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 leader Xi Jinping in an annual New Year’s address on Tuesday sought to shore up confidence ​that Beijing can make an economic transition and resist foreign pressure weeks before Donald Trump is due to return to the White House.

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.

"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 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.

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.

In a clear warning to what Beijing view as pro-independence forces within and outside of Taiwan, China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that no one can stop China's reunification with Taiwan. While addressing his New Year's speech which was televised on China's state broadcaster CCTV,

China's President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that "no one can stop" unification with Taiwan, as he addressed the nation in a New Year's speech.