Chinese leader vows at opening of Communist party congress to secure hold over Taiwan and pursue ‘technology self-reliance’
Rebecca Choong Wilkins and Kari Lindberg
Xi’s remarks indicate that China is ready to stare down a growing challenge from the US under President Joe Biden, who has moved to hinder Beijing’s ability to access advanced technology and sought to deter any military action against Taiwan — the biggest flash point between the world’s biggest economies. The Chinese leader hailed the nation’s “fighting spirit” and said the country was “well-positioned for pursuing development and ensuring security”.
Xi’s speech reflected a changed world from 2017, when he declared that China was “standing tall and firm in the East”. Since then, he’s faced a barrage of US tariffs, financial sanctions and trade curbs aimed at blocking China’s ability to grow even more powerful, culminating in a sweeping order this month restricting Beijing’s access to high-end chips used in artificial intelligence, supercomputing and other technologies set to drive the modern economy.
In addition to failing to make significant breakthroughs on chip technology despite spending tens of billions of dollars, the nation is also facing the slowest economic growth in more than four decades, excluding 2020’s Covid-19 slump. Restrictive pandemic policies have cut off visitors and hurt spending, while youth unemployment is about record highs. A property crisis has also spurred a wave of mortgage boycotts.
Hong Kong and Taiwan were two places where China’s actions have considerably hurt its international reputation during Xi’s current five-year term. Xi proclaimed Sunday that “order has been restored” in the former British colony, while calling Taiwan a “matter for the Chinese” to resolve. While Xi said China “will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort”, he added that the threat to use force was “directed solely at interference by external forces and a few separatists seeking Taiwan independence”.
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