News analysis

Cross-strait ties to remain tense with both China and Taiwan taking tough stance

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While Chinese President Xi Jinping did not set a deadline, his speech yesterday conveyed a sense of urgency over the issue of reunification with Taiwan. He has also taken a harder line on the island that Beijing regards as a breakaway province, analysts have said.

"The longstanding political differences between the two sides of the (Taiwan) Strait are the roots that affect the stability of cross-strait relations. They cannot be passed down from generation to generation," Mr Xi said in his speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of China's Message to Compatriots in Taiwan on Jan 1, 1979.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 03, 2019, with the headline Cross-strait ties to remain tense with both China and Taiwan taking tough stance. Subscribe