Xi warns US ‘punishment of history’ over Taiwan

Bloomberg

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that efforts to widen divisions with Taiwan would be “punished by history” in a nationalistic speech to mark the start of his second term. In an address to China’s almost 3,000-member national parliament, Xi said China had the capabilities to stop any attempt to formalise the democratically ruled island’s independence. The remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump signed a law allowing high-level official visits to Taiwan, a move that would elevate its diplomatic status.
“All acts and schemes to split China are doomed to failure and will be condemned by the people and punished by history,” Xi told the closing session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing. “The Chinese people have the firm will, full confidence and sufficient ability to defeat all activities to split the country.”
The remarks on Taiwan were part of a roughly 40-minute speech in which Xi repeatedly emphasised the importance of “the people’s” support for the Communist Party’s rule. The president said public backing was fundamental to achieving his goal of becoming a global power by 2050.
“This is an official warning from China’s top leader to the US and Taiwan,” said Wang Jiangyu, an international law professor at the National University of Singapore. “It’s an announcement that China will never compromise on Taiwan-related issues.” Xi has emerged from China’s annual legislative meeting with a strengthened grip over the levers of money and power in China. The legislature voted unanimously to re-elect him as president after removing a constitutional provision that limited him to two terms in office. It also voted for a major overhaul of China’s government and approved the appointment of Xi associates to top government positions, including former anti-graft Tsar Wang Qishan as vice president and economic adviser Liu He as vice premier.
While Taiwan is self-ruled and enjoys American military support, China considers the island a province and has made acceptance of its “one-China” claim a precondition for diplomatic ties — including with the US. Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, has angered China since her 2016 election by refusing to endorse the one-China framework while offering to sign a US free-trade deal and buy more advanced American arms.