BEIJING, December 11. /TASS/. The support for independence advocates in Taipei by external powers causes destabilization in the Taiwan Strait, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a briefing.

"Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are undermined by the separatist actions of Taiwan's independence supporters, as well as the endorsement and support from external forces," the diplomat said.

She noted that China will remain firm in defending its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "The Taiwan issue is the primary red line in China-US relations that cannot be crossed, and we remain steadfast in this policy," the spokeswoman concluded.

In recent days, Taiwan's armed forces have reported dozens of aircraft and ships from China's People's Liberation Army approaching the island daily.

Earlier, Lai Qingde, the head of Taiwan's administration, visited the United States' Hawaii and the island of Guam during his tour across the Pacific nations. While there, he held telephone conversations with former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Speaker Mike Johnson.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after losing the Chinese Civil War. The US officially recognizes the one-China principle but regularly provokes China by sending delegations to Taiwan and supplying the island with weapons. Beijing considers Taiwan one of China’s provinces.