Xi Jinping Vows Unstoppable Reunification of China and Taiwan in New Year Speech
In a New Year's Eve speech in Beijing, Xi Jinping vowed that the reunification of China and Taiwan is unstoppable, reinforcing Beijing's stance on Taiwan as an integral part of its territory. The speech came amid heightened military activity during China's Justice Mission 2025 live-fire drills around Taiwan, which involved about 200 warplanes and 25 ships, and included the firing of 27 missiles toward Taiwan, several landing within 27 nautical miles of its coast.
China continues to seek peaceful unification but has not ruled out the use of force. Meanwhile, US intelligence has expressed increasing concern over the People's Liberation Army's capabilities to potentially carry out an invasion of Taiwan. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, in her own New Year address, warned against China's expansionist ambitions and urged the passage of a higher defense budget.
Following the drills, Taiwan remained on high alert with 25 Chinese Navy and Coast Guard ships nearby and two surveillance balloons detected, one crossing the northern coast of Taiwan. Observers linked the Chinese military exercises to a recent US weapons sale to Taiwan valued at about $11 billion.
Xi also highlighted Beijing-hosted multilateral events such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, which was attended by leaders including Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The backdrop featured a large military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with Xi Jinping, Putin, and Kim Jong-un in attendance, an arrangement described as part of an axis of upheaval.
In his speech, Xi referenced Taiwan Retrocession Day, a 2025 memorial marking the end of Japanese rule over Taiwan, a date also recognized as a national holiday by Taiwan.
