BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping called for advancing efforts towards “reunification” with Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own, in a speech on Wednesday (Sep 30) on the eve of China’s national day.
Xi rejected “external interference” over Taiwan in his address ahead of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, days after he told US President Donald Trump that Washington should oppose the island’s independence.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take it.
“We must deepen cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, resolutely crack down on ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, oppose interference from external forces, promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advance the great cause of national reunification,” Xi said.
His address was made to hundreds of guests at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The People’s Republic of China was founded on Oct 1, 1949, after the Communist army defeated nationalist Kuomintang forces at the end of a civil war lasting two decades.
The defeated nationalists fled to Taiwan.
