Lieutenant General He Lei, former Vice President of the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences, praised the Chinese Communist Party and Beijing’s rapid growth to global power. However, he pointed out that in order “to achieve the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and realise the reunification of the country” Beijing needs to bring Taiwan under its control. He told the Hangzhou news outlet: “This is one hurdle that we have to cross.
“I still remember an old marshal once said that we waited for Taiwan’s return to the motherland for so long that our hair turned grey.
“Unfortunately, the old marshal passed away some years ago.
“I, as a successor and a veteran of 50 years, have had my hair turned grey too.
“But I hope that the next generation will not have to wait for so long.”
READ MORE: US-China tensions BOIL as Pence claims contested South China Sea does NOT belong to anyone
Taiwan considers itself an independent nation, but Beijing claims it as its sacred territory, or a wayward province, and has never ruled out using military force to bring it under control.
China’s hostility towards Taiwan has grown since Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won a presidential election on the island in 2016.
Beijing fears she wants to push for the island’s formal independence and has ramped up military exercises around Taiwan in the past year, including flying bombers around the self-governing land.
Some analysts claim Chinese President Xi Jinping, one of the most powerful Chinese leaders in decades, seems intent on bringing the self-ruled province under Beijing’s control during his time in office, which would place him in the history books alongside Mao Zedong.
However, last month, Taiwan’s President vowed Teipei will never surrender to Chinese suppression and also emphasised the contrasting behaviour between her administration and Beijing’s, while reinforcing Taiwan’s self-rule.
Ms Ing-wen said: “We will not escalate conflicts impulsively and we will not cave in and submit to pressure from China.
“Taiwan’s democratic transition provides a ray of light in the dark for all those seeking democracy.
“Protecting the free, democratic lifestyle of the 23million people, safeguarding the sustainable development of Republic of China, or Taiwan and maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and regional stability is the common denominator shared by all Taiwanese people.”
US-China tensions BOIL as Pence claims contested South China Sea does NOT belong to anyone