DELETED PEACEFUL!! China’s Premier Signals Hardened Stance on Taiwan Reunification

Chinese Premier Li Qiang vowed today, to “firmly advance” China’s push for reunification with Taiwan while opposing “external interference,” delivering a stern message during his annual work report to the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing. Speaking at the opening of the NPC’s session, Li emphasized advancing “the cause of China’s reunification” and collaborating with “fellow Chinese in Taiwan” to achieve national rejuvenation. The omission of “peaceful” before “reunification”—a term dropped since 2024—marked a notable shift, suggesting Beijing’s growing impatience and a potentially more aggressive posture toward the self-governing island it claims as its own.

Li’s reference to “external interference” pointed squarely at the United States and other Western nations, which China accuses of fueling Taiwan’s resistance through military aid, arms sales, and diplomatic gestures. Tensions have escalated since Taiwan’s 2024 election of President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing labels a “separatist” for asserting that only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. China has rebuffed Lai’s calls for dialogue, instead staging large-scale military exercises near the island—three major rounds in recent years—to underscore its resolve.

The speech coincided with the 20th anniversary of China’s 2005 Anti-Secession Law, which justifies force if Taiwan moves toward formal independence or if reunification prospects fade. Li’s appeal to Taiwanese citizens for a shared national vision reflects a soft-power tactic, though it’s gained little traction against Taiwan’s entrenched democratic identity and public rejection of unification under Beijing’s rule. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council countered that China must respect its people’s democratic will.

By dropping “peaceful” and doubling down on external threats, Li’s address reaffirmed China’s unyielding stance: reunification is non-negotiable, and foreign involvement will be fiercely resisted. As military and rhetorical pressure mounts, Taiwan remains a volatile fault line in global geopolitics.