China has reiterated its stance on potential military action against Taiwan and cautioned that foreign political figures who engage with Taiwan may be risking serious consequences.

While speaking to the press, Chinese spokesman Ma Xiaoguang said, “The malicious support for Taiwan independence among anti-China elements in a few foreign countries are a deliberate provocation. We call on the relevant countries to … cease sending the wrong signals to Taiwan independence separatist forces and cease playing with fire on the question of Taiwan.” Xiaoguang also reiterated that the Chinese military would continue “smashing plots for Taiwan independence.”

The Chinese spokesperson also confirmed that China would ramp up the number of military drills being conducted around the Island, resulting in Taiwan’s Defense Ministry to vow more exercises intended to defend the Island.

This development comes after Taiwan had many high-profile visits from officials from the United States, Canada, and Australia in 2022. This resulted in significant anger from the Chinese government, which viewed the visits as provocations. In response to the visits, China increased the number of military drills conducted around the Island and ramped up the number of air incursions that occurred in Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).