The Chinese despot said his country is ready to fight “the bloody battle” to regain its rightful place in the world as he capped off an address at an annual session of the National People’s Congress which paved the way for him to be president for life.
Just days after President Donald Trump signed new rules to allow top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan, Xi said Beijing would defend is “one China principle”, which sees Taiwan as a territory ready for reunification.
Xi said: “All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history.”
President Xi, who is the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao, pushed through a vision of guiding the country through a “new era” or unrivalled global military and economic supremacy.
But he also sought to tackle concerns about China’s development projects abroad and said they “will not pose a threat to any country”.
Adding: “Only those who are accustomed to threatening others will see everyone as a threat.”
He also detailed his vision of realising the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” as the “greatest dream”.
He continued: “The Chinese people have been indomitable and persistent, we have the spirit of fighting the bloody battle against our enemies to the bitter end.
“History has already proven and will continue to prove that only socialism can save China.
“The Communist Party is the supreme political leadership of the country and the fundamental guarantee to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
The US warned last year that it would not accept China’s militarisation of man-made islands in the South China Sea.
China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
China considers self-ruled and democratic Taiwan to be its sacred territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring what it views as a wayward province under Chinese control.
Relations have soured considerably since Tsai Ing-wen, who leads Taiwan’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, won presidential elections.
China suspects Tsai wants to declare the island’s formal independence, a red line for Beijing.
Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s security.
Taiwan is well equipped with mostly US weapons but has been pressing for more advanced equipment to deal with what it sees as rising threat from China.
Although the United States has no formal ties with Taiwan it is bound by law to help it defend itself and is its main source of arms.
Xi, 64, began consolidating power after becoming head of the Community party in late 2012.
He began his second term as party chief last October and will be formally appointed by parliament to his second term as president later this week.
The government said lifting term limits was a means to protect the authority of the party with Xi at its centre, while the party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, has said the constitution changes do not mean life-long terms.
Despite his role as Chinese president, Xi’s positions as head of the party and head of the military are seen to be more important. None of the roles now have a formal term limit.