BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Friday slammed "Taiwan independence" as the root cause of undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait.
Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on a report released by Taiwan's security organs that hyped up the so-called "mainland threat."
Noting that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Zhang said the drills and training activities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan Island to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity are completely legitimate, reasonable, and entirely justified.
The Democratic Progressive Party authorities have been distorting and hyping up the PLA actions, peddling war anxiety, and intimidating people on the island, all of which are deliberate political manipulations with ulterior motives, Zhang said.
"It is hoped that our Taiwan compatriots will recognize the extreme danger and harm of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and join us in resolutely combating the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," he added.
Zhang also responded to a media query about several U.S. Congress members' recent visits to Taiwan, where they urged local authorities to fast-track a "special defense budget" -- moves that Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te expressed gratitude for and used to advocate for military cooperation with the United States.
Since Taiwan is part of China, there is no such thing as a "defense budget" for Taiwan, Zhang said.
He condemned Lai for using the Taiwan people's money to pledge allegiance to the United States, which is only for the selfish purpose of seeking "Taiwan independence."
"We urge the U.S. side to immediately cease any form of military contact with the Taiwan region of China, stop sending wrong signals to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces, and stop undermining peace and stability across the Strait," said the spokesperson. ■
