Xi warns Taiwan: Unification is inevitable amidst rising tensions
In Tuesday's New Year address, China's leader Xi Jinping emphasized the necessity of unifying China with Taiwan. He warned that Beijing would not allow anyone to sever its "family ties" with the island. Xi's speech last year had a similar tone. Since then, relations between the two regions have significantly worsened.
"Taiwan is sacred territory for China. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have blood ties, and these family ties will always be stronger than others," Xi announced in a speech broadcast by state television CCTV on Tuesday.
Reuters reminds us that Xi's speech last year had a similar tone, stating that people on both sides of the strait should be "bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Since then, tensions between Taipei and Beijing have significantly intensified, especially after the decisive supporter of the island's independence, Lai Ching-te, won the presidential elections in May.
Taiwan exercises war game
On December 26, Taiwan conducted its first computer-simulated war game to foresee military escalation in its conflict with China. According to an anonymous representative of Taiwan's security forces, the exercises simulated various scenarios, including intense Chinese military actions in the "gray zone" or just below the threshold of war and situations where Taiwan is on the brink of conflict, to test the readiness of Taiwanese agencies and society to respond.
Two weeks earlier, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported that the number of Chinese vessels, including Coast Guard units, deployed near the island is the largest since the major Chinese military maneuvers in 1996.
China increases pressure
The communist authorities of China consider democratically governed Taiwan as part of their territory and seek to take control over it. Beijing prefers peaceful unification but does not rule out the use of force. In recent years, China has increased military pressure on the island, regularly sending fighter jets and ships near it.
Taiwan allocated a record $19 billion for defense in 2024, and next year's defense budget is set to be 6% higher due to the growing threat to the island's security.
