China’s Xi Jinping pushes nationalist view in strong speech to nation
Hong Kong (CNN)Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a confident, nationalistic speech Tuesday, emphasizing China’s desire to take up its “due place in the world.”
Speaking at the closure of the 13th National People’s Congress, a meeting of the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, Xi said the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has become the biggest dream of the Chinese people.”
“We are resolved to fight the bloody battle against our enemies … with a strong determination to take our place in the world,” Xi said.
The speech followed the removal of constitutional term limits on the presidency, potentially clearing Xi to lead China for life, and at many points in his speech he harkened back to the country’s imperial past which critics have accused him of seeking to emulate.
For the first half of the speech, Xi listed China’s historic achievements — such as the invention of paper, Confucianism, and building the Great Wall — and the country’s experience of invasion from outside and “defending the national independence and freedom.”
He had strong language for supporters of formal independence for Taiwan or Hong Kong, saying that “not a single inch of our land” could be ceded from China. The comments received loud applause from the hundreds of delegates gathered in the Great Hall of the People.
Taiwan has been self-governed since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated nationalist government fled to the island. Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province to retaken by force if necessary.
“We should safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and achieve full unification of the motherland,” Xi said, adding unification was a “the aspiration of all Chinese people.”
In his speech, Xi stressed the importance of reforming China’s military.
“We should make sure the (Communist Party) has ultimate leadership over the military and in a new era continue to strengthen … the military with science and technology and rule-based governance,” he said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/19/asia/china-xi-jinping-speech-npc-intl/index.html
