China’s president calls for unification with Taiwan

China's President Hu Jintao made an appeal for reunification with Taiwan at the centennial of the end of imperial rule in Beijing on Sunday, reports the Hindustan Times.

Hu called for the ending of antagonisms, allegedly saying the two countries should "heal wounds of the past and work together to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," reports the Associated Press.

Hu used a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of imperial rule to make the statement. The 1911 revolution brought about the founding of the Republic of China in 1912.

According to Bloomberg News, the Republic of China's government has been confined to Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong and the communist party took over the government and established the People's Republic of China. Decades of tension has ensued, though the election of Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan's president in 2008 led to better relations with China.

Present for the ceremony was Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese president who was reported to be gravely ill, reports the New York Times.

The Times reported that his appearance was "highly political," as the composition of the next leadership could pivot between loyalists of Jiang and Hu.

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