Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke at the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress and reiterated his desire to reunify Taiwan with mainland China.
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Xi Jinping will upend Chinese political traditions cementing his status as one of the world’s most powerful leaders – and take on the U.S. to become the dominant superpower – when members of the country’s ruling Communist Party extend a third term as general secretary at the Party’s 20th National Congress. The conclave kicked off Sunday and runs for about a week.
Xi, 69, ascended to China’s top job in 2012. During his decade in power, he’s had far-reaching influence at home and abroad. He has centralized power and relentlessly cracked down on dissent. He has poured billions into international infrastructure projects and aggressively pursued island construction and militarization in the South China Sea.
In his address opening the meeting Xi said China’s zero-COVID strategy which requires strict lockdowns and travel restrictions would not be changed. He also said China would “never promise to renounce the use of force” to “unify” Taiwan with the Chinese mainland and that “complete reunification of our country must and will be realized.”
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