Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping stated at the commemoration of Jiang Zemin’s 100th birthday, “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will be achieved on the basis of complete national unification.” Mainland China’s official media Global Times subsequently published an article saying this statement carries tremendous weight, and Taiwan society should understand it most.
On Monday morning, following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech at the ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of former CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin’s birth, Global Times published a commentary that evening, titled “How Should Taiwan Society Understand This Important Speech?”
The article stated: “Regarding this important speech, what Taiwan society most needs to comprehend is not just the historical significance of commemorating the 100th birthday of Comrade Jiang Zemin, but above all a statement of tremendous weight within Xi’s address: ‘The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will be achieved on the basis of the complete unification of the motherland and the building of a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, and modern socialist country.’”
In his speech, Xi Jinping specifically cited Jiang Zemin’s outlook for the future, and then added, “After long-term efforts, the undertakings of the Party and the country are flourishing, the land of China is peaceful and orderly, people’s lives are continually improving, and the prospect of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is bright. The dream that generations have struggled for is step by step becoming a reality.”
The article said that these two passages are not merely juxtaposed, but together form a clear historical logic: “National rejuvenation is becoming a reality, and achieving complete national unification is a historical task that must be fulfilled in the process of national rejuvenation. If Taiwan society understands this point, it will realize: The Taiwan issue has never been an isolated topic that can be separated from the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and postponed indefinitely; nor is national unification an optional addendum after the achievement of national rejuvenation.”
The article goes on to remind Taiwan society, three times, that it needs to understand: unification is not an issue to be “discussed after rejuvenation is achieved”; the Taiwan issue cannot be passed down from generation to generation; and unification goes beyond merely formal unification and requires a “meeting of hearts and minds.” The article also cautions Taiwan society especially to beware of three misconceptions: that national rejuvenation is only the mainland’s business and irrelevant to Taiwan; that unification can be postponed indefinitely; or that outside forces can alter the course of history.
The article said that Xi Jinping’s speech reminds Taiwan society that the Taiwan issue must be re-examined within the historical context of national rejuvenation. “In the past, many people regarded unification as a distant issue; today, unification is becoming increasingly clear as part of the overall process of national rejuvenation. In the past, some thought that delay could buy time and space; today, reality has shown that the longer the delay, the more likely the opportunity to achieve mutual development by peaceful means will be missed.”
The article concludes: “Now that national rejuvenation has entered a crucial stage, national unification is no longer just a matter awaiting discussion. It has already become part of the historical process itself. For Taiwan society, it is time to adjust expectations and truly let go of the illusion that ‘delay can ensure the perpetuation of cross-strait separation.’”
In 2012, Xi Jinping proposed the “Chinese Dream of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation,” a goal tied to the “Two Centenary Goals,” the second of which aims for a strong, modern socialist country by the centenary of the PRC’s founding in 2049—thus realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi has also repeatedly linked unification to national rejuvenation. In 2017, he stated in the report to the 19th CCP National Congress: “Achieving complete national unification is a necessary requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” At the closing of the 2023 National People’s Congress, he again stated that complete unification is “an essential part of national rejuvenation.”