The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy commissioned three new warships, namely a Type 09IV nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Changzheng 18 (left), a Type 055 large destroyer, the Dalian (center), and a Type 075 amphibious assault ship, the Hainan, in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province on April 23, 2021. Three more Type 09IVs can be seen in the background. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will leave no room for Taiwan secessionist activities in any form, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, when asked if the recent commissioning of the Type 075 amphibious assault ship is preparing for a "reunification-by-force" operation on the island of Taiwan.

The "Taiwan independence" forces and their secessionist activities blatantly challenge the essential interests of the Chinese nation, seriously damage the immediate interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and severely harm the peace and stability in the Straits, Wu said.

"We are always fully prepared to deal with foreign forces' interference and Taiwan secessionist activities, and the goal is to safeguard the prospect of and push forward a peaceful reunification," Wu said, noting that if the "Taiwan independence" forces insist on secessionism, the Chinese mainland's military will take all necessary measures to crush their attempts.

Wu's statements come after the PLA Navy commissioned the Hainan, the Chinese mainland's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship, on Friday, the service's 72nd founding anniversary, together with the Dalian, a Type 055 large destroyer, and the Changzheng 18, a Type 09IV nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile submarine.

A China Central Television report on the commissioning went viral on Chinese mainland social media over in the past week for interviewing a sailor named Wu Tong on the Type 075, as the name sounds nearly identical to "wutong," meaning "reunification by force."

Some media reports said the commissioning of the three warships is a form of muscle-flexing to countries near the South China Sea, b. But the spokesman Wu said that the warships' development is a decisions made based on national security and overall development, and it is not related to the regional situation or targeted at any specific country or target.

China's policy ofn firmly safeguarding the peace and stability in the South China Sea has not changed, Wu said.