Chinese President Xi Asserts Taiwan's Reunification With China In New Year's Speech

China remains committed to the "one country, two systems" policy for Hong Kong and Macao, despite Taiwan's rejection of Beijing's claim and military pressure from China.

In a clear warning to what Beijing view as pro-independence forces within and outside of Taiwan, China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that no one can stop China's reunification with Taiwan. 

While addressing his New Year's speech which was televised on China's state broadcaster CCTV, Xi asserted, "The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification," as reported by Reuters. He later added that China is determined to implement the policy of "one country, two systems" to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao.

China, for long, has stated that Taiwan is its own territory. However, the democratically-governed Taiwan has rejected Beijing's claim and said that only its people can decide their future. In order to put pressure on Taiwan, China has reportedly increased its military operations by sending its warships close to its border. China has also been accused of breachig Taiwan's air space almost every day. However, calling it creeping efforts of China to normalise its military presence on Taiwan, the Taiwan authorities have raised its concern.

Earlier last year, Taiwan held election to elect its president. Since May, when Lai Ching-te come to power, China has also held three rounds of military drills. 

Xi's message came at a point when Donald Trump has returned as the US President. Trump has earlier threatened to impose punitive tarrifs and trade measures against China. Taiwan is a key point of contention between China and the US, as the island nation is the strategic ally of US.

Xi in his last year New Year's speech as well said that China's reunification with Taiwan is inevitable and that people on both sides should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, as reported by Wion News.

In a message to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Xi also vowed to promote world peace and said that no matter how the international situation changes, China will remain steadfast in further comprehensively deepening reform and promoting world peace and development.