Xi Jinping erases the word "peaceful" on Taiwan

Introduction: a missing word, an unmistakable message

An anniversary speech that breaks with tradition

On July 1, 2026, marking the 105th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that immediately caught observers' attention for one specific reason: the disappearance of the phrase "peaceful reunification" regarding Taiwan, a first since Hu Jintao's speech in 2006.

This semantic silence, far from trivial in Chinese diplomatic rhetoric, was interpreted by several analysts as a deliberate signal of intensifying pressure on the democratic island, at a moment when regional tensions are already reaching a worrying level.

A threat stated without hedging

In that same speech, Xi Jinping vowed to "resolutely crush" Taiwanese pro-independence forces and to oppose any "interference by outside forces," a barely veiled reference to the United States and its regional allies.

Explicit mentions of Taiwan doubled compared to the speech given for the party's centennial, a rhetorical escalation that Western intelligence services are now analyzing with heightened attention.

A rhetoric that fits a wider regional escalation

A backdrop of already elevated tension with Japan

This speech comes amid an already tense regional backdrop, marked by a rapid deterioration in relations between Beijing and Tokyo since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raised, in November 2025, the possibility of deploying Japan's self-defense forces in the event of a crisis over Taiwan.

China responded to those remarks with economic sanctions targeting about forty Japanese companies, illustrating a willingness to apply pressure simultaneously on several diplomatic and economic fronts in the region.

A tense phone call with Washington

The same day, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned his American counterpart Marco Rubio, during a phone call, that Washington needed to show "utmost caution" on the Taiwan question, just weeks after the Xi-Trump summit in Beijing.

This combination of signals, sent simultaneously to Tokyo and Washington, outlines a coherent Chinese strategy aimed at isolating Taiwan from its regional and international backers.

What this rhetorical escalation means for Taiwan

An island living under constant pressure

For Taiwan's 23 million residents, this rhetorical hardening is only the latest episode in constant Chinese pressure, also expressed through near-daily aerial incursions into the island's air defense identification zone.

The Taiwanese government, led by President Lai Ching-te, has reaffirmed its determination to defend the island's democratic autonomy against what it regularly describes as systematic intimidation from Beijing.

Western support that remains indispensable

This situation is, once again, a reminder of the crucial importance of continued support from the United States and its allies for Taiwan, whose democratic survival represents a major test of the credibility of Western commitment against authoritarian regimes.

Even a partial abandonment of Taiwan would send a disastrous signal to every authoritarian regime closely watching Western resolve, from Moscow to Tehran.

China's strategy of gradual encroachment

Pressure that rises without crossing the threshold of open conflict

Western military analysts have for several years described a Chinese "gray zone" strategy, consisting of gradually increasing military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan without ever crossing the threshold that would trigger a direct military response from the United States.

This speech by Xi Jinping, through its subtle but significant shift in vocabulary, fits perfectly into this logic of gradual pressure, calculated to progressively normalize the idea of reunification by force.

A political timeline that could accelerate

Several national security experts believe this kind of rhetorical signal could foreshadow an accelerated Chinese timeline concerning Taiwan, potentially tied to Xi Jinping's personal ambitions to secure his political legacy before the end of his term.

This hypothesis, though impossible to confirm with certainty, justifies heightened vigilance from Western intelligence services in the months ahead.

Washington's measured but firm response

An administration that refuses to yield to rhetorical pressure

Despite Wang Yi's warnings, the American administration has maintained its position of support for Taiwan, reaffirming its commitment to preserving the status quo in the strait and its opposition to any unilateral change by force.

This firmness, expressed in measured diplomatic language, nonetheless reflects a clear red line that Washington does not appear ready to abandon, despite the complexity of its economic relations with Beijing.

A delicate balance between firmness and pragmatism

Current American diplomacy must constantly juggle the need to maintain functional economic relations with China and the strategic imperative of never letting Beijing doubt American resolve to defend Taiwan in the event of aggression.

This balance, difficult to sustain over time, will be tested further if Beijing keeps intensifying its rhetoric in the months following this anniversary speech.

