Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to take Taiwan during his New Year’s Eve speech on Wednesday as he called reunification “unstoppable.”
As Beijing concluded its latest intense military drills around the democratic island, Xi issued a renewed warning that China will annex the country, using force if necessary.
“The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable,” Xi said in a speech televised by state broadcaster CCTV.
“Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are bound by blood ties thicker than water,” he added.
US intelligence has previously warned that China is likely to launch a military operation to annex Taiwan, which it views as part of its territory, within the decade.
During his speech, Xi highlighted the celebration of “Taiwan Retrocession Day,” a holiday created this year to mark the anniversary of the end of Japan’s imperial rule in Taiwan in 1945.
China’s claim to the nation has been followed with a show of force, with the People’s Liberation Army launching live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday.
The latest drills saw China’s forces carry out a simulation of blockades around Taiwan’s main ports, with Beijing’s navy, air force, rocket force and coast guard deployed for the exercise.
The drills, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” were held closer to Taiwan than China’s previous military exercises, sparking a tense showdown with Taipei.
Taiwan remains on high alert on Wednesday following the drills, with its emergency maritime response center still monitoring the Chinese fleet.
Taipei’s defense ministry said there were still a large number of Chinese planes and vessels in its response area, with Taiwan’s military ordered to maintain an “appropriate contingency mechanism.”
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
“The Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive and militaristic provocations endanger regional security and stability, and have been condemned by democratic allies in the international community,” the defense department said in a statement.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te also rebuked Xi’s aggression during his own New Year’s Eve speech, comparing his country to the European democracies that faced a threat from Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
