CHINA has issued an immediate threat to democratic campaigners in Taiwan - cautioning them continuing opposition to the one-China principle is going to result in them becoming"burnt" and needing to"swallow the bitter fruit".
The concept comes in a time of heightened tension between China and the US, with the USS Mustin delivered through the Taiwan Straits yesterday in a move which prompted furious condemnation from Beijing. The one-China principle sums up Beijing's attitude towards the island formally referred to as the Republic of China, which it regards as being a part of its territory.
Present President Tsai Ing-wen is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, and as such is dedicated to Taiwan keeping its independence.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian was speaking in response to a statement issued from the Somali Ministry Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which yesterday launched a stinging assault on Taiwan, accusing it of a"reckless attempt" to"infringe" on its sovereignty.
Mr Zhao said there was"only one China in the world", of which Taiwan was an"inalienable part".
He further claimed the one-China principle was a"consensus of the global community".
At a message probably aimed at Tsai and her celebration, he added:"Those going against the tendency to battle the one-China principle will become burned and swallow the bitter fruit"
As the beginning of this month, Old Colonel Ren Guoqiang stated in a media conference in Beijing:"These attempts to include China together with Taiwan interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
"They're completely wrong and extremely dangerous.
"The US should realise that China must and will be reunified, and the excellent rejuvenation of the Chinese state must and will be gained."
Taiwan has long been regarded as a potential flashpoint between China and the west, particularly since the departure of contentious security legislation in Hong Kong, a few hundred miles to the west.
Speaking to Express.co.uk last month, Tobias Ellwood MP, chairman of the Defence Select Committee in Addition to a member of Parliament's China Research Group, cautioned China's policy of militarising islands in the South China Sea was partly aimed at cutting on Taiwan off.
"In fact it's arguably closer to Malaysia as well so both of them could rightly claim it before China and you have these actions going on.
"This is almost 1,000 miles off China's coast."
"This really is only one of the many islands and archipelagos which China is developing.
"The Spratly Islands, the Paracel Islands, they're all part of the marine strategy to control the South China Sea.
"This may indicate that Taiwan is essentially surrounded, making it rather hard for anybody to intervene."
He also addressed the subject of the South China Sea through a Defence Select Committee meeting That Was also attended by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
Mr Ellwood said:"It's merely a matter of time before they put in air limitations along with the marine one which is there currently.
"After they've done that it won't be Hong Kong we're thinking about. It will be Taiwan that's under pressure there too."
The concept comes in a time of heightened tension between China and the US, with the USS Mustin delivered through the Taiwan Straits yesterday in a move which prompted furious condemnation from Beijing. The one-China principle sums up Beijing's attitude towards the island formally referred to as the Republic of China, which it regards as being a part of its territory.
Present President Tsai Ing-wen is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, and as such is dedicated to Taiwan keeping its independence.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian was speaking in response to a statement issued from the Somali Ministry Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which yesterday launched a stinging assault on Taiwan, accusing it of a"reckless attempt" to"infringe" on its sovereignty.
Mr Zhao said there was"only one China in the world", of which Taiwan was an"inalienable part".
He further claimed the one-China principle was a"consensus of the global community".
At a message probably aimed at Tsai and her celebration, he added:"Those going against the tendency to battle the one-China principle will become burned and swallow the bitter fruit"
As the beginning of this month, Old Colonel Ren Guoqiang stated in a media conference in Beijing:"These attempts to include China together with Taiwan interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
"They're completely wrong and extremely dangerous.
"The US should realise that China must and will be reunified, and the excellent rejuvenation of the Chinese state must and will be gained."
Taiwan has long been regarded as a potential flashpoint between China and the west, particularly since the departure of contentious security legislation in Hong Kong, a few hundred miles to the west.
Speaking to Express.co.uk last month, Tobias Ellwood MP, chairman of the Defence Select Committee in Addition to a member of Parliament's China Research Group, cautioned China's policy of militarising islands in the South China Sea was partly aimed at cutting on Taiwan off.
"In fact it's arguably closer to Malaysia as well so both of them could rightly claim it before China and you have these actions going on.
"This is almost 1,000 miles off China's coast."
"This really is only one of the many islands and archipelagos which China is developing.
"The Spratly Islands, the Paracel Islands, they're all part of the marine strategy to control the South China Sea.
"This may indicate that Taiwan is essentially surrounded, making it rather hard for anybody to intervene."
He also addressed the subject of the South China Sea through a Defence Select Committee meeting That Was also attended by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
Mr Ellwood said:"It's merely a matter of time before they put in air limitations along with the marine one which is there currently.
"After they've done that it won't be Hong Kong we're thinking about. It will be Taiwan that's under pressure there too."