Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

China strongly condemns the US' arranging for leader of China's Taiwan region Lai Ching-te's "stopover" and has lodged serious protests with the US, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.

China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region, firmly opposes any trip by leader of the Taiwan authorities to the US in any name or under whatever pretext, and firmly opposes any form of US connivance or support for "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities, the spokesperson said, in response to reports saying Lai has begun his trip to so-called "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific, and he has arrived in Hawaii for a "stopover."

The spokesperson stressed that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. 

"We urge the US to fully see the separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, fully understand the grave damage that 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities do to cross-Straits peace and stability, fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on the commitments made by US leaders such as not supporting 'Taiwan independence,' stop having official interaction with the Taiwan region, and stop sending any wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," the spokesperson said.

China will closely follow the developments and take resolute and strong measures to defend our nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the spokesperson said.