At China’s Communist Party Congress, President Xi Jinping advocated for faster military growth, defended Beijing’s “zero-COVID” strategy, and refused to rule out the use of force to reclaim Taiwan.
Xi called for accelerating military and technology development to build a world-class military to “safeguard China’s dignity and core interests”.
He said “the situation in Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to governance,” following the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
When it comes to Taiwan, the President said it “must be resolved by Chinese people alone,” condemning any “external forces” interfering in this internal affair.
“We will adhere to striving for the prospect of a peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and greatest efforts, but will never commit to abandoning the use of force, and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.”
– Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China
Regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Xi said that the “zero-COVID” policy had “protected people’s safety and health to the highest degree,” with no indication of a possible change.
