Xi opens 20th congress of China's ruling Communist Party

AdvertisementPresident Xi Jinping on Sunday kicked-off the 20th congress of China's ruling Communist Party with warnings that he may use force to retake Taiwan as he slammed foreign interference in its reunification efforts. On Taiwan, Xi said, 'We have resolutely waged a major struggle against separatism and interference, demonstrating our strong determination and ability to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose Taiwan independence.' But rather than promote communism's redistribution of wealth, the Chinese president said he would implement 'common prosperity' policies to lift citizens out of poverty through new jobs. The son of a Communist Party revolutionary, Xi has reinvigorated a party that had grown deeply corrupt and increasingly irrelevant, expanding its presence across all aspects of China, with Xi officially its 'core'. The twice-a-decade congress is expected to reconfirm Xi as party general secretary, China's most powerful post, as well as chairman of the Central Military Commission.