"Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland and seek to split the country will come to no good," Xi said.
Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately since the end of a civil war more than seven decades ago, in which the defeated Nationalists fled to Taipei. However, Beijing views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory -- even though the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the democratic island of about 24 million people. Xi's speech came a day ahead of the official anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, which is celebrated as National Day in Taiwan.
