BEIJING, Feb. 28 -- "Lai Ching-te and his ilk, driven by partisan and personal interests, have recklessly squandered public funds to purchase US-made weapons. This will only drain Taiwan's coffers faster, push Taiwan closer to the peril of war, and drag the people in Taiwan down into an abyss," said Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Saturday.

It is reported that Lai Ching-te recently made noises about accelerating the buildup of asymmetric capabilities, and pushed hard for advancing arms purchases from the US and the approval of related budgets, so as to "ensure security of the island and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."

The spokesperson sternly warned the DPP authorities that seeking independence by soliciting foreign support is doomed to fail, and resisting reunification by force is a dead end.

The spokesperson also hoped that compatriots in Taiwan will see through the very dangerous and destructive nature of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" schemes and foreign interference, and take concrete actions to safeguard their own safety and well-being, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.