THE Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council yesterday urged relevant parties to act with caution so as not to cause damage to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

“The Taiwan issue concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and involves China’s core interests. Our determination to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country is unwavering,” said spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang at a news conference.

Ma made the remarks in response to recent media reports about the U.S. Navy’s plan to send warships to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait in November for what was described as a “show of force.”

“Any separatist attempt that relies on foreigners to build itself up, intensify antagonism, damage cross-Strait relations or change Taiwan’s status is doomed to fail,” Ma said, commenting on a speech by Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen on Oct. 10.

(CGTN)