China vows to tighten a “noose” around Taiwan if separation escalates

China's military spokesman has warned that the military will step up pressure on Taiwan if separatism on the island continues to grow. "The tighter the noose around their necks, the sharper the sword hanging over their heads will be," Wu Qian said, making clear Beijing's stance on Taiwan's separatist tendencies.

Wu Qian made the remarks at the Two Sessions, China's largest annual political gathering, which brings together the Asian giant's top political and military leaders.

"The more rampant 'Taiwan independence' separatists become, the tighter the noose around their necks and the sharper the sword hanging over their heads will be," Wu Qian said, making clear Beijing's stance on Taiwan's separatist tendencies.

"The People's Liberation Army (of China) is a force to counter separatism and promote reunification," Wu said.

In his comments, the Chinese military spokesman warned "Taiwanese separatists" that backing down on their plans could avoid fatal consequences. The spokesman warned that persisting in separatist attempts and continuing "on a dangerous path" could bring negative consequences and lead to a "dead end."

Wu said China will take stronger measures against separatist movements if they continue to pursue their independence aspirations, Xinhua news agency reported.

The senior official also said on Sunday that deputies of the armed forces pledged to step up training of troops and improve combat readiness in all areas, speed up military training and strengthen combat forces in new areas and attributes, according to Xinhua.

In recent years, Taiwan has become a flashpoint between China and the United States, the latter being the island's main ally and arms supplier.

Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its territory under the "one China" policy and rejects any attempt to question this principle. The conflict between the two sides has intensified in recent decades.