As it happened | China's 20th Communist Party Congress | Xi Jinping hails ‘one country, two systems’

China will bring in policies to boost its birth rate, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday, as policymakers worry that an imminent decline in China's population could hurt the world's second-biggest economy.

"We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing," Xi told some 2,300 delegates in a speech opening the once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing.

Beijing should "abandon its acts of coercion and aggression," the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan, a government body in charge of handling cross-strait issues, said in response to Xi Jinping's speech. 

The 20th Communist Party Congress has just kick-started the event with a long formal speech by President Xi Jinping. Around 2,300 delegates are meeting to elect the next party leader and debate key policies of the country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday morning addressed the 20th party Congress, a once-in-a-five-year event. Starting his speech by praising the government's zero-Covid policy and keeping Hong Kong under his thumb, Xi quickly diverted his attention to Taiwan and said the matter was for Chinese people only.

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According to North Korea's state-run KCNA, China received a message from North Korea congratulating it on the opening of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) 20th National Congress and pledging to continue cooperating with it to forge closer ties.

President Xi Jinping declared that China would prioritise environmental protection and the promotion of eco-friendly lifestyles, and that protecting the environment was crucial to the development of a modern socialist nation.

China has made strides in addressing environmental issues during the last ten years, according to Xi, who spoke at the beginning of the ruling Communist Party Congress held every five years. He also promised to "essentially eliminate" significant air and water pollution while bringing soil contamination under control.

“One country, two systems” has proven to be the best institutional mechanism for Hong Kong and Macau, Xi Jinping said during a speech at the opening session of the 20th Chinese Communist party's congress asserting that the regions will enjoy high autonomy and be administered by patriots. 

"The fight against corruption has won an overwhelming victory and has been comprehensively consolidated, eliminating serious latent dangers within the party, the state and the military," Xi told CCP delegates at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, referencing a campaign critics have said has been used to curb dissent within the party.

Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote a letter to North Korean leader Kin Jong Un ahead of a congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In his letter, the Chinese president called for enhanced communication, unity and cooperation between China and North Korea. North Korean state media reported the news about the letter.

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Xi's speech lasted one hour and 45 minutes which was significantly less than his three-and-a-half hour address delivered five years ago. He signed off by calling for unity to achieve China’s national rejuvention.

To a raucous applause from the delegates, Xi reaffirms his pledge to reunify Taiwan with mainland China. 

“The resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people themselves, to be decided by the Chinese people," says Xi.

“We will not renounce the use of force and will take all necessary measures to stop all separatist movements."

Continuing his speech, Xi talks about religion and brings his 2015 campaign to “Sinicise” religions into the conversation. He says that the country will continue to push to “Sinicise religion”, in line with a socialist society. 

Sinicisation, in layman terms means aligning religious beliefs and faiths, of any religion, to China’s culture, religious and political ideology, and religious rules.

"We have coordinated efforts to strengthen military work in all directions and domains and carried out bold reforms of national defence and the armed forces. The people's armed forces now boast new systems, a new structure, new configuration and a new look." 

Chinese President Xi Jinping says the Communist Party congress, at which he is expected to secure a third term in office, is occurring at a critical moment when China is "embarking on a new journey of comprehensively building a modernised socialist country."

Apart from Taiwan, Xi devoted a significant section of his opening speech talking about Hong Kong. He claims that despite the challenges, his government had stood firm. 

“Confronted with drastic changes and the international landscape, we have maintained foreign strategic resolve. We have safeguarded dignity and core interests."

As expected, Xi immediately touches Taiwan issue and states that his government managed to hold its own despite Taiwan's secessionist forces attempting to break away from China. Says his government has worked to curb separatism and foreign interference in Taiwan.

"In the face of serious provocations by the Taiwan independence separatists and the interference of external force, we resolutely carried out major struggles against separatism and interference, demonstrating our firm determination and strong ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose Taiwan independence force."

“We put forward an overall strategy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, promote cross-strait exchange and cooperation, resolutely oppose Taiwan independence, resolutely oppose interference by external powers, and firmly grasp the dominance and initiative in cross-strait relations," he added. 

Xi begins his speech by summarising the achievements of his party since the last time they met in 2017. Highlights national defence, poverty alleviation and diplomacy.

However, most surprisingly, Xi doubles down on his government's 'zero-Covid' policy by citing it as an achievement. Claims his efforts and war against the virus have saved people's lives. 

“In the face of the sudden pandemic, we are committed to putting people and lives first, and adhere to dynamic zero-Covid," says Xi.

"It has maximally protected people’s lives and health, and coordinated epidemic prevention and control with economic development,” he adds. 

The CCP Congress is finally in full motion. Chinese President Xi Jinping takes the centrestage to deliver his speech. 

According to Chinese state media, the congress is expected to adopt an amendment to the party's constitution. Furthermore, delegates are expected to hear and examine a report of the 19th CPC Central Committee and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

As the Chinese Communist Party holds a week-long gathering to celebrate Xi Jinping's one full decade in office and herald in what is likely the start of a new era of strongman control, the anticipated coronation for the country's supreme leader has begun.

The party has kicked off its most important national convention in decades in Beijing amid increased security, tightened zero-Covid controls, and a frenzy of propaganda and censorship.

Over 2,296 delegates representing more than 96 million CPC members and over 4.9 million primary-level party organisations have been approved to attend the meet.