Taiwan anniversary: Beijing vows to back island's pro-unification 'patriots'

China's top official for Taiwan policy, Song Tao, said on Sunday, October 25, 2026 that Beijing firmly supports "patriotic" pro-unification forces in Taiwan. Speaking at an event in Fuzhou, in Fujian province across the strait from Taiwan, the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office marked the 81st anniversary of the end of Japanese rule over the island, a date Beijing made an official memorial day last year. He also said Beijing had announced 10 measures this year to promote exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

The date of October 25 carries two opposing stories. In 1945, at the end of the Second World War, Japan's rule over Taiwan ended and the Republic of China government took control of the island. Four years later, the Communist Party founded the People's Republic of China on the mainland, and the Republic of China government moved to Taiwan. Beijing now uses the anniversary to argue that Taiwan belongs to the People's Republic. Taiwan's government rejects that, saying the People's Republic did not exist in 1945 and has never ruled the island.

By making October 25 an official memorial day in 2025, Beijing turned a historical date into a regular political event. This year's message was more pointed: a public pledge to back "patriots" in Taiwan who favour unification. That language matters because Taiwan has its own democratic politics, and Beijing's support for one side of that debate is seen in Taipei as interference. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which handles relations with Beijing, condemned the designation last year as an attempt to rewrite history.

The mention of 10 measures for cross-strait exchanges shows the other half of Beijing's approach. Alongside military pressure, Beijing offers incentives to Taiwanese businesses, students and young people to work, study and invest on the mainland, especially in Fujian. Sunday's event was held in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, the mainland province closest to Taiwan.

For India, tension across the Taiwan Strait matters for practical reasons. A large share of the world's advanced semiconductor manufacturing is in Taiwan, and the sea lanes around it are among Asia's busiest. Any rise in friction between Beijing and Taipei affects supply chains that Indian electronics makers and car companies depend on, and it shapes how India balances its relations with China and with the United States and Japan.

Short-term: Taiwan's government rejected the memorial day when it was created last year, and this year's pledge adds to a period of political pressure from Beijing on the island.

Long-term: Beijing's open support for pro-unification groups and its incentives for cross-strait exchanges suggest it will keep combining political, economic and military pressure on Taiwan. How Taiwanese voters respond will shape relations across the strait.

Who is affected: People in Taiwan and their government; Taiwanese businesses and students considering opportunities on the mainland; countries with interests in the Taiwan Strait, including the United States, Japan and India; and global companies that depend on Taiwanese chips.

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