U.S. "show of support" for Taiwan futile: Chinese spokesperson

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged the United States to handle Taiwan-related issues prudently to avoid further undermining China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing, in response to recent media reports that the United States will send five former high-level officials to visit Taiwan in a show of U.S. support to the island.

Wang said the Chinese people are firmly committed to safeguarding their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "The U.S. demonstration of so-called support for Taiwan is futile, whoever it sends."

He urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop all official exchanges with Taiwan, and handle Taiwan-related issues prudently to avoid further undermining China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

When asked to comment on the U.S. recent act to hype up the passage of the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Strait, Wang said if the U.S. side intends to embolden the secessionists seeking "Taiwan independence" via such a move, "this will only expedite the collapse of the 'Taiwan independence' forces, and the United States will pay a heavy price for its risky behavior."

"If the U.S. side attempts to intimidate or pressure China via such a move, we'd like to warn the United States that any military deterrence is as weak as scrap iron in front of the Great Wall of steel constituted by the 1.4 billion Chinese people," Wang said.