China will exert utmost efforts to realise "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, its foreign ministry said on Monday, after the Chinese foreign minister declared last week that the island would never be "a country".

China will exert utmost efforts to realise "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but will take all necessary steps to safeguard China's territorial integrity, its foreign ministry said on Monday. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the objection of the government in Taipei.

China's military vowed Sunday to tighten its "noose" around Taiwan if separatism on the island escalated, warning independence proponents to step back from the "precipice".

The Chinese military has increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years with continuous military exercises, deploying fighter jets and warships around the island. "The more unruly the separatist independence advocates in Taiwan become,

The Chinese People's Liberation Army warns against the escalation of separatist activities in Taiwan. A spokesperson for the army announces that they will tighten the noose around the island in case of further provocations.