The Chinese leader projected confidence amid Beijing’s economic struggles and ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump, set to take a hard line on China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping in a New Year's address declared Taiwan and China to be one people and said no nation can stop China from annexing the island nation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a New Year’s Eve speech that China and Taiwan are “one family” and vowed to take control of the self-ruled island.

"The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family," Mr Xi said in a speech televised on China's state broadcaster CCTV. “No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized China’s commitment to global governance reform and assured the people about the economy, saying that the country has proactively responded to the impacts of the changing environment at home and abroad.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ended the year with a threat over Taiwan, saying "no one can stop the reunification" with China.

No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification,' said the Chinese leader

No one can stop China's "reunification" with Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's speech on Tuesday, laying down a clear warning to what Beijing regards as pro-independence forces within and outside of the island of 23 million people.

President Lai Ching-te urged the Taiwanese people to keep walking firmly on the path of democracy in his televised New Year address. Amid geopolitical tensions with China and a fractured legislature domestically,

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday that he welcomed equal, dignified, healthy and orderly exchanges with China, but wondered whether there was goodwill from Beijing given what he said was their blocking of simple things like tourism.