On November 12, during a ceremony in Beijing marking the 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that Taiwan's reunification with mainland China is an inevitable historical process that cannot be stopped.

Let me briefly explain who Sun Yat-sen was. He was a Chinese revolutionary, regarded in Taiwan as the "Father of the Nation" and widely respected in mainland China as a pioneer of China's democratic revolution. He played a key role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and establishing the Republic of China.

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Xi Jinping emphasized his commitment to peaceful reunification this time and made no mention of the possible use of military force. Taipei quickly and firmly rejected Beijing's renewed demands.

In his speech, the Chinese leader stressed that resolving the Taiwan question would remain an unwavering historical mission of the Chinese Communist Party.

Quoting Xi:

"The trend of history cannot be stopped. The complete reunification of the motherland must and will be achieved"

Once again, Beijing continues to insist on the One China principle, according to which both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to a single China. The Chinese government has also expressed its willingness to bring Taiwan under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China while granting it a certain degree of autonomy. This refers to the "One Country, Two Systems" model.

Although the Chinese leadership claims to be open to negotiations, this is possible only on the condition that Taiwan recognizes Beijing's One China principle. Xi Jinping also called on people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together against forces that Beijing describes as separatist.

Taiwan's response was swift. The island's Mainland Affairs Council quickly issued a statement rejecting Xi Jinping's claims.

The council's spokesperson, Liang Wen-chieh, said that Xi's latest remarks on reunification were not significantly different from Beijing's previous statements. The council also made it clear that neither the Taiwanese authorities nor the people of Taiwan would accept the "One Country, Two Systems" model.

Here, I would like to add a brief note: this model has been implemented in Hong Kong and Macau following their respective handovers to China.

Taipei believes that such an arrangement would effectively mean complete subordination to the authoritarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party and the erosion of democratic freedoms.

And this is where Hong Kong comes into the picture. Before returning to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, it was widely known as the "Pearl of the Orient." Today, however, it faces serious challenges concerning press freedom, civil liberties, security, and its prospects for future development.

I do not want to paint everything in black and white, but Hong Kong's decline in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index is an objective reason for serious concern. It ranked 18th in the organization's inaugural 2002 index, compared with 140th in 2026. Although the methodology has evolved over the years, the difference is still striking.

Taiwan's authorities also pointed out that Xi Jinping's latest statements are hardly different from the political rhetoric Beijing has been using for years.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing labels a "separatist" and refuses to engage in dialogue with, consistently emphasizes that Taiwan has its own democratic system of government and that the right to decide the island's future belongs exclusively to its people.

Now, I would also like to explain a little more about Sun Yat-sen. If anyone has forgotten, I already mentioned him at the beginning of this article.

Overall, he is one of the few historical figures respected and commemorated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He became the first provisional president of the Republic of China following the 1911 Revolution, while the republic itself was officially proclaimed in 1912.

In 1949, after losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong's Communists, the government of the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan. It continued to govern the island under the name Republic of China, which remains its official name today.

Looking at all these statements and political maneuvers, one thing is worth understanding: in my opinion, Xi Jinping deliberately used the 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth to present his historical legacy in a way that benefits Beijing.

He emphasized that the prominent revolutionary had always supported the unity of the Chinese nation. However, Taiwan's authorities criticized this interpretation of his legacy. Moreover, even before the celebrations began, in October, they officially urged Taiwanese citizens not to participate in the events in China, accusing the Chinese Communist regime of distorting and politically exploiting Sun Yat-sen's historical legacy.

Xi's statements also came against the backdrop of two important geopolitical developments.

The APEC summit is scheduled to take place on November 18-19 in Shenzhen, China. A meeting between Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump is widely expected on the sidelines of the summit, although the details of any bilateral talks had not been formally confirmed as of November 13. Taiwan's security could become one of the most contentious issues on the agenda.

And in just over two weeks, on November 28, Taiwan will hold critically important local elections. In my opinion, Beijing is using this period to increase political pressure on Taiwanese society ahead of the vote.

China is making it clear that it is prepared for a peaceful scenario only if Taiwan makes political concessions. And this is essentially the main contradiction in Beijing's entire narrative: China speaks of peace while simultaneously demanding that the island accept its political model.

Before wrapping up, let me add a few interesting facts.

Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC manufactures around 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductors, according to estimates based on 2024 production data. The company also accounted for approximately 70% of the global contract chip manufacturing market in 2025, with its share reaching 73% in the second quarter of 2026.

Without TSMC, the global technology industry would face enormous difficulties, and the production of many electronic devices could be severely disrupted.

You may have also heard of MSI, another Taiwanese company. And yes, this very article was written using their hardware. A small Taiwanese contribution to an article about Taiwan itself. Just a little side note.

To conclude, I want to return to the main point.

Beijing's aggressive rhetoric and constant political pressure may only deepen Taiwanese society's distrust of the PRC and strengthen support for maintaining the island's current political course.

I see all these peaceful statements by China's leader primarily as an attempt to persuade more cautious Taiwanese citizens to compromise with Beijing. Ahead of the APEC summit, Xi also wants to present himself to Donald Trump as a peacemaker. This could be an attempt to soften Washington's position on Taiwan, avoid additional sanctions or tariffs, and discourage further US arms sales to the island.

And there is one more important factor worth considering the state of China's military.

The People's Liberation Army has undergone extensive personnel purges and corruption investigations involving senior military officials in recent years. According to analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies ( CSIS) , these purges have created significant gaps in the military's leadership structure and raised serious questions about its near-term readiness to conduct a large-scale military operation against Taiwan.

From my perspective, Beijing still needs time to reorganize its military leadership and strengthen its armed forces. This is another factor worth considering when analyzing Xi Jinping's current strategy.

Thank you for reading!