‘Motherland’s Reunification Is Unstoppable’: Xi Jinping’s Defiant New Year Message To Taiwan

A file photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping (AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that the “reunification of our motherland is unstoppable” in his New Year message, striking a firm tone on Taiwan just days after Beijing carried out its largest military exercises around the self-ruled island.

“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship,” Xi Jinping said, reiterating Beijing’s long-held position that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. The remarks came as Taiwan remained on heightened alert following the conclusion of large-scale Chinese war games that Taipei and Western allies described as deeply destabilising.

Taiwan’s coast guard and military said emergency response centres remained active even as Chinese naval vessels began moving away from waters near the island this week. Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, said the maritime situation had “gradually calmed down,” with ships departing from the area.

A Taiwan coast guard official said all 11 Chinese coast guard ships operating close to the island had left nearby waters, while security officials said more than 90 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels had been deployed across the region in recent days, including in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

The military exercises, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” saw China fire dozens of rockets towards areas around Taiwan and deploy large numbers of warships and aircraft in what analysts described as an unprecedented show of force by coverage area.

The drills forced Taiwan to cancel dozens of domestic flights and scramble jets and warships to monitor Chinese movements. Soldiers were also seen conducting rapid-response drills, including setting up barricades at key locations.

Taipei condemned the exercises as a serious threat to regional security and a “blatant provocation.” Beijing, however, defended the manoeuvres. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhang Han said the drills were a “necessary and just measure” to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling them a stern warning against “Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference.”

China’s state news agency Xinhua said the exercises demonstrated the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to “seal internally and block externally,” signalling its capacity to isolate Taiwan while deterring foreign intervention. The drills began just days after the United States announced a record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims and insists only its people can decide their future.