Defense spokesman condemns Japan's provocations

China has urged Japan not to send wrong messages to "Taiwan independence" forces and to stay out of China's internal affairs, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a Defense Ministry spokesman, said on Thursday.

Responding to a request for comment on the possibility of Japan deploying defense officials to Taiwan, Tan said China strongly opposes Japan's attempts of establishing official exchanges and military ties no matter what excuses it uses.

"We have expressed our serious concern and demand for responsible clarification on this matter to Japan," he said at a news conference in Beijing. "If Japan is bent on provoking us, plotting for ‘breakthroughs' in its relations with Taiwan or even playing with fire in the highly sensitive fields of military and security affairs, it will face grave consequences."

China hopes Japan places its attention on improving bilateral political trust and boosting regional peace and stability, Tan said.

Speaking about the United States' recent military exchanges with Taiwan, the spokesman said the Taiwan question is the most critical and sensitive part of the Sino-US relationship and mishandling it could overturn the bilateral relationship.

"President Biden has clearly committed to China the US does not support ‘Taiwan independence' forces but his nation's acts have been contradicting his words," Tan said. "We want the US to know this: any attempt to play the Taiwan card to contain China or strengthening Taiwan's military so it could resist unification will be in vain."

The US must stop its official ties and military exchanges with Taiwan, and China will use strong countermeasures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the spokesman.