Chinese President Xi Jinping sharpened Beijing’s warning against Taipei on Sept. 30, 2026, telling a National Day reception that China would “resolutely strike” at Taiwan independence separatist forces—a Taiwan independence strike rhetorical upgrade that replaces last year’s softer call to “oppose” such activity.
Speaking at the Great Hall of the People a day before the People’s Republic of China’s 77th anniversary, Xi also vowed to oppose “interference by external forces” while still framing reunification as a peaceful long-term goal, according to state media and international reporting.
Taiwan independence strike language replaces “oppose”
According to Seoul Economic Daily, citing Xinhua, Xi said China would “resolutely strike at Taiwan independence separatist forces.” At the 2025 National Day reception he had said Beijing must “resolutely oppose” those activities—an upgrade that tracks a March 2026 government work report that already shifted official wording from “oppose” to “strike.”
About 800 guests attended the reception hosted by Premier Li Qiang, including the Politburo Standing Committee and foreign diplomats. Analysts see the harder line as pressure on Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party government ahead of the People’s Liberation Army’s 100th anniversary and the Communist Party’s 21st National Congress in 2027.
Trump summit and arms sales in the background
The National Day remarks follow Xi’s recent push for U.S. President Donald Trump to publicly oppose Taiwan independence at their White House summit—a demand Taipei denounced as interference in its democracy. That diplomatic track sits alongside Taiwan’s effort to lock in a large U.S. weapons package, a theme covered in our reporting on the $14 billion Taiwan arms package and Taipei’s rebuke of Xi’s Trump independence push.
Economy and “four global initiatives” messaging
Xi also claimed China “withstood pressure” and remained on track for its annual growth target as the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) gets underway. On foreign policy he again promoted his “four global initiatives” on development, security, civilization and governance, casting Beijing as a source of “certainty” in a turbulent world—even as PLA drills near disputed waters continue, including recent Scarborough Shoal naval and air exercises.
What the rhetorical shift means for cross-strait risk
Beijing still pairs the harder verbs with talk of “peaceful development of cross-strait relations.” Markets and allies will watch whether the language shift stays rhetorical or tracks with more coercive military signaling around Taiwan in the months ahead of the PLA anniversary calendar.