China slams joint US, Taiwan naval drills

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - China urged the US on Tuesday "to earnestly abide" by the one-China principle and stop its "wrong behavior" by having military contact with Taiwan.

"I want to stress that China is firmly opposed to the US’s military contact with Taiwan. This position is consistent and unequivocal," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news conference.

"We also have a clear message for the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) authorities: Seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and resisting reunification with force is bound to fail."

In April, the US and Taiwan conducted a joint drill in the Western Pacific, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported.

Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Sun Li-fang said the drills followed the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) and non-binding rules to prevent military tensions at sea.