Any attempt by "Taiwan independence" forces to provoke war will lead to their own destruction: spokesperson

BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Tuesday warned that any attempt by secessionists seeking "Taiwan independence" to provoke war would lead to disastrous consequences.

Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query regarding a reported plan by Taiwan's military to forward-deploy HIMARS rocket systems to Penghu and Dongyin -- islands in the Taiwan Strait.

In the face of the People's Liberation Army's overwhelming strength, any attempt by "Taiwan independence" forces to provoke war will lead to their own destruction, Jiang said.