China’s President Xi Jinping pledged to pursue reunification with Taiwan during his annual New Year’s Eve address, according to multiple news reports. The comments came after large-scale military exercises near the self-governing island, underscoring Beijing’s ongoing assertiveness on the Taiwan issue and raising tensions in the region.
“Unstoppable” reunification goal
Speaking on Wednesday evening in Beijing, Xi said:
“The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable.”
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has long pledged to annex the island, using force if necessary.
Military drills near Taiwan
The speech came a day after China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted its largest military exercises near Taiwan in over a year. Known as “Justice Mission 2025,” the live-fire drills involved at least 89 warplanes and simulated a blockade of Taiwan’s main ports. The exercises included the PLA’s navy, air force, rocket force, and coastguard encircling the island.
Chinese state media linked the drills to the recent US approval of $11 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan.
Global diplomacy and military display
Xi also highlighted China’s diplomatic achievements in 2025, including hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in Tianjin, attended by leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India PM Narendra Modi, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The broadcast of Xi’s speech was interspersed with footage from China’s largest-ever military parade, held in September to commemorate 80 years since the end of World War II. During the parade, Xi appeared alongside Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, forming what analysts have called an “axis of upheaval.”
Taiwan Retrocession Day and historical legacy
Xi emphasized “Taiwan Retrocession Day,” a memorial day established in 2025 to mark the end of Japanese rule in Taiwan in 1945. Taiwan also passed legislation recognizing October 25 as a national holiday.
