President Xi Jinping says Taiwan must be unified with mainland China

Xi's speech was peppered with references to familiar domestic themes and promises to leave the self-governing island's political system intact

Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested that mainland China and Taiwan enter into “in-depth democratic consultations” and work toward unification, in the clearest sign yet that he wants to settle the 70-year dispute during his tenure.

“China must and will be united, which is an inevitable requirement for the historical rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the new era,” Xi told a gathering in Beijing to mark the 40th anniversary of a landmark Beijing overture to Taipei after the US and China established relations. The two sides have been ruled separately since Chiang Kai-shek moved his Nationalist government across the Taiwan