NEWS//Taiwan 'must and will be' reunited with China

On January 2, China’s President XI reiterated his government’s assertion that Taiwan is a renegade province of China and that, in the end, it will come under China’s control.

One China policy

Xi stated, “Deviating from the ‘One China’ principle will make the situation of cross (strait) relations [between China and Taiwan] tense and chaotic. That’s harming the interests of our Taiwan compatriots…. Reunification is a historical trend and it is the right path. Taiwan independence is an adverse current of history and is a dead end.”

Taiwan’s independence

Taiwan broke away from Mainland China in 1949 following the Chinese civil war that install Mao Zedong as the country’s first communist leader.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen responded that the island would never accept reunification with China under the terms offered by Beijing. She called on Beijing to "face the reality of the existence of the Republic of China," referring to the island by its official name.

"I want to reiterate that Taiwan will never accept 'one country, two systems,' Tsai Ing-wen stated. “The vast majority of Taiwanese public opinion also resolutely opposes 'one country, two systems', and this is also the 'Taiwan consensus.'"

Unification is “inevitable”

President Xi said that unification was "an inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people." He noted that in his view Taiwan is "part of China's domestic politics." He cautioned that "foreign interference is intolerable."

Xi’s plan is to govern Taiwan under a "one country, two systems" formula. Taiwan would have the right to run its own affairs in an arrangement like that currently used in Hong Kong. He warned that the Taiwanese people "must understand that independence will only bring hardship."

He threatened that his government would never tolerate any form of activity promoting Taiwanese independence. Xi stated that Beijing "reserves the option of taking all necessary measures" against outside forces that interfere with peaceful reunification and Taiwanese separatist activities.

Sources: CNN, BBC, New York Times, CNBC.

Additional reports: 8 key things to notice from Xi Jinping’s New Year speech on Taiwan, Brookings Institute, Despite Xi Jinping's bluster, China is unlikely to move on Taiwan - The National, Xi Jinping's Provocative Speech And Taiwanese "Consensus" - Worldcrunch, Xi Jinping's remarks could divide KMT: academics - Taipei Times