In the symbolic passage between a year that closes and one that opens, the words of the leaders of China and Taiwan have turned the spotlight on one of the most delicate knots in contemporary international politics. From Beijing to Taipei, official New Year’s speeches are not mere rhetorical rituals: they draw lines of intent, send signals to their respective peoples and international allies, and reflect profoundly divergent – but equally determined – visions on Taiwan’s fate.

Among the celebrations, messages from the two presidents

On the eve of the New Year, Chinese President Xi Jinping used his end-of-year message to firmly reiterate what has always been at the heart of Beijing’s policy: the reunification of Taiwan with China is a ‘trend of the times’ and above all ‘unstoppable’. In his speech, broadcast by the main official media, Xi blended economic and military themes, praising China’s technological and industrial advances while linking the goal of reunification to the concept of ‘national sovereignty’ and shared cross-strait historical identity.

The next day, on the opposite side of the Strait, Taiwan‘s President Lai Ching-te delivered his New Year’s speech with a profoundly different tone. Responding to the recent intensification of Chinese military exercises – the largest and closest to the island in years, conducted by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and called Justice Mission 2025 – Lai’s rhetoric was democratic and self-defence, emphasising the need to strengthen Taiwan’s deterrence and defensive capacity.

Xi: ‘Unstoppable reunification’

In his speech, Xi outlined a China that looks forward with confidence, strong in its achievements in technology sectors from semiconductors to space, and convinced that Taiwan’s reunification is not only a political goal, but an inevitable historical trend. References to the ‘motherland’ and ‘blood ties’ between populations on both sides of the Straits serve to legitimise this vision as a natural, as well as political, path.

Xi’s words come immediately after a massive military exercise in which the PLA simulated naval blockades, coordinated attacks and deployed navy, air force and missile forces in an action that Beijing described as deterrence against ‘separatist forces’ and ‘external interference’.

The narrative pursued by Xi Jinping is a message addressed both to domestic audiences – to consolidate consensus around the central leadership – and to international observers, to affirm that the ‘unification’ project remains at the core of China’s national strategy.

Lai: self-defence, democracy and internal cohesion

The Taiwanese retort was sharp and consistent with the island’s political history. In his speech, Lai emphasised his commitment to defending Taiwan’s democratic sovereignty, describing the development of robust military capabilities not as provocations, but as necessary tools to protect the status quo and the freedom of its citizens.

The call for national unity is also important, indeed perhaps a key passage, with Lai urging all political forces to work together to speed up the approval of a special defence budget and strengthen social and institutional identity. The context is marked by a parliament where the opposition has repeatedly blocked discussion of the defence package, thus hampering Taipei’s ability to respond to a threat perceived as increasingly concrete.

Lai also linked the defensive commitment to responsibility to the international community, emphasising that Taiwan’s determination will be observed by partners and allies around the world and that the island’s ability to protect itself will influence international perceptions of its strategic value.

Antithetical but mirror-like visions

The two speeches do not merely highlight opposing visions of Taiwan’s future, but also reveal different communication and political strategies:

Xi constructs a discourse that interweaves national identity, technological progress and historical legitimacy – and does so immediately after a significant display of military might – consolidating the idea of a rising China determined to redefine the regional order.
In contrast, Lai uses language that interweaves defence, democracy and international responsibility, relying on a narrative of democratic deterrence rather than overtly confrontational rhetoric, while acknowledging the existing threat. He strongly references and presses the concept and discourse of a strong Taiwanese identity.

Despite these differences, there is an implicit point of convergence: both perceive Taiwan as an epicentre of dynamics that transcend the simple bilateral relationship between Beijing and Taipei. For Xi, Taiwan is an integral part of a vision of national greatness; for Lai, the defence of Taiwan is a test case for democracy in the context of an increasingly polarised Asia Pacific.

At the crossroads of history, deterrence and the future

In the new year, Taiwan thus remains at the centre of an opposing narrative: on the one hand, the vision of a ‘historic and inevitable’ reunification strongly supported by Beijing; on the other, Taipei’s democratic determination to preserve its autonomy and political dignity. These speeches, though different in ambition and tone, converge on the fact that the Taiwan issue is not destined to disappear from the international agenda, far from it. Taipei in this new year will be at the centre of global geopolitical dynamics.