Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: VCG

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the US not to send any wrong signals to the Taiwan secessionists so as not to seriously damage the China-US relations and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, in responding to the negative and false remarks from Mark Milley, chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The negative and erroneous words and deeds of the US related to the Taiwan question have encouraged the blatancy of the Taiwan secessionists and increased the tension across the Taiwan Straits, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday. 

On Wednesday, Milley said that Chinese mainland is unlikely to try to "militarily seize" the island of Taiwan in the near future - "six, 12, maybe 24 months." And he said US forces "absolutely have the capability" to defend the Taiwan island. 

"The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and concerns China's core interests. No one should underestimate China's firm resolve and determination to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity… We will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any way," Wang said.  

"The US should follow a real one-China policy, not a fake one. The US should honor its commitments to China, rather than reneging on its promises. It should put the one-China policy into real action, rather than saying one thing and doing another," Wang noted. 

We urge the US to be fully aware of the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related affairs, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to Taiwan secessionists so as not to seriously damage the China-US relations and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Wang said.  

While playing the "Taiwan card," the US did not stop playing up the "China threat theory" to fuel the rising cross-Straits tensions. According to a Pentagon report released on Wednesday, China is allegedly expanding rapidly its nuclear arsenal and to have 1,000 nuclear warheads by the end of the decade as it aims to surpass US global influence by the middle of the 21st century, as reported by CNN. 

The report was released hours after Milley's remarks, US media reported. 

Global Times