The Chinese premier Xi Jinping on Tuesday warned Taiwan of receiving the "punishment of history" if the government attempted to push for secession.
Speaking at China's annual session of parliament, Xi said, "it is a shared aspiration of all Chinese people and in their basic interests to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and realise China’s complete reunification."
"Any actions and tricks to split China are doomed to failure and will meet with the people’s condemnation and the punishment of history."
"The Chinese people share a common belief that it is never allowed and it is absolutely impossible to separate any inch of our great country’s territory from China,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying.
In 2016, the Taiwanese people elected the pro-independence party Democratic Progressive Party to power.