In his founding speech in Tiananmen Square, while not mentioning Taiwan by name, Mao implied that all Chinese territory (implying Taiwan) would be unified under the new Communist government.

Repeated in multiple speeches and directives, especially in the early 1950s, Mao consistently referred to Taiwan as needing to be “liberated”. He noted that there are two ways of liberation: by peaceful means and by means of war.

Under Deng, China shifted from a liberation stance to advocating peaceful unification. Deng proposed peaceful unification under a "One Country, Two Systems" framework.

As part of his “Eight-Point Proposal” on Taiwan, Jiang reiterated the One China principle, emphasising peaceful reunification while warning against any moves toward Taiwanese independence.

At the 17th Party Congress, Hu Jintao said China is “ready to have exchanges, dialogue, consultations and negotiations with any political party in Taiwan, as long as it recognises the one-China principle".”

At the 100th anniversary of the CCP, Xi declared Taiwan’s fate lies solely with China.

At the 20th Party Congress, Xi emphasized that while peaceful reunification is preferred, China reserves the right to use force against Taiwan.

In his New Year’s address, President Xi declared that reunification is inevitable, signalling a firm commitment to bringing Taiwan under Beijing’s control.