The Weight of World War II: Xi’s Vision for Taiwan in Global Order

In a carefully worded conversation this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping reached across the Pacific with an appeal that echoed through history: Taiwan’s “return” to China is not just a territorial claim, but, in his framing, a pillar of the post-World War II international order.

Speaking by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, Xi drew on shared wartime memory, recalling how China and the United States once stood shoulder to shoulder against fascism and militarism.

It was more than nostalgia. In Xi’s telling, the historical alliance of WWII is not merely a footnote — it is a foundation for modern legitimacy. Reunifying Taiwan, he argued, would help uphold the very order that emerged from that global conflict. For Xi, this is not only about sovereignty, but about reinforcing a global architecture shaped by wartime sacrifice and shared victory.

From Beijing’s perspective, the message carries both symbolism and challenge. Taiwan, claimed by the People’s Republic of China as part of its territory, remains self-governed and resolute in its democratic system. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s narrative, maintaining that its future should be decided by its own people — not by external powers.

Xi’s remarks come at a moment of delicate diplomacy. The call follows an in-person meeting between Xi and Trump in South Korea, where both leaders reportedly committed to stabilizing bilateral ties. But behind the veneer of cooperation, China is reasserting its core red lines, using historical memory as a diplomatic lever to press for its strategic goal: Taiwan’s “return.”

At the same time, Xi offered a broader vision of Sino-American partnership, urging both countries to expand cooperation, not confrontation. He emphasized that their nations should safeguard the legacy of World War II together — not by drawing battle lines, but by building bridges.

There is also a contemporary dimension: Xi tied this argument about wartime unity to current geopolitical challenges, including the conflict in Ukraine. He expressed support for peaceful resolutions and for narrowing differences among global powers.

Yet Xi’s framing casts the Taiwan issue not simply as a diplomatic dispute, but as a moral imperative: a restoration of what he considers the rightful post-war international order. It is a powerful narrative — one that invokes shared sacrifice, historical justice, and the weight of global legitimacy.

For the United States, this is a delicate moment. Trump now faces a test not only of policy, but of principle: how to respond when a rising power grounds its demands in the language of history and shared struggle. Cooperation may be on the table, but Xi’s words remind us that some goals are non-negotiable in Beijing’s worldview.

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Sources Xinhua The Straits Times Channel News Asia Global Times China.org.cn