In his year-end address on Sunday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated his promise to reunify Taiwan with mainland China, stating that "the motherland will surely be reunified." Xi emphasized the importance of unity between Chinese citizens on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and called for a shared sense of purpose in the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This was the second time in a matter of days that Xi addressed the Taiwan issue, as he also vowed to reunify Taiwan during a symposium in Beijing commemorating the birth of Mao Zedong.

Tensions between China and Taiwan have remained high, with Taiwanese voters set to participate in the island's elections on January 13. Current opinion polls show a preference for the independence-leaning candidate Lai Ching-te. China has expressed its opposition to any indication of Taiwan's independence, as demonstrated by its military exercises and live-fire drills conducted around the island in 2022.

Beijing's stance on Taiwan stems from the historical context of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 when the Republic of China government fled to Taiwan after being defeated by Mao's Communist Party. Despite Taipei's democratic governance, Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its own territory. Xi's recent remarks echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the "irresistible trend" of reunification and the need to prevent any attempts to split Taiwan from China.

While Xi's speech did not explicitly mention the use of force against Taiwan, the possibility has never been renounced by China. The state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Xi's address without mentioning the elections in Taiwan or the specific candidates. However, the frontrunner, Lai Ching-te, has been denounced by the Chinese government as a dangerous separatist.

Both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), represented by Lai Ching-te, and the opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favors closer ties with China, assert that the future of Taiwan should be decided by its people. The Chinese government has rejected calls for talks from Lai Ching-te and has rebuffed his attempts to engage in dialogue.

As tensions continue to escalate between China and Taiwan, the international community closely watches the situation, aware of the potential implications of any actions taken by either side.