On Nov. 12, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Taiwan’s unification with China was inevitable and pledged to pursue it peacefully, while Taiwan’s government rejected Beijing’s proposed framework and said the island’s future belongs to its people.
Xi spoke at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People during a ceremony marking the 160th anniversary of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen’s birth. He said China’s Communist Party was firmly committed to resolving the Taiwan issue and that historical developments could not be stopped. Xi supported “one country, two systems” and said Beijing was willing to talk with Taiwan, but only based on Beijing’s “one-China” principle.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said neither Taiwan’s government nor the public would accept that model. It urged Beijing to respect Taiwan’s democratic way of life. A council spokesperson said Xi’s wording was mostly unchanged from his earlier statements.
Taipei also called on Beijing to recognize that the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, still exists. Xi did not mention using force in his speech. But Beijing has not ruled out using force as an option.
The sovereignty dispute remains a central source of tension across the Taiwan Strait.