The Chinese military has held large-scale drills as a warning to the island’s “separatist forces” and their Western backers
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly stated that reunification with Taiwan is “inevitable,” reiterated the notion in his address to the nation on New Year’s Eve, touting an unbreakable “bond of blood and kinship.”
Taiwan has been ruled by Chinese nationalist forces as the Republic of China since their retreat after the defeat in the civil war in 1949. Beijing considers the island part of its sovereign territory under One China policy, shared by the majority of the international community.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship. The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!,” Xi said on Wednesday, as cited by Xinhua.
The Chinese leader also noted that Beijing would “support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall development of our country and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability.”
Beijing has repeatedly emphasized preference for peaceful reunification, but has not ruled out the use of force should the island’s “separatist forces” and their Western backers seek formal independence.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted two-day military drills around Taiwan this week, simulating a blockade of key ports, precision strikes on maritime targets, and scenarios to counter external interference.
The drills commenced just 11 days after Washington announced an $11.1 billion arms sales package to Taiwan – the largest ever for the island. While formally adhering to the One-China policy, the US maintains close ties with Taipei, which include visits by top lawmakers, drawing ire from Beijing.
Only a handful of countries maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei, while the majority of the international community adheres to Beijing’s One-China policy. The United Nations also considers Taiwan part of Chinese territory.
Russia’s support for China over Taiwan is enshrined in the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation signed between Moscow and Beijing in July 2001, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled in a recent interview, stressing that one of its basic principles is “mutual support in defending national unity and territorial integrity.”
Lavrov said Taiwan is currently being used as a tool of “military-strategic deterrence” against Beijing, with some Western countries keen to profit from Taiwanese money and technologies.
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