New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- China's President Xi Jinping pledged to pursue reunification with Taiwan during his annual New Year's Eve address, according to multiple news reports. The comments came after large-scale military exercises near the self-governing island, underscoring Beijing's ongoing assertiveness on the Taiwan issue and raising tensions in the region.

Speaking on Wednesday evening in Beijing, Xi said:

"The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable."

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has long pledged to annex the island, using force if necessary.

The speech came a day after China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted its largest military exercises near Taiwan in over a year. Known a...