China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, recently spoke at the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, addressing topics China’s determination to “reunify” Taiwan.

During his speech, Qin asserted that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belonged to China and that it is only natural for China to defend its sovereignty. He rejected accusations that China is disrupting the status quo and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, calling such claims “absurd” and “dangerous.”

Qin added, “Recently there has been absurd rhetoric accusing China of upending the status quo, disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The logic is absurd and the conclusion dangerous. It is not the Chinese mainland, but the Taiwan independence separatist forces and a handful of countries attempting to disrupt the status quo. hose who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned.”

The foreign minister’s remarks followed Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles. China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has consistently denounced high-level meetings between Taiwanese officials and foreign leaders. The government in Taipei, on the other hand, firmly rejects Beijing’s claims to Taiwan and maintains its democratic governance separate from the mainland.