(TibetanReview.net, Nov12’26) – As China commemorated the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen on Nov 12, its top Party-state leader Xi Jinping has called for a complete “reunification” of Taiwan with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) motherland, referring to the still independent remnant of the Republic of China (ROC) founded by the late revolutionary leader after overthrowing the Manchu Qing dynasty. Although Xi pledged a peaceful reunification, making no mention of the use of force, as noted by Reuters Nov 12, China’s military intimidation of the democratically self-ruled island has kept growing more menacing in recent times, prompting calls for restraint, most recently, from the G7 countries.
China views Taiwan as its own territory, and has repeatedly offered a “one country, two systems” model of autonomy not supported by any major Taiwanese political party.
Like all the past top Chinese leaders since Mao Zedong, Xi has said in a speech in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People that resolving the Taiwan question is an “unwavering historical mission” of Communist Party of China (CPC).
“The tide of history cannot be stopped,” Xi has added. “The complete reunification of the motherland must be realised, and it will certainly be realised.”
Xi has said China adheres to “peaceful reunification and the policy of ‘one country, two systems'” and was willing to talk to Taiwan while upholding the “one-China principle”, or Beijing’s position that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one country.
Sun Yat-sen led a revolt that in 1911 ended centuries of rule by emperors and empresses and ushered in the ROC. The CPC overthrew the ROC in 1949 to replace it with its PRC.
Taiwan is currently ruled by Democratic Progressive Party, which champions the island’s separate identity from China, with its President Lai Ching-te and many other leaders being derided by China as separatists.
Meanwhile, the G7 foreign ministers, meeting in Paris, have said in a joint declaration published Nov 11 that China’s increasingly assertive actions in the waters east of Taiwan threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation.
Another Reuters report Nov 12 cited officials in Taiwan as saying they believed China was practicing for a potential maritime blockade using overlapping military, paramilitary and civilian assets and expressed strong opposition to it.
While France, Germany, the UK and the US have all previously expressed their concern about China’s actions off Taiwan’s east coast, the G7 statement is the strongest unified expression of concern to date about the Chinese activities, said taipeitimes.com Nov 2.
“We reaffirmed our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, particularly by force or coercion, or the threat thereof,” the G7 statement was quoted as saying.
In Taipei, the Presidential Office has welcomed the G7 statement, saying peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are core issues vital to global security and prosperity.
Taiwan would continue working to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and cooperate closely with like-minded international partners, including G7 member states, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo has said in a statement.
China has been carrying out “area denial” drills in the Western Pacific involving one of its aircraft carriers and other naval formations, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo has said on Nov 10, following a reported rise in Chinese military activities.