By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL – China’s President on Monday warned its 1.4 billion citizens against “potential dangers” while stressing the goal of complete unification of Taiwan with the mainland.
"We must remain mindful of potential dangers and be well-prepared,” Xi Jinping told an event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing commemorating the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
After 75 years of "strenuous efforts,” Xi said “Chinese modernization has unfolded promising prospects,” according to state-run Xinhua News.
China has celebrated its National Day annually on Oct. 1 since its founding in 1949.
On self-ruled Taiwan, Xi said the island nation is an “integral part of China's territory.”
Stressing efforts to deepen economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, Xi called for “resolute” efforts to “oppose separatist activities aimed at Taiwan’s independence."
While China claims Taiwan in full, the island nation of around 24 million people has maintained its independence since 1949.
Earlier today, Xi led Communist Party and state leaders to Tiananmen Square in central Beijing – the scene of the tumultuous 1989 protests – to pay tribute to fallen heroes as China marked Sept. 30 as National Martyrs Day since 2014.
“Taiwan is China's sacred territory, and the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are connected by blood, and blood is thicker than water,” Xi said.
“We must adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, deepen cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and promote the spiritual harmony of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” said Xi, who is leading China for an unprecedented third term.
“Realizing complete reunification of the motherland is the general trend, the righteous cause, and the will of the people. No one can stop the wheel of history,” he stressed.
While emphasizing peaceful reunification of the two sides divided by the Taiwan Strait, Beijing has not ruled out using force to take over the island nation.
Xi’s comments on Taiwan came hours after its archrival the US announced military aid worth $567 million to Taiwan, triggering a sharp response from Beijing.
Besides growing rivalry with Washington, Beijing last week acknowledged that the world’s second-largest economy faces “new problems."