Following the military exercises around Taiwan conducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), a spokesperson of Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Tuesday that they have called for "restraint and the avoidance of any further actions that risk undermining peace and stability," a remark the Chinese embassy called "erroneous" and "a misrepresentation of the facts and a manipulation of the truth," Xinhua reported.
"Taiwan is a province of China, and the Taiwan question is China's internal affair," a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy said, adding that the drills conducted by the PLA are a punitive and deterrent action against Taiwan separatist forces, a stern warning against external interference and a necessary move to safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"No country is entitled to make irresponsible comments on it," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson noted that China urges the British government to "earnestly respect the one-China principle and honor its commitment to China, refraining from any action which interferes in China's internal affairs, emboldens the separatists in Taiwan and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."