China will exert utmost efforts to realize "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but will take all necessary steps to safeguard China's territorial integrity, its foreign ministry said on Monday.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the objection of the government in Taipei. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

Last week, on the sidelines of China's annual meeting of parliament, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that Taiwan would never be a "country," and to support "Taiwan independence" was to interfere in China's internal affairs.

China is "willing to do our utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity," said Mao Ning, spokesperson at the foreign ministry, when asked about Wang's remarks on Taiwan.

"At the same time, China will take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely oppose Taiwan independence and external interference," Mao said.

In recent years, Beijing has ramped up its military pressure against the island, including holding several rounds of war games, keeping alive the prospect of the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

The United States is Taiwan's key arms supplier even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, but there is no defense treaty, unlike in the case of Japan and South Korea.

The United States must cease its arms sales to Taiwan and stop all military contacts with the island, Mao told reporters.

"The Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests and the first insurmountable red line in Sino-U.S. relations," she warned.

Reuters

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