Ahead of Trump summit, China says it is ready to ‘crush’ any Taiwan independence bid

BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) – China is determined to oppose Taiwan’s independence and its capacity to “crush” separatism is “unbreakable”, the country’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s arrival at the summit in Beijing.

It is certain that the issue of democratically governed Taiwan, which China considers its own territory, will be discussed in two-day talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.

Rejecting Beijing’s sovereignty claims, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a speech at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday that the island was a “sovereign, independent nation” and a sign of democracy that would not bow to pressure.

But Taiwan has never been part of China and can never be, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office said at a weekly news briefing in Beijing.

“No matter how many times, even a thousand times, Lai Ching-te repeats his lies, they will remain lies and will never become the truth,” spokesman Zhang Han said.

“Our determination to oppose Taiwan’s independence is as solid as a rock, and our ability to crush Taiwan’s independence is unbreakable.”

China has never renounced using force to bring Taiwan under its control, but has said its preferred option is “peaceful reunification.”

The United States is Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, despite the lack of official diplomatic ties. In December, the Trump administration announced the largest-ever $11 billion arms package for Taiwan.

(Reporting by Joe Cash; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Tom Hogue and Clarence Fernandez)