Xi Jinping reiterates inevitability of reunification with Taiwan in New Year speech

No one can stop the “historic trend” of China’s “reunification” with Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year speech on Tuesday.

China, which considers Taiwan – democratically governed – to be an integral part of its territory, has over the past year stepped up its military presence and exercises around the island, despite strong objections from Taipei.

“People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one family. No one can sever our family ties, and no one can stop the historic trend towards national reunification,” Xi Jinping said in a speech broadcast by state television.

The previous year, in his New Year’s speech, the Chinese president had already stressed that “reunification” with Taiwan was inevitable.