China, Xi flexes muscles on reunification with Taiwan: “Inevitable”

The world is increasingly ravaged by wars and clashes, with a global geopolitical situation on the boil. And the main protagonists do nothing to calm the tension. On the contrary. “Reunification” with Taiwan is a “historical inevitability”: this is a passage from the words of Chinese President Xi Jinping in his end-of-year speech, in which he reviewed the country’s results and challenges in 2023, the year in which it recorded an increase in tensions in the Strait of Formosa and just days before the presidential elections are held on the island.

China’s number one also highlighted the need to “maintain long-term prosperity and stability” and “better integration into the grand national development plan” of the semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau. “Control of the pandemic has stabilized”, recalled Xi in his only reference to the dismantling of the “Covid zero” policy at the beginning of this year, after almost three years of strict restrictions. In his speech, the Chinese President assured that “the Chinese economy continues to recover and improve”, highlighting at the same time an “overflowing development dynamism” of the Asian giant, exemplified by the strength of sales of domestically produced mobile phones and the progress of the second largest economy in the world in the production of electric vehicles.

Among the highlights of the year, Xi cited the first commercial flight of the Chinese-made C919 aircraft and the missions that transported astronauts to the Chinese Tiangong space station. At an international level, Xi noted that “there are still places in the world in the midst of war” and that the Chinese people “are very aware of the value of peace”, which is why he assured that his country is “willing to collaborate with international organizations and the community to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity”. This speech seems to clash a little with the words about Taiwan.