China's president used his New Year's Eve address to double down on one of his core goals: bringing Taiwan under Beijing's control. Speaking in Beijing a day after large-scale military drills around Taiwan wrapped up, Xi Jinping said, "The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable," the Guardian reports.
- China's military had just finished "Justice Mission 2025," two days of live-fire exercises that simulated a blockade of Taiwan's key ports and ringed the island with navy, air force, rocket force and coast guard units. At least 89 warplanes took part, the most in more than a year. Analysts said the drills were expected before year's end but were also seen as a response to a US-approved $11 billion arms package for Taipei.
- Xi's remarks underscored how central Taiwan is to his broader push for a reshaped global order in which other countries affirm Beijing's claim over the self-ruled island. Most people in Taiwan reject unification under Communist Party rule, and US intelligence agencies have been increasingly focused on China's expanding ability to mount an attack if Xi chooses that route.
- In his address, aired on state media alongside footage of September's massive military parade marking 80 years since the end of World War II, Xi also highlighted deepening ties with rulers such as Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un—figures who joined him on the reviewing stand in Beijing in September.
The speech included economic messaging. Xi praised China's tech and cultural advances, including the Tianwen-2 comet mission and international hits like the game Black Myth: Wukong and the animated film Ne Zha 2. As he spoke, images including humanoid robots performing kung fu appeared on screens, the AP reports. "We sought to energize high-quality development through innovation," he said. Earlier Wednesday, Xi told senior Communist Party officials that China was on track to meet its 5% growth target.
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