Taiwan Assertion, Zero Covid Policy, Anti-Graft Drive: Xi Jinping's Address At 20th Congress — Key Highlights

While opening the five-yearly Communist Party Congress on Sunday, President Xi Jinping made an address to 2,300 hand-picked delegates.

China's President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening session of the 20th Chinese Communist Party's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. ( Image Source :AFP )

New Delhi: China's President Xi Jinping, on Sunday, opened the 20th five-yearly Communist Party Congress addressing around 2,300 hand-picked delegates at the Great Hall in Tiananmen Square. In his 100-minute long speech, he spoke about reabsorbing Taiwan with any means necessary, defended his government's zero-Covid policy, and hailed the anti-graft efforts, reported news agency AFP.  

The speech allowed Xi to laud his government's achievements in front of the delegates who will likely hand him a historic third term in power at the end of the week, stated the report. 

Xi was welcomed on stage by thunderous applause from the people in the Great Hall, who hailed the Communist Party's rule and noted that the meeting came at a crucial time. 

"The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a very important congress convened at a critical moment," Xi said, as per AFP. 

Xi's Assertion On Taiwan & Hong Kong

Addressing the Taiwan issue, Xi asserted that resolving the conflict is the Chinese people's business as he condemned the "external forces" interfering in it. He hailed the end of what he described as the "chaos" -- the pro-democracy protests in 2019 -- in Hong Kong.

"The situation in Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to governance," he said, going on to pledge a "major struggle against separatism and interference" in Taiwan.

He later added that "the Taiwan issue... must be resolved by Chinese people alone".

"We will adhere to striving for the prospect of a peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and greatest efforts, but will never commit to abandoning the use of force, and reserve the option to take all necessary measures," Xi said, as quoted by AFP.

'Put People's Lives First During Covid-19 Pandemic'

Despite the criticism over China's control over the effects of his country's strict zero-Covid policy, the president claimed that the country had "put the lives of people" first when dealing with the pandemic. 

According to AFP, Xi said China had "protected people's safety and health to the highest degree and achieved significant positive results in coordinating epidemic prevention and control and social and economic development".

'Anti-Graft Drive Eliminates Latent Dangers'

He commended the anti-graft drive, his long-running crackdown on corruption, that had put an end to "serious latent dangers" within the Communist Party and military.

"The fight against corruption has won an overwhelming victory and has been comprehensively consolidated, eliminating serious latent dangers within the party, the state and the military," he said, referencing campaign critics say has been used to curb internal dissent, as per the report. 

'Opposed To Cold War Mentality'

Though he did not mention China's frayed ties with the US, President Xi said Beijing opposed the "Cold War mentality" in international diplomacy. 

"China... resolutely opposes all forms of hegemony and power politics, opposes the Cold War mentality, opposes interfering in other countries' domestic politics, opposes double standards," he said, claiming Beijing "will never seek hegemony and will never engage in expansion".

Steps To Boost Birth Rate And Fight Climate Change

The Chinese President said that Beijing will enact policies to boost the birth rate, as policymakers worry that an imminent decline in China's population could hurt the world's second-biggest economy.

"We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing," Xi said, according to news agency Reuters.

Xi also mentioned that China is committed to fighting against climate change. China will "actively participate in global governance on climate change", Xi told delegates, while promising to "strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal".