties with Taiwan and imposed sanctions on military suppliers and their executives.