Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the country’s technological advancements in his New Year’s address and reaffirmed China’s claim to Taiwan.
“The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!” Xi declared according to an official transcript of his speech.
At the beginning of the week, the Chinese military conducted large-scale manoeuvres around Taiwan. Observers interpreted the exercises as a reaction to newly approved US arms deliveries to the democratically governed island.
China regards the island republic as part of its territory and threatens a forcible “reunification” should a peaceful solution fail.
Technological advancements
In terms of foreign policy, Xi said that China is on the right side of history and is ready to advance peace and development in the world together with all countries, as well as to contribute to a fairer global order.
In the speech broadcast on New Year’s Eve on Wednesday, Xi also spoke about the country’s technological strengths: Several large artificial intelligence (AI) models are in intense competition, and at the same time, he said there have been breakthroughs in the development of its own semiconductors.
There were also advancements in humanoid robots and drone technology, Xi added.
New five-year plan begins
As examples of further successes in the past year, Xi mentioned the launch of the Tianwen-2 space probe for the exploration of asteroids and comets, as well as the start of construction on a large hydropower project in Tibet.
Additionally, China’s first aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system has been officially commissioned.
Looking ahead to 2026, Xi announced plans to use the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan for further reforms, deepening the policy of opening up, and achieving high-quality growth.
