Xi Jinping opens Chinese Communist party congress with vow to take over Taiwan

President supports peaceful reunification but will never promise to renounce use of force' as speech launches event likely to grant him third five-year term

Xi Jinping celebrated China's crushing of Hong Kong's autonomy and warned Taiwan that the wheels of history" are turning towards Beijing taking control of the island democracy in his speech opening the Communist party congress.

The most important gathering in the five-year Chinese political cycle is expected to hand Xi another five-year term running China, cementing his position as the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.