Chinese President Xi Jinping says peaceful reunification with Taiwan is in country’s best interests
- In speech marking 110th anniversary of the revolution that established the first Chinese republic, Xi urges Taiwan to ‘stand on the right side of history’
- Taipei condemns speech as a ‘distortion of history’ and calls on Beijing to stop threatening the island
The Taiwanese government said the speech was a distortion of history and called on Beijing to stop threatening the island.
The uprising, also known as the Xinhai revolution, began in Wuchang, now part of modern-day Wuhan, and led to the downfall of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
In his most high-profile speech on Taiwan since July 1, the Communist Party’s centenary, Xi said: “We [should] adhere to the basic policy of peaceful reunification and one country, two systems; adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 consensus; and promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.”
He urged Taiwan to “stand on the right side of history jointly to create the glorious cause of the full reunification and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”.
Invoking the revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen’s belief that “unification is the hope of all Chinese nationals”, Xi said: “The Taiwan issue was a result of the nation that was weak and chaotic, and will surely be resolved with national rejuvenation.”
