"Taiwan independence" means war: defense spokesperson

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- "Taiwan independence" means war, a Chinese military spokesperson said on Thursday, stressing that China's reunification is an irreversible trend of history.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query related to Taiwan's new leader Lai Ching-te's debut speech.

Lai's speech is a confession of his attempts to seek "Taiwan independence" by force and by relying on external forces, Wu said, adding that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) firmly opposes this and has responded with strong countermeasures.

"Separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' constitute the biggest real threat to peace across the Taiwan Strait," Wu said.

The PLA shoulders the mission of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is fully prepared, remains highly vigilant, and is ready to take resolute actions to counter any "Taiwan independence" separatist attempts and thwart foreign interference, Wu noted.