All options that can punish "Taiwan independence" separatist forces remain on the table, China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday in response to claims that the Chinese mainland could seek to justify action on Taiwan by following the United States' forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang made the remarks at an online news conference after some foreign media outlets claimed that the costs and risks would be much higher if the mainland tried to handle the Taiwan question by following relevant US moves earlier this month.

"The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. How to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese people, which brooks no interference from external forces," Zhang said.

Dealing with "Taiwan independence" armed forces would be like "catching turtles in a jar", he said, noting that all options that can effectively punish "Taiwan independence" separatists remain on the table.

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn