CCTV News: On the afternoon of February 14, Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, released a message on recent military issues.

Reporter: It is reported that after the recent meeting between the U.S. and Japan, the two countries issued a joint statement saying that the two sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposed the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the situation in the Taiwan Strait. Recently, the USS Johnson destroyer and the USS Baudic marine surveying ship passed through the Taiwan Strait. What is your comment on this?

Question:It is reported that US and Japanese leaders met with each other and issued a joint statement, which emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposed any attempt to uninterlaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. Recently, the destroyer USS Johnson and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch transferred the Taiwan Strait. What’s your comment?

Zhang Xiaogang: The relevant content of the US-Japan joint statement is roughly interfering in China's internal affairs and smearing and accusing China for no reason. China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed. The Eastern Theater Command has responded to the US ship passing through the Taiwan Strait.

Zhang Xiaogang:The relevant contents in the US-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and made unfounded smears and accusations against China. The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to that. Regarding the passage of the US vessels through the Taiwan Strait, the PLA Eastern Theater Command has already made a response.

It should be emphasized that Taiwan is China's Taiwan. No military provocation by the US military can change this fact. On the contrary, the US's consistent hypocritical double standards can only be exposed to the international community again and again, and can only inspire the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and achieve complete reunification of the motherland again and again. The People's Liberation Army of China will continue to strengthen military training and preparation, firmly carry out the fight against separatism and interference, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I want to point out that Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. Any military provocation of the US will not change this fact. On the contrary, such US actions expose its hypocrisy and double standard to the international community, and bolster the resolution and will of the Chinese people to safeguard our national sovereignty and realize national reunification. The PLA will continue to strengthen combat readiness, resolutely fight against secession and interference, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.