US urged to stop sending wrong signals to separatists

China expressed its opposition on Wednesday to Washington's decision to invite Taiwan to participate in the so-called Leaders' Summit for Democracy in December, and it urged the United States to stop bolstering "Taiwan independence" forces.

The invitation came days after US President Joe Biden reaffirmed during a video summit with President Xi Jinping the US government's commitment to not supporting "Taiwan independence" and expressed support for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

There are 110 participants on the US State Department's invitation list for the virtual event, which does not include the Chinese mainland.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a daily news conference that Taiwan has no other status in international law than being part of China, as the island is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

The US should stop providing a platform for "Taiwan independence" forces, he said, adding that playing with fire will only result in getting burned.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday that China opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the island, saying that the way the US listed Taiwan as a participant in the "summit" was a mistake.

"We solemnly urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-US joint communiques," Zhu said.

Regarding the "summit", Zhao said that the US actions only prove that democracy is just a cover and a tool for Washington to advance its geopolitical objectives, oppress other countries, divide the world and serve its own interests of maintaining hegemony.

In the name of democracy, the US is creating bloc politics, stoking confrontation and revisiting the Cold War mentality, which will be questioned and opposed by people around the world who hold fair views, he said.

Zhao also rejected the virtual "US-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue", which was led by US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez on Tuesday.

Zhao said that the US should immediately stop upgrading substantive relations with Taiwan and avoid sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces.

He also warned the Taiwan authorities that any attempt to seek "independence" by soliciting US support or undermining cross-Straits relations is doomed to fail.