President Xi Jinping opened the 20th Communist Party Congress on Sunday. In his speech, he said China has not ruled out the use of force regarding Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing considers Chinese territory.
“We insist on striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and with the greatest efforts,” he said.
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“However, we are not committed to abandoning the use of force and we reserve the option to take all necessary measures,” he said.
He added that “the resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese themselves to decide.”
“The historical wheels of national reunification and national rejuvenation are rolling forward, reunification definitely must be achieved and reunification definitely will be achieved,” he said.
In response to Xi’s remarks, Taipei declared that it would not cede its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy. Taiwan’s presidential office emphasized that both sides share responsibilities for preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region and that engaging in combat is not an option.
At the Congress, President Xi urged for faster military and technological growth, in order to further the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
Xi added that the People’s Liberation Army, the party’s military branch, must “safeguard China’s dignity and basic interests,” alluding to a list of naval disputes and other matters over which Beijing asserts its readiness for war.
China is at odds with the governments of Japan, India, and Southeast Asian nations over its territorial claims.
In his opening speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Xi praised the Communist party.
He said it was upholding social stability, preserving national security, defending lives, and controlling the situation in Hong Kong, which was roiled by anti-government demonstrations in 2019.
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In other world news, Russian-launched “kamikaze drones” attacked Kyiv early Monday, the Ukrainian presidency said, describing the strikes as an act of desperation nearly eight months into a war that has claimed thousands of lives.
Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv shortly before the first explosion at around 6:35 am (0335), followed by sirens across most of the country.
“The capital was attacked by kamikaze drones,” the president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on social media.
“The Russians think it will help them, but it shows their desperation,” he added. “We need more air defence systems and as soon as possible. More weapons to defend the sky and destroy the enemy.”