Comparisons rejected as Tsai, DPP authority warned

China on Wednesday dismissed comparisons between the Ukraine crisis and its Taiwan region, after the island's leader said evidence of Russian aggression was being used to hurt Taiwanese morale.

"Any such comparison showed a lack of the most basic understanding of the history of the Taiwan issue. Taiwan, of course, is not Ukraine," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press meet.

"Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China's territory. This is an irrefutable historical and legal fact," she said, blasting "unwise" Taiwanese authorities for "making the Ukraine issue into a hot topic."

The issue of Taiwan is one left over from the civil war, but China's integrity should never have been compromised and never has been compromised, Hua added.

Earlier, Taiwan's leader Tsai Ying-wen said: "Our government condemns Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty ... and urges all parties to continue to resolve the disputes through peaceful and rational means."

She expressed "empathy" for Ukraine's situation because of the "threat" from the mainland.

Meanwhile, a Chinese mainland spokesperson warned of decisive measures if "Taiwan independence" separatist forces misjudge the situation and make risky moves that touch the "red line."

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks after recent comments from the Taiwan region that suggested "drawing up a constitution" or "amending a constitution" to seek "independence."

He also reiterated that the mainland firmly opposes any plots that seek "Taiwan independence."

Commenting on former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's planned visit to Taiwan next week, Ma slammed the United States for trying to obstruct China's reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by playing the "Taiwan card."

Pompeo's visit is a "farce," Ma said. The root cause to the lasting tensions across the Taiwan Straits is attempts by the Democratic Progressive Party authority to seek "Taiwan independence" by relying on the US and attempts by some Americans to use Taiwan to contain China, he added.

No matter how the DPP authority and external forces collude with each other, they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of China, nor can they obstruct the historical trend of China's reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he stressed.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also criticized Pompeo's planned visit on Monday, warning that the DPP authority is "playing with fire and will end up being consumed by it."