BEIJING, Oct. 15 -- "What the US said confuses right and wrong," said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said on Friday in a written statement responding to the Pentagon spokesperson's recent false remarks on Taiwan.
According to media reports, the spokesperson of Pentagon recently said that the Chinese mainland has strengthen "intimidation" and "pressure" on Taiwan and the so-called "allies" and "partners" of the island, and increased military activities in the Taiwan Strait, which has undermined regional peace and stability and increased the risk of miscalculation. Meanwhile, the Pentagon claimed that it will continuously support Taiwan to maintain adequate defense capabilities.
"China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this," said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei in the statement. "There is only one China in the world. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, it is a basic fact recognized by the international community," said Tan, noting that the one-China principle is the political foundation of Sino-US relations and the core connotation of the three Sino-US Joint Communiqués.
The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China and brooks no external interference, said Tan. For a period of time, the US has stubbornly attempted to make an issue out of Taiwan so as to contain China, and continuously made negative remarks and moves on Taiwan-related issues, which has seriously damaged the bilateral ties and mil-to-mil relations between China and the US, and seriously undermined the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
"We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiqués, immediately correct its mistakes, stop any form of official exchanges and military contacts with Taiwan, handle the Taiwan question prudently and properly," said Tan, urging the US to take practical actions to maintain the relations between China and US as well as the two militaries, and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
"Secession aimed at 'Taiwan independence' is the greatest obstacle to national reunification and a grave danger to national rejuvenation ," Tan pointed out. "We can trace the roots of the current tension in cross-strait relations to the fact that the Taiwan DPP authorities constantly make provocations in pursuit of 'independence' in collusion with external forces."
"The complete reunification of our country will be and can be realized," Tan stressed, adding that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will maintain a state of high alert and full-time combat readiness that can act at any time, resolutely thwart all external interference and separatist acts of "Taiwan independence", and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.