SHANGHAI- China's Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, reiterated his country's stance on the Taiwan issue during a speech at the Lanting Forum in Shanghai on Friday. According to Qin, both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China and it is right for China to uphold its sovereignty.

Qin went on to criticize what he referred to as "absurd rhetoric" accusing China of disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He said that "fair-minded people" can see that it is not the Chinese mainland, but rather the "Taiwan independence separatist forces and a handful of countries attempting to disrupt the status quo" that are engaging in "hegemonic bullying."

The Chinese government views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has long sought reunification with the island. However, Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, when Chinese Nationalist forces fled to the island after losing a civil war to the Communists on the mainland. Taiwan has its own democratically-elected government and military, and enjoys widespread international recognition.

In recent years, tensions between Beijing and Taipei have risen, with China taking a more assertive stance towards Taiwan. In recent weeks, China has conducted military exercises near the island in response to high-level meetings between Taiwanese and foreign officials, including a recent visit by Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen to the United States.

Qin warned that "those who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned," suggesting that any attempts by foreign countries to interfere in the Taiwan issue would be met with a forceful response from China.

The United States has long been a key ally of Taiwan, and has continued to provide military and diplomatic support to the island despite China's objections. However, the Biden administration has been cautious in its approach to Taiwan, seeking to avoid provoking Beijing while maintaining its commitments to the island's security and democracy.