Xi Jinping promised “unification with Taiwan” and threatened: “Those who forget their heritage will not have a good end.”

The President of China, Xi Jinping on Saturday vowed to achieve “peaceful unification” with Taiwan, just days after a record number of Chinese military planes carried out exercises near the island, increasing tensions between the two sides. “Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait must stand on the right side of history and join hands to achieve the full unification of China,” Xi said.

“The historic mission of achieving the full unification of our country must be accomplished, and it can be accomplished,” he added, speaking at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at an event commemorating the 110th anniversary. of the revolution that overthrew China’s last imperial dynasty in 1911.

Nearly 150 fighter jets entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone over the past week, prompting the Taiwanese defense minister to declare on Wednesday that military tensions with Beijing were at their worst since over four decades. In recent years, the Chinese Air Force has repeatedly sent planes to the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone, occasionally crossing the center line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial maritime border.

In Saturday’s speech, Xi did not mention the military exercises. Instead, he declared that “achieving unification by peaceful means is in the best interest of the general interests of the Chinese people, including the compatriots in Taiwan.” However, He also warned that “those who forget their heritage, betray their country and try to break it up, will not have a good end.”

Xi’s tone took a more conciliatory approach than that of a speech he gave in July, when he pledged to “crush” any attempt at Taiwan independence.

China claims the island of some 24 million people as part of its sovereign territory and has already threatened to take control by force if Taiwan officially declares independence. However, Taiwan, which has its own elected government and constitution, has said it will defend its democracy and independence.

President Xi has previously referred to the “inevitability” of Taiwan’s return, saying the issue cannot be passed on from generation to generation forever.

In response to Xi’s speech, the Taiwanese presidential office stressed the sovereignty of the territory, claiming that its future “is in the hands of the Taiwanese people.” Added that The people of Taiwan had clearly chosen to reject China’s offer to unify in a “one country, two systems” agreement, similar to that used in Hong Kong, and instead supported “the defense of our democratic way of life “.

Aunque las recientes maniobras militares de China han aumentado las tensiones, los analistas de defensa han señalado que los aviones no se han acercado al espacio aéreo de Taiwán y que la demostración de fuerza puede ser, en cambio, una forma de China de impulsar el nacionalismo in your country.

However, Beijing’s growing pressure on Taipei puts the United States in a difficult position.

President Joe Biden told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday that he had spoken with Xi from Taiwan and had agreed to “honor the Taiwan agreement.” Since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979, the United States “admits” – but does not recognize – China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, while maintaining informal relations and military support with Taipei under the Taiwan Relations Act. The position was built on the hope that Taiwan’s future will not be decided by force.

Relations between the United States and China have deteriorated in recent years, amid issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the treatment of China’s Muslim Uyghur population and tensions in South China Sea. .

On Wednesday, the two superpowers announced that Biden and Xi would hold a virtual summit before the end of the year. The Chinese state broadcaster described the result as an agreement to redirect the relationship.

(c) 2021, The Washington Post.

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