Therefore, it is necessary to “promote the modernization of national defense and armed forces” and to make the military “a great wall of steel protecting national sovereignty, security and development interests”.
In his speech, the Chinese president also called for “reunification” with Taiwan. Relations should be developed “peacefully”, but he firmly rejected “external interference” and Taiwanese independence forces that sow “division”. The unification process must continue “unwaveringly”, it said.
Self-governing democratic Taiwan, which was never part of the People’s Republic of China, has had an independent government since 1949. However, China considers the island, with a population of about 23 million, to be part of its territory.
With his speech, Xi Jinping closed the annual session of the People’s Congress of China.