China's defense chief warns those seeking to separate Taiwan from China face 'self-destruction'

• Dong reiterated China's position that Taiwan is part of China and said Beijing is committed to peaceful reunification.
• Throughout his speech and Q&A, Dong repeatedly blamed separatist forces for eroding the "One China" principle, which states Beijing's view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan.
• Dong also addressed other questions, including one that referenced Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s comment that the killing of a Filipino citizen in the South China Sea would be "very close" to an act of war.

SINGAPORE — China's defense minister, Adm. Dong Jun, vowed that anyone who aims to separate Taiwan from China will face "self-destruction."

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the admiral called on "forces for Taiwan independence" to "abandon the illusion and return to the right track of reunification."

"Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will only end up in self-destruction," he said.

In response to questions, Dong reiterated China's position that Taiwan is part of China and said Beijing is committed to peaceful reunification.

Taiwan is a democratically self-governed island and recently inaugurated a new president on May 20.

Throughout his speech and Q&A, Dong repeatedly blamed separatist forces for eroding the "One China" principle, which states Beijing's view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan. The admiral said newly elected Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te made a "blatant" statement about his ambition for Taiwanese independence in his inauguration speech.

He also accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of trying to change the island's constitution to "erase the Chinese identity," preventing people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and mainland China as well as increasing its