CPC Congress Agrees to Boost Armed Forces, Prevent ‘Taiwan Independence’

In a final Congress resolution on Saturday, the Communist Party of China emphasized that the country had “devoted great energy to modernizing” its “national defense and armed forces” over the past five years.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has approved an amendment to its Charter stipulating the transformation of the country’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a world-class advanced military force.

In a final resolution adopted on the final day on October 22, the CPC stressed that “achieving the goals for the centenary of the People's Liberation Army in 2027 and more quickly elevating our people's armed forces to world-class standards are strategic tasks for building a modern socialist country in all respects.”

The CPC noted that to fulfill this end, China “must apply [President] Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military, implement the military strategy for the new era, and maintain the [Communist] Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces.”

According to the resolution, China should “continue to enhance political loyalty in the military,” strengthen the PLA “through reform, science and technology, and personnel training, and run the military in accordance with the law.”

“We must enhance the military's strategic capabilities for defending China's sovereignty, security, and development interests and see that the people's armed forces effectively fulfill their missions and tasks in the new era,” the document pointed out.

Separately, the resolution stressed the necessity of adhering to the One-China principle and the 1992 Consensus [between Beijing and Taipei], as well as implementing the CPC’s “overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era.”

“We should take resolute steps to oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ and promote reunification, maintain the initiative and the ability to steer in cross-Strait relations, and unswervingly advance the cause of national reunification,” the CPC underlined.

The resolution comes after Congress spokesperson Sun Yeli said last week that China does not rule out the use of force to resolve the Taiwan issue, but only against the supporters of the island’s independence and interfering forces from third countries.

"We do not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the possibility of taking all necessary measures against the interference of external forces and the extremely small number of pro-Taiwan independence separatist forces and their separatist activities," Sun told reporters ahead of the Congress’ opening.

The spokesperson underscored that China’s actions will not be directed against the people of Taiwan, as Beijing's goal is to promote the process of peaceful reunification of the island with the Chinese mainland.

Beijing-Taipei tensions escalated in August when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, prompting China to condemn the trip as a gesture of support for separatism and launch massive military drills in the vicinity of the island in a show of force.

Beijing considers Taiwan an essential part of China, opposing any official contact between the island and other countries. Washington officially sticks to a One-China policy, but has developed active contacts with Taipei and remains the island’s biggest arms supplier.