China Ready for War

President Xi Jinping delivered a blistering nationalist speech Tuesday, warning against any attempts to split China and touting the country’s readiness to fight “the bloody battle” to regain its rightful place in the world.

Mr Xi’s address capped an annual session of the National People’s Congress that paved the way for him to rule for life, as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong pushes through his vision of guiding the country through a “new era” of unrivalled global military and economic supremacy.

Days after President Donald Trump signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan, Mr Xi warned that Beijing would defend its “one China principle”, which sees the self-ruling island as its territory awaiting reunification.

“All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history,” Mr Xi told nearly 3,000 delegates assembled at the imposing Great Hall of the People facing Tiananmen Square . . .

The Chinese leader’s plan to build a “world-class” military by mid-century has also raised concerns about how it plans to use its increasingly modern forces amid regional frictions over China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. (Read more from “China Ready for War” HERE)

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