President Xi Jinping delivered a blistering nationalist speech on Tuesday, warning against any attempts to split China and touting the country’s readiness to fight “the bloody battle” to regain its rightful place in the world.
Xi’s address capped an annual session of the National People’s Congress that paved the way for him to rule for life, as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong pushes through his vision of guiding the country through a “new era” of unrivalled global military and economic supremacy.
Days after President Donald Trump signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan, Xi warned that Beijing would defend its “one China principle”, which sees the self-ruling island as its territory awaiting reunification.
“All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history,” Xi said.
But he also sought to address concerns about ambitious Chinese development projects abroad, saying they “will not pose a threat to any country.”
“Only those who are accustomed to threatening others will see everyone as a threat,” he added.
Xi used the speech to espouse his vision of realising the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” — the “greatest dream” of the world’s second-largest economy.
“The Chinese people have been indomitable and persistent, we have the spirit of fighting the bloody battle against our enemies to the bitter end,” he said.
But his speech was also a reminder that the Communist Party, more than ever, reigns over the country’s affairs.
“History has already proven and will continue to prove that only socialism can save China,” he said.
“The Communist Party is the supreme political leadership of the country and the fundamental guarantee to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
The two-week session of the National People’s Congress handed Xi, 64, a second term and endorsed the Communist Party’s decision to lift presidential term limits, clearing the way for him to remain in power indefinitely after his second term ends in 2023.
His eponymous political philosophy, which was enshrined in the party charter last year, was added to the national constitution and senior government officials had to swear an oath to the document for the first time.
