China calls for ‘peaceful’ reunification for Taiwan

China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control but will strive to achieve peaceful “reunification” with the self-ruled island that has a bright future under Chinese rule, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

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.

CNN reports that 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.