Beijing says Taiwan politics don’t change ‘fact’ there is ‘one China’

BEIJING: Beijing said on Monday that Taiwan´s internal politics did not change the “fact” it is part of China, warning that efforts towards the island´s independence were a “dead end” after it swore in new President Lai Ching-te.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has long threatened to use force to bring the island under its control. It has described Lai as a “dangerous separatist” for his past comments on Taiwan´s independence -- rhetoric that he has moderated in recent years. Asked about his inauguration on Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Taiwan independence was “a dead end”.

“No matter under what guise or banner, the pursuit of Taiwan independence and secession is doomed to fail,” he added. “No matter how the internal political situation in Taiwan changes, it will not change the historical and legal fact that both sides of the strait belong to one China,” Wang warned.