BEIJING: On the eve of the 75th Foundation Day of the Republic of China, President Xi Jinping has reiterated his call for China to “reunite” with Taiwan, saying that achieving complete national reunification is the common aspiration of the Chinese people.

“It is an irreversible trend, a matter of justice, and it is in accordance with the popular will. No one can stop the march of history,” President Xi said during his address to thousands of people who had gathered for a banquet celebrating 75 years of the People’s Republic.

The People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949, after the Communist army defeated nationalist Kuomintang for­c­es at the end of a civil war lasting two decades. The defeated nationalists fled to Taiwan.

“Taiwan is sacred territory for China. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have blood ties, and these family ties will always be stronger than others,” Xi said.

Biden approves $567m military aid for Taipei; China warns arming Taiwan will only ‘backfire’

Xi also used his speech to call for opposition to the “separatist activities”.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden approved $567 million in military assistance for Taiwan.

The United States does not officially recognize Taiwan diplomatically, it is Taipei’s key partner and major provider of weapons — a point of consternation for Beijing, which has repeatedly called on Washington to stop arming the island, which it claims is part of its territory.

In a brief statement, the White House said Biden had delegated the secretary of state “to direct the drawdown of up to $567 million in defence articles and services of the Department of Defence, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan.”

The United States in April this year also approved billions in military aid for Taiwan in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Asked about the new defence assistance, China’s foreign ministry warned the US that arming Taiwan would “backfire”. Spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing urged Washington to “stop arming Taiwan in any form.” “The US’s insistence on supporting Taiwan independence with weapons will only backfire and lead to self-inflicted consequences,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024