He said Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share “a bond of blood and kinship”. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable,” Mr Xi said. In November, the prime minister of Japan said she would not rule out military intervention if Taiwan faced a direct attack by the PLA. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that China’s military exercises around Taiwan is “an act that escalates tension in the Taiwan Strait” and that it has conveyed the concern to Beijing. “The peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are important for the entire international community.

Source: The Times December 31, 2025 13:07 UTC