Xi flaunts China’s tech rise, reaffirms pledge to take Taiwan

BEIJING: On Wednesday evening, Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected on his country’s technological progress over the past year, celebrating breakthroughs from artificial intelligence to semiconductors, while once again making clear Beijing’s goal of bringing Taiwan under its control.

In his New Year’s Eve address, broadcast by state media, Xi painted a picture of a nation pushing forward in military technology, space exploration, and infrastructure. The speech was accompanied by striking visuals, from humanoid robots performing kung fu to sprawling new hydropower projects.

“We sought to energise high-quality development through innovation,” Xi said, expressing gratitude to the Chinese people for helping drive the country’s economic growth over the past five years. China is now preparing its next five-year economic plan, set to be discussed at the legislative session in March.

Against the backdrop of tighter U.S. restrictions on semiconductors and other high-tech exports, Xi emphasised the country’s focus on becoming more self-reliant in science and technology.

He also highlighted China’s rising presence on the global stage, pointing to the high-level political events and international exchanges it hosted over the past year.

Turning to Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy Beijing considers part of its territory, Xi repeated his long-standing message about reunification. “We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship,” he said. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable.”

The speech came amid heightened tensions in the region. Earlier this week, China conducted two days of military drills near Taiwan, involving rocket launches, aircraft, and warships, in response to a planned U.S. arms sale to the island. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te condemned the drills but promised his government would act responsibly, avoiding escalation or provocations.