China Vows to Thwart Any ‘Independence’ Schemes for Taiwan – Al-Manar TV Lebanon

China’s armed forces have the confidence and every capacity to prevent any external interference or foil separatist plots aimed at winning independence for Taiwan, Spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry Senior Colonel Tan Kefei said on Tuesday, commenting on the Pentagon’s annual report covering Chinese military strength.

“Solving the issue of Taiwan is an internal affair of the Chinese people,” China’s Defense Ministry quoted Tan as saying on its official WeChat channel. According to him, at present, “some in the United States are under the illusion that they could contain China by way of Taiwan, while the administration of [Taiwan’s ruling] Democratic Progressive Party has been trying in vain to rely on the United States in their quest for independence.” This, Tan Kefei stressed, has been “the source of tensions in the Taiwan Strait.”

“We are committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, however we do not renounce the use of force and do reserve the right to take any necessary measures,” the spokesman for China’s top brass assured. “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has the confidence and every capacity to thwart any outside interference or separatist plans seeking Taiwan’s independence and achieve complete national reunification,” he concluded.