A signal also aimed at Chinese domestic opinion

Nationalism nurtured to consolidate power

This speech is not directed only at Taiwan and the West: it also aims to consolidate domestic nationalist support in China, where the Taiwan question remains a powerful lever for rallying public opinion behind the Communist Party.

Amid a slowing Chinese economy and persistent trade tensions with the West, this kind of nationalist rhetoric allows Xi Jinping to redirect domestic attention toward a unifying external goal.

A classic manipulation tactic of authoritarian regimes

This diversion strategy, used for decades by numerous authoritarian regimes facing internal difficulties, echoes methods employed elsewhere, notably by Vladimir Putin to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

Recognizing this pattern allows the West to better anticipate the next steps of an escalation that could intensify if China's internal economic challenges keep worsening.

Implications for Indo-Pacific security

A regional alliance that must be strengthened

This rhetorical escalation reinforces the urgency, for the democracies of the Indo-Pacific region, of strengthening their security alliances, from Japan to Australia, through South Korea and the Philippines, against an increasingly assertive China.

The Quad framework, bringing together the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, along with existing bilateral partnerships, will likely need to be reinforced to send a credible deterrence signal against this hardened Chinese rhetoric.

A test for the credibility of Western deterrence

The credibility of this collective deterrence will be decisive in preventing China's gradual pressure strategy from one day turning into direct military action against Taiwan, with catastrophic consequences for global stability and the international economy.

It is precisely this credible deterrence, sustained over time and without apparent weakness, that remains the best tool for preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait.

The troubling role of Chinese state propaganda

Fully controlled media coverage

Chinese state media, from Global Times to CCTV, have widely amplified this speech by Xi Jinping to the Chinese population, systematically presenting Taiwan as a rebel province destined to return sooner or later to Beijing's control.

This one-sided coverage, stripped of any critical counterpoint, is shaping a Chinese public opinion increasingly convinced of the legitimacy of a potential military action against the democratic island.

An information asymmetry that favors escalation

Unlike Taiwan, where a free press allows public debate over the risks and options facing Beijing, the Chinese population has no access to any independent critical analysis of its own government's policy on this issue.

This information asymmetry makes any future de-escalation all the more difficult, as the Chinese regime has locked itself into a nationalist narrative it would find politically costly to walk back.

Conclusion: a missing word that speaks volumes

Vigilance that must never let up

The absence of the word "peaceful" in this anniversary speech by Xi Jinping may seem like a mere semantic detail to some observers, but for anyone closely following Chinese Communist Party rhetoric, it is a warning sign that deserves sustained attention.

Combined with simultaneous tensions with Japan and the direct warning issued to Washington, this rhetorical escalation traces a worrying trajectory that the West cannot afford to ignore or downplay.

A call for collective firmness

Facing this growing pressure, the best response remains unwavering Western solidarity with Taiwan, combined with constant vigilance over the evolution of Chinese rhetoric and actions in the months ahead.

It is this firmness, sustained without letup, that can still, hopefully, preserve the fragile peace of the Taiwan Strait.

By Maxime Marquette, columnist

Columnist's transparency note

Who I am and my acknowledged biases

I am Maxime Marquette, a columnist convinced that the West must remain at the center of the international order and that China represents one of today's greatest strategic threats. This orientation shapes my interpretation, never the facts reported.

The information in this piece comes from public journalistic sources explicitly cited below, without access to confidential documents or direct contact with Chinese or American officials.

What I don't know, and my method

I cannot state with certainty Xi Jinping's precise intentions regarding a timeline for action on Taiwan, as such interpretations belong to strategic analysis rather than confirmed fact.

My method remains to cross-check several independent sources before offering an interpretation, and to always clearly distinguish reported facts from my personal analysis.

Sources

Primary sources

China urges US to handle Taiwan issue with utmost caution — Reuters, July 1, 2026

Xi Jinping drops "peaceful" from Taiwan reunification language — The Chosun Daily, July 2, 2026

Secondary sources

China's Xi Jinping hardens rhetoric on Taiwan — CNBC, July 1, 2026

China's Wang Yi warns Marco Rubio on Taiwan — South China Morning Post, July 1, 2026

China-Japan relations sink to new low — The Guardian, July 2, 2026

China hardens Taiwan rhetoric under Xi Jinping — Axios, July 1, 2026