China: 'No force can stand in the way' of reunification with Taiwan

Beijing has reiterated its sovereignty over Taiwan, saying no individual or force can hold China back from achieving the goal of national reunification.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday that Beijing is firmly opposed to any form of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan.

"We have time and again made our position clear on the so-called 'transit' for Tsai Ing-wen to go to the US. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the United States and the Taiwan region. We firmly oppose any visit by the leader of the Taiwan region to the United States in any name or under whatever pretext, and we firmly oppose the US government having any form of contact with the Taiwan authorities," she said.

Mao said Tsai's so-called stopover is actually part of its separatist attempt.

"It has been proven again that the reported trip is not so much a 'transit', but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate Taiwan secessionism. I want to emphasize that whatever the Taiwan authorities say and do, they cannot change the basic fact that Taiwan is part of China's territory. No individual or force can stop China from achieving national reunification," said the spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi called on the US to implement the high-level consensus reached by the two heads of state last year.

Yi made remarks in a meeting with the president of the National Committee on US-China Relations in Beijing.

The new development comes as Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen is in New York on a sensitive US stopover, despite China’s warning against her visit.  

Tsai is en route to Guatemala and Belize, two of the few countries that retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

China stages combat patrols over Taiwan Strait amid Tsai’s US visit: Report

A number of Chinese aircraft have reportedly conducted combat readiness patrols over the Taiwan Strait in what is seen as a response to Chinese Taipei President Tsai Ing-wen

China has sovereignty over Taiwan. The US does not recognize Taiwan as a country and officially supports the "One China" policy but regularly oversteps its own principles. The island has become China's most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington.

Washington continues to antagonize Beijing by siding with Taipei's secessionist administration, engaging in frequent military missions around the island, and serving as its largest weapons supplier. 

China has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for Taiwan's desire to be seen as a sovereign island.

"We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, earnestly deliver on its leaders' commitment of not supporting 'Taiwan independence' or 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan', stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, stop upgrading its substantive exchanges with the region, and stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle. China will closely monitor the developments and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mao said on Thursday.

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