More Taiwan people realize U.S., DPP 'harming, not protecting Taiwan,' official says

An increasing number of people in the Taiwan region have realized that the United States and Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are harming instead of "protecting" the island, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a recent public opinion poll in Taiwan concerning the U.S. demand for Taiwan to pay "protection fees."

The survey showed that 51 percent of the Taiwan people polled disagreed with the demand and 57 percent of the respondents did not believe the United States would send troops to protect Taiwan.

More people in Taiwan have broken through the information cocoon manufactured by the DPP authorities, Chen said, adding that the DPP's reliance on the United States will push Taiwan to the abyss of disaster.

Commenting on Lai Ching-te's claim that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's key nominees for his administration have "close ties" to Taiwan, Chen said this would not change the fact that Taiwan is part of China.

Chen slammed the Taiwan authorities for seeking U.S. support for the "Taiwan independence" agenda, saying that this would not provide an opportunity "to escape from the tragic fate of being abandoned."

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, underpins the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and is the top red line that cannot be crossed in bilateral relations, Chen stated.

Speaking of the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Chen expressed firm opposition, urging the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three joint communiques between the two countries, and to stop arming Taiwan.