Reunification and Rejuvenation

By Lan Xinzhen

President Xi Jinpings speech mark- ing the 110th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution， or the Xinhai Revolution， delivered on October 9 has undoubtedly dealt a blow to “Taiwan independence” advocates both at home and abroad， as well as showcased Chinas strong determination and confidence in the countrys reunification.

For about a century following the First Opium War in 1840， the Chinese nation was long trampled on and oppressed by various imperial powers. The 1911 Revolution， which was led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen and overthrew the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911） as well as put an end to the countrys over 2，000-year-old dynastic rule， ushered in an era of modern national democratic revolution in China， inspiring the exploration of the countrys great rejuvenation.

Later， under the leadership of the Communist Party of China（CPC）， established in 1921 and embodying the spirit of the 1911 Revolution， the Chinese people finally toppled the three big mountains of imperialism， feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism and ended a history of imperialist oppression， thus reversing the downward spiral of the nations fate.

Chiang Kai-shek， leader of the Kuomintang （KMT） after Dr. Suns passing in 1925， betrayed Dr. Suns spirit by killing CPC members and plunging the country into bouts of civil war. Chiang and his administration fled to Taiwan when the Chinese people chose the CPC to rule their nation in 1949， the reason behind the estrangement between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to this very day.

Dr. Sun had always displayed great aversion to national disintegration， as did， and do， the CPC and the Chinese people. To realize national reunification is a crucial step on the path toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Nevertheless， “Taiwan independence” forces today prove the biggest stumbling block on the road to Chinas reunification， as well as a hidden peril in the quest for Chinas national rejuvenation.

Caution is warranted

Residents living on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are members of the overarching Chinese family， so when it comes to national reunification， the CPC gives priority to a peaceful reconsolidation. As President Xi pointed out， reunification by peaceful means best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole， including Taiwan compatriots.

In line with the 1992 Consensus， both sides across the Straits have managed to follow the one-China principle and seek to once again unite. However， “Taiwan independence” forces are trying their utmost to obstruct this. Countries like the United States and Japan on the one hand recognize the oneChina principle and the peoples government led by the CPC， while on the other hand secretively collude with Taiwan secessionists and frequently stir up trouble with the purpose of handicapping China by playing the “independent Taiwan” card. The U.S. Government， in particular， sells weapons to Taiwan and has its back through pro-Taiwan claims.