Beijing issued another warning to Washington on Thursday against allowing the planned "transit" by Taiwan's deputy leader Lai Ching-te, vowing to take firm and strong measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In an online statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and China's Taiwan region, and resolutely opposes any "Taiwan independence" separatist activities under any pretext or in any way.

The island's authorities announced on Wednesday that Lai will leave on Aug 12 for Paraguay to attend the inauguration of the country's president-elect. He will "transit" in New York and San Francisco on his way to and from Paraguay.

The spokesperson said that China firmly opposes any form of US connivance with and support for "Taiwan independence" separatists to further their separatist activities.

"The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and a red line that cannot be crossed," the statement said.

China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, act on its leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence", stop official interactions with Taiwan, stop upgrading its substantive exchanges with the region and stop sending wrong messages to separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence", the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also warned Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party that "Taiwan independence" is a dead end, and fawning on the US and selling Taiwan out will only harm the people of Taiwan.

"Any attempt to seek 'independence' and make provocations in collusion with external forces is doomed to fail," the spokesperson said.

xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn

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