Xi Jinping refuses to rule out force to take Taiwan and mentions security 89 times ahead of becoming leader for life

XI Jinping has refused to rule out force to take Taiwan and unify the island with the mainland China. In a speech to the congress of China’s ruling Communist Party, in which he is widely expected to win a third leadership term, Xi emphasised national security mentioning it a record 89 times. Xi Jinping seen on a computer screen at the opening of the party congressRex APChinese warplanes flying close to the island of Taiwan[/caption] The third leadership terms is unprecedented in recent times comes after the scrapping of the two term limit on Chinese presidents. The limit was brought in after the horrors of the Mao Zedong whose unchecked power led to the death of million from starvation and political violence. The 69-year-old Xi now poised to become the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao and used his speech in Beijing to oppose independence for Taiwan. READ MORE ON CHINA XI'S WARNING Senior cop sentenced to death after 'wiretapping Xi' in message to opponents CAGE HELL Kidnapped woman locked in dog cage for 20 DAYS after being snatched on night out “We persist in striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity,” he said. “However, there is no commitment to renounce the use of force and the option to take all necessary measures is retained.” The speech’s biggest applause came when Xi restated opposition to Taiwan independence and said “complete reunification of the motherland must be realised and can certainly be realised”. According to analysis by Reuters, Xi mentioned “safety” or “security” 73 times, up from 55 times in the previous speech, while mentioning “reforms” 16 times, down from 70 times five years ago. In a document accompanying the speech he mentioned “safety” or “security” 89 times. 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Taiwan is feared to be a major flashpoint between the Washington and Beijing – with a potentially invasion potentially forcing the US to either abandon the island or face full scale war with China. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed unification with the mainland, by force if necessary, while Joe Biden recently promised the US will defend the island. Taiwan is effectively an independent country, though not recognised by the internationally, but any moves towards full independence will almost certainly lead to war. Over the summer the visit by US politician Nancy Pelosi to the island resulted in massive Chinese military exerices. Pelosi is a vocal supporter of Taiwan – and her trip to the island earlier this week made her the most senior US politician to visit Taiwan in a quarter of a century, which infuriated China. Why is Taiwan a flashpoint between the US and China? The dispute over Taiwan stems back to the Chinese civil war, which ended in 1949 with the victory of the Communist Party Mao Zedong. Taiwan – with a population of just 22 million – was recognised by the as the government of China until 1971 when the mainland took its seat at the United Nations. China’s deposed leader Chiang Kaishek, who was backed by US, fled with his defeat forces the island of Taiwan, about 100 miles off the coast of the mainland. Taiwan has since developed an identity of its own and become a thriving democratic country with close ties to the West, in particular the US. The party led by its current president Tsai Ingwen has independence as its ultimate goal. But China continues to regard the island has being part of its territory and vowed to reunify it by force if necessary. Even holding a vote on independence is widely seen as the trigger for war. To that end China has been pouring billions into modernising its military, including now building a fleet of aircraft carriers to match the US Navy. That has put the country on a collision course with the United States, its main arms supplier. President Joe Biden has recently said America will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. In recent years tensions have been rising as US air and naval forces patrol the sea around Taiwan, to China’s intense annoyance. Chinese warplanes regularly buzz the island while it has stepped up rehearsals for invasion. Beijing views any engagement between Washington and Taipei as a US endorsement of the island’s independence. Washington has always stopped short of outright backing for Taiwan in the event of war with China or supported independence for the island. Oriana Skylar Mastro, an authority on China’s military, recently warned the country is convinced it needs to hit America “hard and early ” in a surprise Pearl Harbor-style attack to invade Taiwan. She also mapped out a scenario in which the US was defeated by China in week. Read More on The Sun HANG YOUR COAT UP Brits to enjoy 17C Indian Summer and it's set to last until Halloween FESTIVE FUN Home Bargains shoppers are loving this ‘amazing’ £8 cosy Christmas throw Instead it has maintained a policy of so-called “strategic ambiguity” aimed at not provoking Beijing and has said backs the idea of ‘One China’. But in recently Joe Biden broke with convention and responded “yes” when asked if the US would come to Taiwan’s aid if the island was attacked by China.