China President Xi Jinping vows 'reunification' with Taiwan; Tsai Ing-wen says won't be forced to bow to China

Amid rising tensions of China’s tremendous military missions in Taiwan's air defence identification zone over the past several days, Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to achieve "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, without making a direct mention of the use of force.

However, Taiwan retorted to Xi by calling on Beijing to abandon its coercion, reiterating that only Taiwan's people could decide their future. President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday that Taiwan will continue to bolster its defences to ensure that nobody can force the island to accept the path China has laid down for Taiwan that offers neither freedom nor democracy.

Taiwan has come under growing military and political pressure to accept Beijing's rule, including repeated Chinese air force missions in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, to international concern. The US, expressing its concerns, has condemned Beijing for “provocative” and “destabilising” military activity over China`s activity near Taiwan.