China will never allow any part of its territory to break off: Xi Jinping

China and Taiwan should make joint efforts to fight separatists and safeguard unity of the country, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

"Any attempt to split the country will be resolutely opposed by all Chinese people," Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying, who added that "we'll never allow anyone, any organisation or political party to rip out any part of our territory at any time or in any form".

The President's remarks were made to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, who led a revolution in 1911 to end the imperialism rule of the Qing Dynasty and founded China.

To achieve the complete reunification of the motherland is in the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation and it is common aspiration as well as sacred duty of all Chinese, Xi said.

It is the shared conviction of Chinese that China is a unified country, and it is this belief that ensures the continuation of the nation as a whole, Xi said, quoting Sun.

Sun is also the founder of Kuomintang (KMT), which governed Taiwan for decades from 1940s to 1990s and from 2008 to 2015. Mentioning that Sun is a national hero and compatriot, Xi said that the late revolutionary leader is a firm supporter of national unity.

For all Taiwan political parties, organisations and personals, as long as they acknowledge that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, the mainland side would like to communicate with them, Xi said.

Xi called on compatriots from both sides across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese all across the globe to unite and oppose "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, saying the future of compatriots of both the mainland and Taiwan is closely intertwined with the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

--IANS

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