This small island could be the trigger point of a massive war to our north, with a leading world power warning it will stop at nothing to reclaim it.
In one of his most noteworthy addresses on the issue of Taiwan since he came to power, the Chinese President said the smaller island would enjoy peace and an independent system of governance under Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model.
“Different systems are not an obstacle to unification, and even less are they an excuse for separatism,” he said in a speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of a message sent to Taiwan in 1979, in which Beijing called for unification and an end to military confrontation.
“The private property, religious beliefs and legitimate rights and interests of our Taiwanese compatriots will be fully assured.”
The speech was less aggressive than the one he gave in March last year, in which Mr Xi said: “Not a single inch of our land will be and can be ceded from China.”
But he still threatened against any efforts to promote the island’s independence and said China would not renounce the option of using military force to bring it into the fold.
China still sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.
“China must and will be united … which is an inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people in the new era,” Mr Xi said.
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“We make no promise to give up the use of military force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means” against Taiwanese separatist activities and “outside forces” that interfere with reunification, he said.
In his speech, Mr Xi described unification under a “one country, two systems” approach that would “safeguard the interests and wellbeing of Taiwanese compatriots”.
“Reunification is the historical trend and the right path,” he said. “Taiwan independence is … a dead end.”