On the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping threatened “decisive action” to annex Taiwan

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, on Thursday reiterated Beijing’s determination to include the self-government Taiwan under his control, in the speech given on the occasion of the centenary of the Communist Party (CCP).

Dressed in a gray button-up suit in the style of Mao Zedong, Xi said, “We must take decisive action to completely defeat any attempt at “Taiwan independence” and work together to create a bright future for national rejuvenation.”.

The president, in a speech lasting more than an hour – preceded by fire from a salvo of one hundred cannons – declared that Taiwan, an island which governs autonomously but over which Beijing claims its sovereignty, is a priority issue: “Solving the Taiwanese question and achieving the full reunification of China is a historic mission and an unwavering commitment of the CCP. “.

The president also said that China restored order to Hong Kong after anti-government protests that brought the semi-autonomous city to a standstill in 2019.

“No one – added the president – should underestimate the great determination, the firm will and the extraordinary capacity of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and their territorial integrity”. In this sense, Xi said that “China will equip its armed forces with greater capacity and more reliable assets”.

“We must accelerate the modernization of National Defense. A strong country must have a strong army, ”said Xi, who chairs the Chinese Central Military Commission, thus dominating the three forces of the communist regime (State, Party and Army).

In a speech at Beijing’s iconic Tiananmen Square, Xi added to some 70,000 people gathered there: “The Chinese people will never allow foreign forces to intimidate and oppress them. Whoever does runs the risk of being wiped out in front of a Great Wall of steel built by 1,400 million Chinese”. In addition, he hailed hundreds of millions of Chinese people lifted out of poverty in just a few decades.

On Thursday morning, 100 cannon shots rang out in Beijing to mark the centenary. The Air Force acrobatic patrol flew over Tiananmen Square, drawing red, yellow and blue beams in the sky. Some helicopters had the number “100” in the sky and others carried the party flag, with the yellow hammer and sickle on a red background.

Chinese media attribute the successful control of the epidemic to the prevailing authoritarian system, and contrast it with the epidemic chaos of Western democracies.

Few voices question the balance of the regime, which has accentuated the repression of dissent under Xi, at the head of the party, and therefore of the country, since the end of 2012.

Xi’s statements come with China submerged increasingly accentuated rivalry with the United States for world power status, and facing India for its disputed border. Beijing also claims uninhabited islands in Japanese hands and almost the entire East China Sea, while threatening to invade Taiwan, with whom Washington has strengthened its relations and military sales.

The CCP “seeks to link its survival to that of China and the Chinese people,” said Wu Qiang, a former political science professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, who was fired in 2015 after supporting the protest in Hong Kong.

Internationally, between COVID-19, the repression of the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang (northwest) and threats against Taiwan, China’s image has fallen in the past two years to its lowest level among most Western countries, according to a study released Wednesday by the US Pew Research Center.

The centennial celebrations come just a year after Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that significantly reduced political opposition in the former British colony.

Thursday also marks the 24th anniversary of the territory’s return to China, a date that is often the reason for protests against Beijing.

Hong Kong police have banned gatherings this year, citing health reasons and deployed 10,000 troops to enforce the ban, local press reported.

But calm reigned Thursday in Hong Kong and the only demonstration was led by four pro-democracy activists who gathered in a place near the ceremony during which the handover was commemorated.

(With information from EFE, AFP, AP)

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