Mainland remains best destination for investment, business startups by Taiwan investors: spokeswoman

The Chinese mainland is always the best destination for investment and business startups by investors and firms from the Taiwan region, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday, lashing out at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan for fabricating lies about cross-Strait trade and business operation.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, the spokeswoman, said that the DPP authorities, out of their separatist nature, habitually spread rumors in an effort to disrupt cross-Strait cooperation and exchange, but their lies cannot withstand even the slightest scrutiny of facts.

"Against the backdrop of an external environment fraught with changes and turmoil, the mainland's advantages are becoming more outstanding, as it has a huge market, broad market prospects, stable policy expectations, and a good security situation. The mainland is always the best destination for investment and business startups by all Taiwan investors and Taiwan enterprises. In the first quarter of this year, the cross-Strait trade value reached 70.56 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 15.2 percent," Zhu said.

"The investment from the Taiwan region in actual use by the mainland reached 1.26 billion U.S. dollars, growing by 127.1 percent year on year. In the three-month period, there were 1,592 more enterprises newly established in the mainland with investment from Taiwan. More and more compatriots in Taiwan and investors from the region are taking concrete actions to prove that the mainland is always the best destination for investment and business startups by all Taiwan investors," she said.

Zhu added that despite increasing external uncertainty, the mainland is confident in maintaining economic development and will continue to improve its business environment for investors from Taiwan.

"Facing U.S. abuse of tariffs, the mainland immediately took resolute and strong countermeasures, demonstrating our unwavering determination to safeguard national development interests, international fairness, justice, orders, and rules, and also reflecting our confidence in maintaining economic development. We will study and address the issues and difficulties faced by the investors and enterprises from Taiwan, treat them as equals, strengthen supports for them, boost cross-Strait industrial chain and supply chain integration, support enterprises funded by investment from Taiwan in participating in the implementation of major national strategies, help enterprises from Taiwan to transform and upgrade, expand domestic market share, integrate into the new development pattern, and achieve high-quality development," said the spokeswoman.

"We also hope that the investors and the enterprises from Taiwan will strengthen confidence, adopt a long-term perspective, actively participate in cross-Strait communication and cooperation, work together with us to fend off external risks and challenges, and jointly promote the economy of the Chinese nation," she said.

Mainland remains best destination for investment, business startups by Taiwan investors: spokeswoman

Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani on Tuesday urged the UN secretary-general and the Security Council to condemn the United States for inciting violence and threatening to use force against his country.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Somali UN ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, who serves as the rotating president of the Security Council for January, Iravani accused U.S. President Donald Trump of openly inciting violence in Iran, citing Trump's post on social media platform Truth Social.

"This reckless statement explicitly encourages political destabilization, incites and invites violence, and threatens the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iravani said in the letter.

He also called on the UN secretary-general and the Security Council "to fulfill their Charter-based responsibilities by unequivocally condemning all forms of incitement to violence, threats to use force, and interference" in Iran's internal affairs by the United States.

Iran is also urging all UN member states to refrain from provocative and irresponsible statements or actions that violate the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iran, the letter said.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Iran's mission to the UN accused the U.S. of trying to stage "regime change" in the country, using sanctions, threats, engineered unrest and chaos to manufacture a pretext for military intervention.

With U.S. officials repeatedly threatening to intervene, Chief Commander of the Iranian Army Amir Hatami has stressed that the Iranian armed forces are in a state of full readiness, warning that any miscalculation by "enemies" would trigger a decisive response.

Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has also said that the country will respond forcefully to any attack and "defend the country with full force and until the last drop of blood."

The United States virtual embassy in Iran on Tuesday urged U.S. citizens to leave the country.

According to media reports on Wednesday, the U.S. is withdrawing some of its personnel from its military bases in the Middle East as a precaution amid heightened regional tensions.

Qatar has also confirmed that personnel are departing U.S. bases there over "regional tensions."

Meanwhile, media reports quoted anonymous sources saying that Iran has warned neighboring countries hosting U.S. forces that U.S. military bases could be targeted if the U.S. intervenes in the ongoing unrests.

Iran calls on UN chief, Security Council to condemn U.S. for inciting violence