Any act that encourages Taiwan secession will definitely backfire, said Jiang Bin, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, on Friday.
Jiang's comments were made about the reports saying that the U.S., Japan and the Taiwan region conduct a joint war game to simulate a crisis in the Taiwan Strait and about the so-called "Defense Industry Forum" held by the U.S. and the Taiwan region in Taipei.
"The Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair that brooks no external interference. Any act that encourages separatists to engage in secession will only undermine the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the region, and is bound to get burned for playing with fire and taste the bitter fruit of their own doing. We urge the relevant countries to earnestly abide by the One-China principle and stop sending any wrong signal to the Taiwan secessionist forces. In the face of the historical trend that China will and must achieve reunification, any attempt of seeking Taiwan secession by relying on external forces and using the Taiwan region to contain China will only be doomed to failure," said Jiang.
Any act encouraging Taiwan secession will only backfire: spokesman
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.
At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.
Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.
The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.
Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.
Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.
Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.
Iran swears to counterattack if attacked
