Taiwan has never been a country, not in the past, and never in future: spokesman

Taiwan has never been a country, not in the past, and never in the future, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday, in response to the recent separatist-minded remarks made by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan.

"The related remarks once again fully exposed the old tricks played by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to distort history, falsify facts, and spread lies as well as their evil nature that pursues the 'Taiwan-independence' separatist agenda by all kinds of means," said Lin Jian, the spokesman, at a press conference in Beijing.

"This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War as well as the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan. United as one under the banner of the Chinese united front against Japanese aggression, which was advocated and established by the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese people, after launching relentless and joint efforts and making immense sacrifice, defeated the Japanese militarists, carving out an epic of heroic resistance and victory against Japanese aggression," Lin said.

"Taiwan's restoration to China in 1945 is a victorious outcome of World War II and an integral part of the postwar international order. A series of documents with international legal effect, such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, confirm China's sovereignty over Taiwan. It is an indisputable historical and legal fact," he said.

"There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. Although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have not been completely reunified, the fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed and will never be changed. This is the real status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has never been a country. It was not a country in the past, and it will never be one in the future," said the spokesman.

"No matter what the DPP authorities say or do, the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China's territory will never change, nor will the international community's prevailing consensus on upholding the one-China principle be changed. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable," he said.

Taiwan has never been a country, not in the past, and never in future: spokesman

Taiwan has never been a country, not in the past, and never in future: spokesman

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests