Photographer: Li Xueren / Xinhua News Agency / Getty Images
Photographer: Li Xueren / Xinhua News Agency / Getty Images
Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Fujian, the closest continental province to Taiwan, amid tensions with the United States over the democratically governed island.
Xi visited a tea farm in the city of Wuyishan, linking his production to his campaign to improve living standards. “In the past, the tea industry has been a mainstay in its fight against poverty and should become a mainstay of rural vitalization in the future,” said Xi, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The President of China previously visited a park that honors Zhi Xi, a poet and political thinker of the 12th century, saying: “Without the 5,000-during the year Chinese civilization, how could we have found the way to achieve today’s success. “
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Fujian has an important geographical significance for China because the ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan – which is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) across a strait – as its territory. Xi worked in Fujian from 1985 to 2002, moving from deputy mayor of Xiamen to provincial governor.
The United States should stop “crossing lines and playing with fire” in Taiwan, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at his annual news conference earlier this month. The United States has strong economic and security ties to the island.
– With the help of John Liu and Jing Li