Chinese Army Able to Deter Any External Support of Taiwan Independence: Defense Ministry

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has the ability and confidence to defeat any attempts by outside forces to organize Taiwan's independence, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said on Tuesday.

"The Chinese army has the confidence and ability to thwart any external interference and separatist conspiracy aimed at Taiwan's independence," Tan told a briefing.

Although China is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it will not promise to renounce the use of force, the spokesman noted.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said it detected 20 PLA aircraft and four vessels around the island at 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday (22:00 GMT on Monday).

The situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Despite such reaction, several countries, including Germany, have since sent delegations to the island, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan — a territory with its own elected government — maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.