China says Taiwan president increasing 'hostility'

BEIJING — 

China has accused Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te of escalating "hostility" and pursuing independence, arsenic the self-ruled land prepared to observe its National Day.

China, which divided with Taiwan astatine the extremity of a civilian warfare successful 1949, regards the land arsenic portion of its territory that indispensable yet beryllium reunified, by unit if necessary.

Lai, who took powerfulness successful May aft his Democratic Progressive Party won a grounds 3rd term, has been a vocal defender of Taiwan's sovereignty, angering Beijing.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for a Chinese assemblage successful complaint of Taiwan affairs, said Lai had "recycled the 'Taiwan independence' fallacy erstwhile again" and exposed "his malicious intent to escalate hostility and confrontation."

Zhu's remarks, reported by authorities media precocious Tuesday, were successful effect to Lai saying it was "impossible" for China to beryllium the "motherland" of Taiwan.

"One of the astir important meanings of these celebrations is that we indispensable retrieve that we are a sovereign and autarkic country, and we indispensable ever cherish and emotion our country," Lai said Saturday up of Taiwan's National Day.

Three members of the U.S. Congress volition beryllium among the overseas guests successful attendance erstwhile Lai delivers his National Day code connected Thursday, which volition apt interaction connected the island's China policies.

China's defence spokesperson Wu Qian said Wednesday that the United States was "adding substance to the occurrence connected the Taiwan issue" by providing arms to Taipei, and "pushing Taiwan measurement by measurement into a unsafe concern of war."

Taiwan was connected alert for Chinese subject drills adjacent the land connected National Day aft observing "some maritime deployments," a elder information authoritative told AFP connected Wednesday.

Beijing maintains a near-daily subject beingness astir Taiwan and successful the past 2 years China has held 3 rounds of large-scale warfare games, deploying craft and ships to encircle the island.

Chinese President Xi Jinping precocious utilized his country's nationalist time celebrations to reiterate his telephone for the reunification of China and Taiwan.

"Achieving implicit nationalist reunification is the communal aspiration of the Chinese people," Xi said.

"It is an irreversible trend, a substance of justice, and it is successful accordance with the fashionable will. No 1 tin halt the march of history," helium said.