Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday started joint exercises around Taiwan island. In response to a media inquiry on the current situation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the Eastern Theater Command and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council have already released statements regarding the joint exercises. The exercises are a stern warning and a strong deterrent against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, as well as a legitimate and necessary move to safeguard China's sovereignty and uphold national unity, said Guo.

Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, which brooks no external interference, said Guo.

The DPP authorities' stubborn adherence to a "Taiwan independence" position and their attempts to seek independence by relying on external forces are futile and bound to fail. The historic trend toward China's complete reunification is unstoppable and inevitable, said the spokesperson.