PLA aircraft deployment near Taiwan 'a warning to foreign forces'

A PLA military aircraft operating in airspace near Taiwan is a warning to foreign forces to stop interfering in China's internal affairs, Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday.

The deployment is to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and warn "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces to stop provocations, Zhu said, commenting on recent PLA drills in the Taiwan Straits.

"Only by doing so can we safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, safeguard the common interests of compatriots on both sides and protect the prospect of peaceful reunification across the Straits," she said.

Zhu said that Taiwan is an integral part of China and the will and determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity remain unchanged.

In order to effectively respond to foreign forces and a small number of "Taiwan independence" separatists, the mainland will not promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all measures, she said, adding that this will not change at any time.

For some time, the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan and separatist forces have been making provocations for "independence" in an attempt to split the country and undermine the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, Zhu said.

They have seriously damaged the interests of compatriots on both sides and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and seriously undermined peace and stability across the Straits, she said.