China’s plans to annex Taiwan moving ‘much faster’ under Xi, says Blinken

Comments by US secretary of state come after Xi told Communist party Congress Taiwan is core to plans for China's rejuvenation'

• China's party Congress: everything you need to know

China's government is pursuing its plans to annex Taiwan on a much faster timeline" under Xi Jinping, the US secretary of state has said, reiterating warnings of global economic disruption if Taiwan was taken over.

The comments by Antony Blinken come as China's ruling Communist party meet for their twice-a-decade congress, the most important meeting of its political cycle. In a major speech opening the conclaves on Sunday, Xi made clear that his plans for Taiwan remain core to his plans of China's rejuvenation".