Chinese President Xi Jinping today said any attempt to separate Taiwan from China will be thwarted and the principle of peaceful reunification must be upheld. <br/><br/>Xi made the comments in a speech at the beginning of a Communist Party congress. China regards self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as a wayward territory, to be brought under Beijing's rule by force if necessary.<br/><br/>Reacting to Chinese President's speech, Taiwan's government said that it was "absolutely" the right of Taiwan's 23 million people to decide their future. The Mainland Affairs Council said, the perpetration of Taiwan's democratic system is a core value of Taiwan's. <br/><br/>