U.S. not allowed to turn back wheel of history on Taiwan question: Chinese defense spokesperson

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson Tuesday said that attempts of the U.S. side to turn back the wheel of history on the Taiwan question are intolerable.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to media reports that the U.S. government plans to provide weapons aid to Taiwan through the Presidential Drawdown Authority and that the U.S. military has recently sent its service members to Taiwan to help train local troops.

Commenting on the U.S. moves, Tan said that for some time, the United States has stepped up its military collusion with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities by strengthening military contacts and upgrading substantive relations between the two sides, which has shaken the foundation of China-U.S. relations and undermined the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to these wrong and dangerous moves and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side," he added.

The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and remains the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, Tan noted.

The "Three Principles," namely, severing so-called "diplomatic relations," abrogating the "mutual defense treaty" with the Taiwan authorities, and withdrawing U.S. military forces from Taiwan, are the preconditions for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, he said.

"We sternly warn the U.S. side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, fulfill its commitment of not supporting 'Taiwan independence,' and stop any forms of military collusion with Taiwan," the spokesperson said.

"We sternly warn the DPP authorities and the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces that any attempt to seek independence by soliciting U.S. support or by force would lead nowhere," he added.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army will continue to strengthen military training and combat readiness, decisively crush "Taiwan independence" attempts and external interference in any form, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Tan said.