Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday visited Fujian, the closest province to Taiwan, amid escalating tensions with the West after the joint sanctions from U.S., Britain, the E.U. and Canada as well as last week’s fruitless Alaska summit.

Xi visited a tea farm and a park that honors Zhu Xi, a Confucian philosopher in the 12th century, in Mount Wuyi. He also took a bamboo raft ride on the Jiuqu brook with his wife Peng Liyuan alongside two officials.

“Without the 5,000-year-long Chinese civilization, how could we have found the road to achieve today’s success,” Xi said when he visited the park.

Veteran commentator Johnny Lau said Xi’s visit to Fujian served to show his concerns over Taiwan, which sits right across a strait away from the province, as the Biden administration reiterated its future support for Taiwan.

Xi has worked in Fujian from 1985 to 2002, from vice mayor of Xiamen city to provincial governor, before taking office in Zhejiang province. Lau said it is possible for Xi to make a public trip to Zhejiang as well to strengthen his position ahead of the CCP’s 20th National Congress next year, during which he is expected to seek a third term.

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