Xi Jinping Reaffirms Commitment to Taiwan Unification, Emphasizes Anti-Corruption in Party Anniversary Speech

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing unification with Taiwan and emphasized the ideology of building a strong military and anti-corruption efforts within the party during his speech at the ceremony marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1.
President Xi, who serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, delivered a speech lasting approximately 40 minutes at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this morning. He stated, "We must resolutely strike down separatist forces seeking Taiwan independence and oppose interference by external forces," adding, "We must firmly advance the great cause of national reunification."
He declared that "resolving the Taiwan issue and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is a historical mission that our party has consistently pursued, and the common aspiration of all Chinese people." He further asserted the need to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, an agreement reached in 1992 that acknowledges there is only one China while allowing each side to use its own designation.
President Xi also promoted the ideology of building a strong military, China's military leadership concept that aims to enhance the capabilities of the People's Liberation Army by maintaining the party's absolute leadership.
"To be a strong nation, we must have a strong military, and only with a strong military can the country be safe," he emphasized. "We must fully implement the party's ideology on strengthening the military for the new era and carry out the military strategy guidelines for the new era."
He further urged, "We must advance the modernization of national defense and the military to a high level, realize the goals for the centenary of the founding of the military as scheduled, and accelerate the building of the People's Army into a world-class military."
During his speech, he repeatedly used the term "struggle" about 20 times, expressing his determination to overcome the internal and external difficulties facing China.
"Our country's development is currently in a period where strategic opportunities, risks, and challenges coexist, and uncertainties and unpredictable factors are increasing," Xi said. "We must be prepared to withstand high winds and rough waves, and even dangerous storms."
This is interpreted as an expression of his determination to overcome structural challenges both at home and abroad, including the slowdown of the Chinese economy due to the real estate slump and weak domestic demand, as well as strategic competition with the United States and other Western nations.
President Xi continued, "As changes unseen in a century unfold more rapidly, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation," and ordered comprehensive and strict party governance and the fight against corruption.
Regarding party building, he urged, "We have resolutely removed all elements that damage the party's purity," adding, "We must ensure it never changes its nature and always maintains strong creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness."
Reflecting on the 105-year achievements of the Communist Party, President Xi also assessed that China had achieved economic growth and social stability in a relatively short period.
He claimed that "the Communist Party of China has always stood on the right side of history and the side of human civilization's progress," noting that it built a new China by toppling the "three big mountains" of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism, and completely ended the history of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.
"The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has become an irreversible trend, and it is showing a brighter prospect than ever before," he added. "In just a few decades, we have completed the industrialization that developed countries achieved over hundreds of years, and created two miracles: rapid economic development and long-term social stability."
While praising the 105th anniversary as a "proud and glorious history," he added, "We must never be arrogant or complacent, and we must not rest on our laurels," stating, "We must fully build a modern socialist power by the middle of this century and realize the second centenary goal."
Some observers suggest that President Xi's remarks on this day were somewhat milder in tone compared to his past anniversary speeches, which were characterized by stronger messages.
In his 2021 speech for the 100th anniversary, he stated that bullying or pressure from external forces would not be tolerated, warning, "Anyone who attempts to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people."
In his 2016 speech for the 95th anniversary, he also warned the United States, saying, "No foreign country should expect us to trade away our core interests," while indirectly pressuring separatist movements in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In contrast, President Xi's remarks on this day did not significantly deviate from previously stated principled positions or expressions.
This has led to interpretations that rather than confronting rival nations including the U.S., President Xi is prioritizing internal party unity to achieve long-term goals such as economic recovery.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.