The Chinese president has advocated the One-China principle in his New Year address to the nation
Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again stressed the importance of the One-China policy regarding Taiwan, saying reunification with the island is an unstoppable process.
Self-rule was established in Taiwan by nationalist forces after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Only a handful of nations currently recognize it as independent, and most, including Russia, share Beijing’s stance that the territory is part of China.
“The compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can break our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification of the motherland,” Xi said in a televised speech.
The head of state stressed that the process 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.”
While the US officially adheres to the One-China policy, recognizing Taiwan as part of China, it simultaneously engages in military cooperation with the government in Taipei, provoking indignation from Beijing.
The Chinese government has repeatedly denounced US arms sales to Taipei, accusing Washington of fomenting tensions over the region.
READ MORE: Beijing sanctions US defense firms over Taiwan
China has staged several rounds of large-scale military drills in recent months. Last month, Xi identified the Taiwan issue as among the key boundaries that the US must respect in order to maintain a balanced relationship between Washington and Beijing.
China’s Foreign Ministry previously said US support for Taiwan violates earlier commitments under the August 17 Communiqué from 1982, in which Washington pledged not to pursue a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, and expressed its intention to gradually reduce arms sales over time.
