Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his televised New Year's address that his country's “reunification” with Taiwan was inevitable, reiterating Beijing's threats to seize control of the self-ruled island.
Taiwan split from China In the midst of the civil war of 1949, however Beijing The island, with a population of 23 million people, is still considered its territory.
In the last years, Mr. Shi His officials have been intensifying military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over democratically ruled Taiwan.
“China's reunification will certainly take place, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait must adhere to a common sense of purpose,” Xi said in his annual New Year's address.
Although the president did not mention military threats in his speech, China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under Chinese control.
Taiwan will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13 amid increasing tension in relations between Beijing and Taipei.
Beijing considers the front-runner presidential candidate, William Lai, from the ruling People's Democratic Party, who currently serves as vice president, a “separatist” and has accused him and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen of trying to provoke a Chinese attack on the island. .
On Saturday, Chen Binhua, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, called Mr. Lai a “destroyer of peace” after a televised debate earlier that day in which Mr. Lai defended Taiwan's right to rule itself as a democracy.
Chen said Lai's speech during the discussion was “full of confrontational thinking,” adding that the vice president is “the instigator of a potentially dangerous war in the Taiwan Strait.”
While Mr. Lai describes himself as seeking independence from Beijing, he generally maintains that Taiwan is already an independent country.
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His rivals in the election include Hu Yu-ae, of the more China-friendly Kuomintang party, and Ko Wen-ji, of the Taiwan People's Party.
Meanwhile, Russian President Russian President Vladimir Putin He made only a passing reference to Ukraine In his New Year's address on Sunday, he instead praised his soldiers as “heroes” who are “at the forefront of the struggle for truth and justice.”
Vladimir Putin praised the “heroes” serving in the Russian army. Photo: AP
“To everyone who is in a combat position: You are our heroes, our hearts are with you. We are proud of you, and we admire your courage,” he said.
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The pre-recorded address was broadcast shortly before midnight on both RussiaThe 11 time zones were in sharp contrast to last year, when I stood with the grim-looking soldiers To issue a firm call for sacrifice in what he described as a battle for survival.
It is certain that Putin (71 years old) will win the elections that will be held in the country in March, with the suppression of all important opposition forces.
