The Ministry of National Defense said on Friday that the ongoing military exercises conducted by the People's Liberation Army around the island of Taiwan are targeted at "Taiwan independence" forces and external interference, and are "completely reasonable, legal, legitimate and necessary".

The ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian made the remarks on Friday afternoon in response to United States military officials who claimed that the PLA exercises escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

On Thursday morning, the PLA Eastern Theater Command announced a two-day joint military exercise taking place in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of Taiwan, as well as areas around the islands of Jinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin, which are located in the Taiwan Strait.

Wu said that the drills are aimed at striking the rampant "Taiwan independence" forces and deterring external forces from interfering. "They're completely reasonable, legal, legitimate and necessary."

"The leader of the Taiwan region has seriously challenged the one-China principle since taking office, blatantly peddling the 'two-state theory,' attempting to seek independence through force and relying on external forces for independence, pushing Taiwan compatriots into a dangerous situation of war and peril," he said.

"This is playing with fire, and those who play with fire will absolutely burn themselves," the spokesman said.

He emphasized that Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and how to resolve the Taiwan question should be decided by more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.

The PLA defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity through practical actions, Wu said.

He warned, "Each provocation of 'Taiwan independence' will prompt our countermeasures to advance one step further, until the complete reunification of our motherland is achieved."