Xi Speech Escalates Taiwan Tensions with Warning on Attempts to ‘Split’ China

Xi’s warns that attempts to ‘split’ China will be ‘punished by history’.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/03/20
By: David Green

China’s President Xi Jinping ratcheted up tensions over Taiwan Tuesday (March 20) with a speech to the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing that warned that any scheme to “split” China would be “punished by history.”

Xi’s comments came as part of a speech that underlined the Communist Party leader’s grip on power following his successful bid to change the country’s constitution and abolish term limits on the offices of president, potentially paving the way for him to rule for life.

“All acts and schemes to split China are doomed to failure and will be condemned by the people and punished by history,” Xi said in an address to the NPC’s closing session, adding that the Chinese people have the will, confidence and ability to defeat attempts to split the country.    [FULL  STORY]