TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Xi Jinping (習近平) gave his opening remarks at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Sunday (Oct. 16) morning, as he prepares to secure his position as party chairman for another five years.

In his speech outlining the direction China will take in a "new era," Xi emphasized that the “Taiwan question” must be resolved. The chairman also said that the only people with any right to determine the fate of Taiwan are the Chinese people.

Xi Jinping touted China’s recent military provocations towards Taiwan as evidence of China’s commitment to resisting “separatist forces.” Citing his government’s action over the past five years, Xi said that China is engaged in a “major struggle against separatism and foreign interference.”

As Xi prepares to begin his third term as leader, China is dealing with serious economic and social problems domestically, along with increasing diplomatic tensions abroad. To prove his credentials as a capable leader before the party, Xi characterized his policy towards Taiwan as that of “firm determination and strong ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Chinese leader also commented on the crackdown on democracy protests in Hong Kong, and the annulment of the “one country, two systems” guarantee. Xi described the events in Hong Kong over the past few years as achieving “governance out of chaos,” and boasted that the CCP now has “full control” of the city.

On Saturday (Oct. 15), the official spokesperson of the 20th party congress, Sun Yeli (孫業禮), laid out the communist party’s official position on Taiwan. He emphasized that the CCP is prepared to attack Taiwan if it is unable to annex Taiwan in a peaceful manner.



Despite having never governed Taiwan, the CCP persists in its unfounded claims to ownership over the island of Taiwan and its 23 million residents.