Xi warns Taiwan independence is ‘a dead end’

Hong Kong (CNN)Xi Jinping called on Taiwan to reject independence and embrace “peaceful reunification” with China, in a conciliatory speech that nevertheless took a hard line on the self-governing island’s political sovereignty and freedoms.

The Chinese President’s Wednesday address was a far cry from one he gave in March last year, in which he said “not a single inch of our land” could be ceded from China, adding the country was prepared to “fight the bloody battle against our enemies.”
By contrast, the latest speech — marking 40 years since a key policy document opened the door for rapprochement between Beijing and Taipei — was largely procedural, even outlining how a future system would respect Taiwanese people’s “private assets, religions, beliefs and legitimate rights,” as Xi attempted to portray the future unification of China and Taiwan as an inevitability.

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