China's military said Tuesday it is ready to "crush" any form of secession in Taiwan, as the United States prepares for a deal to sell defensive weapons and provide other military aid to the island.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Tan said what he described as the recent increase in relations between the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries was a very dangerous and wrong step.
The PLA continues to strengthen military training and preparations and will certainly crush any form of Taiwan secession as well as attempts at external intervention, he said. This is a reference to the United States, Taiwan's closest ally, in the words of the Anadolu news agency.
The Chinese spokesman's statement came in response to a reporter's question about reports that US President Joe Biden is preparing to approve a $500 million arms sale to Taiwan, as well as sending more than 100 military experts to evaluate training methods and make suggestions to improve the island's defenses.
Taiwan enjoys strong bipartisan support that has called on President Joe Biden's administration to continue sending nearly $19 billion in military aid to Taiwan after it was approved but not yet delivered to the island.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and believes it should be brought under its control by force if necessary.
Chinese criticism of Britain
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London on Tuesday criticised former British Prime Minister Liz Truss's visit to Taiwan, calling it a "dangerous political show that will only damage the United Kingdom."
"We call on the relevant British politician to correct her mistake and stop political review regarding the Taiwan issue, as well as stop colluding with and supporting the secessionist forces of Taiwan independence," the spokesman said in a statement posted on the embassy's website.
Terrace is the most famous British politician to visit Taiwan since former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited in the nineties, and her trip comes as British-Chinese relations are going through their worst period in decades, according to the Reuters news agency.
Truss is a wing of the ruling Conservative Party that opposes the British government's approach to China, which includes seeking to cooperate with it in areas such as trade and climate change, while trying to reduce the threat to national security.