China accuses US of pushing Taiwan's ruling party for independence

ANKARA

China on Wednesday accused the US of pushing Taiwan’s ruling party for independence, warning that it will only bring disaster to Taiwan, state run-media reported.

Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council accused Washington of using the Taiwan question to contain Beijing and harm its national interest.

“It also proves that DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) authorities try to seek ‘independence’ by relying on the US, which will only bring disaster to Taiwan compatriots,” Global Times quoted Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, as saying.

Her statement came after recent media reports about the stopover in Taiwan by the Pentagon's top China official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase, and Island regional leader Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US lawmakers.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also warned the US and said China opposes official contacts between the US and Taiwan.

“China is strongly opposed to the US military ties with and arms sales to Taiwan. The ‘Taiwan independence’ provocations of the DPP authorities will not change the fact that Taiwan is part of China or cause international support to falter over the one-China principle, and still less change the irreversible trend toward China’s reunification,” Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said during a regular press briefing.

"Any separatist attempt or act of soliciting foreign support to undermine cross-Strait relations will only backfire and will not succeed," he added, according to a transcript published on the Foreign Ministry’s website.

Wang Wenbin also expressed displeasure over the media referring to Tsai Ing-wen as "president" and said she is just a regional leader of China.

“Let me point out once again the mistake of referring to the leader of the Taiwan region as ‘president’ even though we have done it many times from this podium. Taiwan is part of China and there is no so-called ‘Taiwan president’,” he said while responding to a question regarding Tsai’s recent statement to work more actively with the US.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid