BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United States is once again provoking China over Taiwan question with the State Department declaring R. Clarke Cooper, the assistant secretary for political-military affairs, to deliver remarks during a U.S.-Taiwan political-military dialogue on Thursday.

This is a violation of three China-U.S. joint communiques which allow no official exchanges of any form between the United States and Taiwan. Beijing has made it crystal clear that the Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations, and the one-China principle is the political foundation of the bilateral relationship.

Challenging China's red line on the Taiwan question is not only unwise but also dangerous. On the one hand, playing the Taiwan card is toxic to China-U.S. relations, as the act seriously damages China's national interests and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs. On the other hand, playing the Taiwan card is toxic to cross-Strait peace and stability. Official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan have dangerously emboldened separatist forces on the island, risking pushing the region into further confrontation.

The current U.S. administration is in its twilight days. It should refrain from irresponsible acts like this and leave a clean slate for the next administration. Provocations like this, based on the selfish interests of certain politicians, mean the next administration will inherit nothing but mess and obstacles. That would leave one of the world's most important bilateral relations in worse shape.

Since taking power, the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority has been attempting to deceive and mislead the residents of Taiwan, provoke and escalate cross-Strait confrontation, undermining cross-Strait relations, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. These acts are doomed to fail.

Taiwan separatists need to give up their fantasy of counting on foreign intervention to keep China permanently divided, and understand that Washington is merely using the island as a pawn in its power play against China. They also need to stop daydreaming about using politics and the military -- or whatever Thursday's dialogue entailed -- to buck the historical trend towards reunification.

Both the DPP and Washington should understand clearly that Beijing will never compromise on its core interests. China has the resolve, full confidence and sufficient capability to thwart any form of interference by external forces and the separatist acts of "Taiwan independence."