China said on Thursday that Taiwan's first homegrown submarine is nothing but "a broom attempting to hold hack the tide" and would ultimately walk into a blind alley, the state-run China Daily reported.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a news conference in Beijing in response to the launch of the Taiwan's submarine.
Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan unveiled what it called "first homegrown submarine".
"No matter how many weapons the Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities build or buy, they will not be able to stop the general trend of national reunification, or shake the staunch determination, strong will and strong capabilities of People's Liberation Army to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wu was quoted as saying.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning also responded to the newly launched submarine. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is bound to be realized," Mao said.
"The Democratic Progressive Party authorities stubbornly adhere to the position of Taiwan independence, squander the hard-earned money of the Taiwan people by purchasing weapons, and create confrontation across the Taiwan Strait," she said, criticizing that it would only undermine peace and stability in the Strait.
China and Taiwan separated after a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still sees the island as its territory.
Source: Kuwait News Agency